Security Compromise: Ask Ofoni, Ighrakpata To Resign, Eselemo Tells Delta Gov

By Bulou Kosin

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Prince Collins Eselemo says Governor Sheriff Oborevwori should ask Chairmen of Uvwie LGA, Anthony Ofoni and Board of Internal Revenue, Solomon Ighrakpata, to resign for allegedly compromising security and embarrassing Oborevwori’s administration.

Speaking to newsmen in Warri weekend, Eselemo said the activities of Ugborikoko youths who extort monies and obstruct land developers against a subsisting state law were a threat to security and assault on efforts by Governor Oborevwori towards addressing state security concerns. Eselemo tendered a document which he claims suggests Ofoni is in support of excesses of the Ugborikoko youths even as he alleged conspiracy of silence from Ighrakpata who is not only known to be Ofoni’s godfather but is believed to harvest the “illegal collections” as chair of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue.

“Governor Sheriff Oborovweri has thought it wise, bought vehicles for the police and other members of the security community to take care of security in the state. And we have found relative peace. That is our experience for now”, Eselemo asserted, stressing: “The excesses of the Ugborikoko youths should not jettison the relative peace enjoyed by Deltans. A peace masterminded by the state governor only to be jettisoned by the LG chairman and Ighrakpata who has not given account of the monies he has been collecting at the Board of Internal Revenue?”

“I have over N5billion worth of property domiciled in Ugborikoko. So I am a major stakeholder”, Eselemo backgrounded his right to speak on the matter, adding: “The likes of Tompolo donated N10billion to the Delta State Security Trust Fund. Others like Chief Wayles and the Olu of Warri all donated hugely to the fund. Tompolo has property and investments worth several billions in Ugborikoko community. So it is security matter we are talking about and security is a function of all government parameters”.

Explaining that Ijaws among other ethnic developers were worst hit by some Uvwie youths ignorant about the ancestral blood link of the Ijaw with Uvwie people, Eselemo said the Ugborikoko elders, to defuse growing inter-ethnic tension, rose up, and in an open letter to the Governor in Vanguard newspaper, disbanded the youth activities in keeping with the law passed by the State House of Assembly. Rather than commendation for the elders, Eselemo said, Hon Ofoni opposed and condemned the action of the Ugborikoko elders. Besides, Eselemo said Ighrakpata who was in the DTHA representing Uvwie when the present Governor, then Speaker of DTHA passed the said law, appears to be in cahoots with the Uvwie LG boss in support of the youth excesses.

“Uvwie people also live elsewhere, in Bomadi, Patani and elsewhere, they don’t get the treatment they are ditching out to others”, Eselemo said, stressing: “Solomon Ighrakpata was my primary school classmate living in Willikie Street, in Warri cosmopolitan metropolis. Did any Itsekiri or Warri community youth disturb the father or Solomon himself? There was no such thing, so why should Solo be doing that? As stakeholders we have every reason to complain about the conduct of the duo of Ofoni, the Uvwie LG boss and Ighrakpata. This is no good image laundery for Governor Sheriff Oborovweri. We should call a spade a spade! We are calling for the resignation of Ofoni, the Uvwie LG boss and Solomon Ighrakpata. They are misfits in Oborevwori’s administration”.

Several efforts to reach Hon Solomon Ighrakpata, chairman of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, for his reaction were unsuccessful as he neither took his calls or responded to sms and whatsapp message sent to his GSM line 0813 838 9022.