Group commends APC Delta South senatorial candidate Onowakpo for restoring power in Ogbe-Ijoh community

•Urges Ogbe-Ijoh people to support him massively

A Socio-Political Pressure group, the Independent Grassroot Liberators (IGL) has applauded the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta South Senatorial Candidate, Hon. Joel Onowakpo Thomas for single-handedly restoring electricity in the Ogbe-Ijoh community, the headquarters of Warri South-West Local Government Council after several years of experiencing total blackouts.

Speaking with newsmen in Warri on Friday, the National President of IGL Comr. (Amb.) Mamamu Bene Youkore, who also doubled as President of the Niger Delta Youth Council, called on the good people of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom to reciprocate the kind gesture of Hon. Onowakpor by giving him block votes in the forthcoming Delta South Senatorial poll.

The statement reads, “Onowakpo Thomas made a promise of restoring permanent peace between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities, once he emerges as the Senator, representing Delta South Senatorial District. In addition, he was pleased to restore electricity in Ogbe-Ijoh before the elections and truly he has fulfilled his promise on the aspect of restoring electricity to the people of Ogbe-Ijoh following the continued agitations of members of the Independent Grassroot Liberators. Therefore, on behalf of the Ogbe-Ijoh people, we are saying a big ‘thank you’ to him for his kind gestures.

“I, therefore use this medium to call on alwell-meaningng grassroots politicians in the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and the entire Warri South-West Local Government Area to come together and change the narrative this time around by voting for the right candidates, and not just for the party. I believe we will get it right because our votes will count this time, “Mamamu added.

In his remarks, the national secretary of IGL, Engr. Amb Okosu Smart described Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as a man of integrity, stating that the people of Ogbe-Ijoh were very grateful to him for fulfilling one of his promises to the community through IGL.

He stressed that the Delta South APC Senatorial candidate was the kind of person they want to represent them in the Red Chambers of the 10th Nigerian National Assembly.

Engr. Amb. Smart, who is also the immediate past chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, maintained that the group with over a thousand Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) bearers would deliver block votes for Hon. Joel-Onowkpo posited that he had fulfilled one of the promises he made to IGL members during a recent protest by the body to stop campaigns in the area due to the current administration’s insensitivity to the plight of the people.

Also speaking, the national spokesman of IGL, Comr. Stevenson Numah aka, Kpotowater, a former youth president of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom advised the people of Warri South West LGA, particularly the people of Ogbe-Ijoh to vote wisely and to see beyond party and vote for only creditable candidates.

Numah posited: “Vote for only credible candidates that always have the people in mind, the “talk and do” candidates like Hon Joel-Onowakpo, who when they say, let there be light and there is light. Voting wisely for the right person can take us out of this suffering.”

Congress gathered that IGL members had earlier protested against any form of electioneering in the area over the lingering crisis between Aladja and Ogbe-ijoh communities, coupled with the absence of power in the Warri South-West Local Government Council Headquarters, Ogbe-Ijoh for several years.

The protesters had carried placards with such inscriptions as: “If there is no peace between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh, there will be no campaign in Ogbe-Ijoh”, and “NO PEACE NO CAMPAIGN” among others.

Part of their demands included creating a permanent security post to checkmate criminal activities in the area and to restore power in Ogbe-Ijoh before campaigns could be allowed.

However, the Delta South APC Senatorial candidate, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo who pleaded with the youth body, also made a promise to restore electricity in Ogbe-Ijoh before the elections and to later resolve the lingering Aladja Ogbe-Ijoh crisis, when he eventually wins the Delta South Senatorial Seat.