The Ijaw indigenes of Warri North Local Government of Delta State in Egbema Kingdom are planning to protest their exclusion from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s list of nominated commissioners on the floor of the House of Assembly.
The leadership of Egbema Integrity Group (EIG), in a statement signed by Francis Abulu Esq., accused Governor Oborevwori of “erecting a government of injustice,” by appointing two persons from the council area without including an Ijaw man.
The two Warri North indigenes who made the list are daughter of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Ms. Orode and Dr. Isaac Wiliky, said to be a loyalist to ex-Chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Michael Diden, aka Ejele. Both are Itsekiri.
The statement said the people were sad after a list of commissioners-designate surfaced, “because since the creation of Warri North Local Government, it has always been the Itsekiri occupying the position at the State Executive Council. Not until toward the end of Governor Uduaghan’s second tenure that an Ijaw, Joel Bisina, was made commissioner for six months.”
The group said: “Egbema people have suffered political injustice in Warri North for too long, having been denied the position of House of Assembly member since the creation of the council in 1991.”
Noting that Egbema people were hopeful that the Oborevwori administration would change the narrative, the leaders said recent development, where a meeting sought with the governor “was not considered,” showed that the Ijaw of Warri North would continue to suffer the same fate.
Stressing that the local government comprised the Itsekiri (with six federal wards) and the Ijaw (with four federal wards), the Egbema leaders said the governor ought to have been sensitive to the fact that the local government was inhabited by two ethnic groups, to achieve political balance.
“Consequently, we call on sons and daughters of Egbema to come out in the days and weeks to protest it with every means legitimate. The Egbema Integrity Group cannot guarantee the smooth operation of oil companies in our area anymore, as this action has overheated the fragile peace we are experiencing in Warri North.
“We have assured our people agitated by the injustice in our area that this administration will make a difference. But what we have seen is even worse than previous administrations. So, we are in doubt our people can allow oil operations to go on smoothly. This unjust decision must not go unchallenged by lovers of justice,” the statement said.