Gbaramatu Freedom Day: Commence fresh ward delineation in Warri now- Oboko tells INEC

By Miracle Esegha, Warri

Following the celebration of Gbaramatu Freedom Day, 15th May 2023, the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Community, FNDIC, under the leadership of Bello Okobo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to obey the supreme court order and commence fresh ward and political units delineation exercise in the Warri Three Local Government Areas in Delta State.

Oboko who doubled as the
EBIYEDOUWEI OF GBARAMATU KINGDOM, in a statement which was sent to newsmen, said, following the catastrophic bombardment of the Gbaramatu kingdom by the Nigerian military on May 15, 2009, the kingdom had chosen every May 15 to mark its freedom day.
He said, “We have, for years stood on May 15 annually, for a get-together of Gbaramatu Freedom Day and as well condemn the scourge of slavery throughout the globe and request authorities in Nigeria to uphold and promote justice in the country.

“Today, we lament INEC’s refusal to obey a unanimous judgement of the apex court of our land, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja, which on December 2, 2022, ordered INEC to comply with the delineation of electoral wards in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North LGAs in Delta State earlier than the 2023 elections. In an affront to the UNANIMOUS Supreme Court judgement, INEC went beforehand to conduct the 2023 elections in Warri territory without effecting the required delineation of electoral wards.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court ordered inter alia: “An ORDER of the Honourable Supreme Court of Nigeria (Abuja) compelling the Defendant (INEC), its agents, servants, privies and assigns to conduct a sparkling delineation of all the electoral wards/polling units for Warri South West, Warri North and Warri South Local Government Areas of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State for future elections.

“We are gathered here today to share our faith in the immortal phrases of Martin Luther Jnr who states: “Right, briefly defeated is better than evil triumphant.” We consequently call on men, girls and companies of goodwill around the world to prevail on INEC to obey the Supreme Court verdict to allow the suitable Ijaw and different people in Warri territory to have a sense of belonging in Nigerian democracy.

“Ijaw and different indigenous residents in Warri territory have been shortchanged for too long. Without reference to the distant past, suffice to say that because 1998/1999 heralded our current democratic experience, the Ijaw people in Warri have been denied constitution-compliant participation in the Nigerian democracy. Our peaceful agitations have been unluckily visited with assaults on our dignity, freedom and notwithstanding INEC’s admission of guilt and guarantees to do the proper aspect which the apex Court has now ordered. In May 2009, rampaging Nigeria’s navy JTF destroyed about 32 Ijaw communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom and killed human beings to suppress the people’s agitation for the applicable issue to enable their participation in the Nigerian democracy. We protested the “triumphant evil” destructions and killings in a Federal High Court in Asaba which discovered the Nigerian military, and the Federal Government guilty and awarded against them a price of N99 billion. The Federal Government is yet to pay the judgement debt of N99 billion to the Gbaramatu people to allow them to rebuild themselves.

“It is against this history that we leverage on this occasion of the Gbaramatu Freedom Day to call on the world to appeal to INEC for an exchange of heart.

“Certainly, INEC shouldn’t know gleefully be the cause/harbinger of the 2009 War in Warri creeks and motive, some other avoidable crises in the Warri territory upon a placing judgment debt of N99 billion.

“INEC ought to comply with the S/C Judgment, having committed the following anomalies against the Nigerian Constitution and democracy which caused/contributed to  the unwholesome Warri Crisis beckoning a repeat of JTF combat in the creeks:

Earlier,
“1. INEC unlawfully adopted and refused to delineate ward/constituency in Warri South-West LGA, in 1998/1999.

“2. INEC de-creating, decreased present 1997 NECON wards in Ijaw areas of Warri South-West LGA from 10 to 6 and later 4.

“3. INEC’s non-application of 1991 census for generating population for ward/unit delineation in Warri South-West LGA in 1991, Ijaw vicinity with the majority population, having about 63% head used to be gerrymandered to 4 wards against different areas, with a minority having 37% population gerrymandered to 6 wards, contrary to sections 72 and 75 of the operational 1999 charter of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as amended.

“4. INEC performed elections at the back of terror of huge JTF State Security Operations, via selectively targeting the disenfranchised and disenchanted Ijaw human beings thereby suppressing them to achieve:
PEACEFULNESS WITHOUT JUSTICE.

“INEC ought to comply with the S/C Judgment, having committed the above anomalies against the Nigerian Constitution and democracy which caused/contributed to  the unwholesome Warri Crisis beckoning a repeat of JTF struggle in the creeks:

“Meanwhile, how long will INEC continue to fulfil its unlucky assessment way of Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) who in 2003 as Presidential Candidate of the NCP stated: “Believe it or not INEC is a way long gone on the path of bringing disaster to our loved country and it is very doubtful that it can flip back.

“Many thanks to Human Rights Watch, an International NGO that 2003 posited that “All these concerned in the Warri Crises are Nigerians, and must have equal rights about the authorities of the State where they live.

“INEC, DO THE NEEDFUL AND  LET MY PEOPLE GO. FREEDOM IS OUR GOAL

“Finally, when a canoe capsizes, restoration is in no way total. We, therefore appeal to the human beings of Warri and specifically the appropriate Ijaw humans of Gbaramatu to garner enough fortitude to undergo the pains and please permit the inauguration of the APC President-elect at the federal level and PDP governor-elect at the Delta State level, thinking that in the workplace they may clear the mess INEC has brought on Nigeria and make the difference in securing reconciliation for the instances in issue”