Ondo-Ijaw asks senator Tofowomo to render apology over derogatory comments

By Anita Godfrey

Ijaw Youths, under the auspices of the indomitable Arogbo Izon- Ibe Youth Council, AIIYC, have expressed disappointment over the derogatory and mischievous statement made by the senator representing Ondo South senatorial district, Hon. Tofowomo Nicholas, against the will of the entire Arogbo Ijaw people in Ondo state.

In a statement signed by Comr. Shoki Gbadia, National Youth President (AIIYC) on Monday described the senator’s utterances as a move to relegate them to the background politically, adding that he should render unreserved apology to the Ijaw people for the interest of peace.

The statement read, “the nomination of the Owo- born indigene in the state, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, as the NDDC executive director for project, by the Ondo state governor, is indeed, an intolerable degree of sentimentality before the law of the land, and we totally condemned that act of favouritism at the expense of the Oil host communities in the state, precisely, to the good people of Ilaje & Ese-odo local jurisdictions.

“The governor is in all areas of the law or NDDC act, culpable and must have been acquainted with the responsibility of such appointment and should have done the right thing as provided by the NDDC , Act.
But it is quite unfortunate in the statement of the distinguished senator, in his appeal to unequivocally revoke the said nominee to favour the oil producing areas, which he myopically narrowed to the Ilaje local government alone.

“We are obliged to inculcate him on the democratic nature and peculiar geographical entity of the people he is representing and to take a critical research on the Arogbo Ijaw ethnic nationality.
However, the senator’s aberrant behaviour towards us in the State is on called for, and we seek an unreserved apology to remedy our dissatisfaction over it.

“For a senator to state categorically, that, Ilaje is the only local government which produces oil in the state and should be considered for such NDDC nomination is a refined and concocted plan he had with his counterpart in the lower chamber of the national Assembly, Hon. Victor Kolade Akinjo, who is a son of Ilaje extraction in the state and the two term lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-odo federal constituency.
Since two wrongs cannot make a right, you are condemning the governor’s act of nominating his favourite, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, as the executive director of project, NDDC, which seems not to protect the interest of the concerned people who are suffering from the environmental and ecological effect of oil extraction in the region to only promote sentiment and ethnicity, it is sad.
Therefore, we can only call this nothing but political madness in the highest order, as authored by Okeke Chica Jerry, in his book titled: “This madness called politics”.

“Mr. Senator should have it in mind that, Ese-odo local government area, particularly, Arogbo kingdom, is an oil host kingdom, and no one should try to truncate our fundamental rights pertaining to oil.
Moreover, being a public figure, we call on Senator Tofowomo Nicholas to do the needful to compress our temperament towards him or he risks his political movements to the kingdom in the futuristic outlooks.

“We are youths but will never allow anybody to inflict any incurable injury on us in the political space, most especially from any politician.
We have not yet seen any infrastructural facility you have done in your government when you tour round the Arogbo kingdom but we did not disturb you with it, only watching till this your open negligence comes up.
Tofowomo should look back before he utters any statement.
As youths, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities in the kingdom saddled on us to fight for our fundamental human rights”. The group asserted.