Boro Day: IYC Demands Completion Of Abandoned Udo-Ofunama Road, Seeks Additional State, Release of Warri Delineation Report

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Western Zone, has urged the Federal Government, Edo State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to promptly tackle pressing concerns facing Ijaw communities in the Niger Delta.

Addressing attendees at the 58th Boro Day Rally at the abandoned Udo-Ofunama Road in Ovia South-West LGA, Edo State, IYC Western Zone Chairman Comrade Nicholas Igarama said the road stands as “a painful symbol of decades of neglect” impacting more than 300 Ijaw communities in the state.

The council called for the immediate rebuilding of the road, the conclusion of the ward delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency, official recognition of Ijaw traditional rulers in Edo State, and a fresh push for the creation of Toru-Ebe State.

“Ijaw people are not second-class citizens in Nigeria,” Igarama said, cautioning that the ongoing sidelining of oil-producing areas endangers peace and growth in the Niger Delta.

The rally, held to honor the late Major Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro, drew youth groups, traditional and community leaders, women’s organizations, and other stakeholders from across the western Niger Delta.