Panic as Youths threaten to shut down oil facilities over move to appoint another Itsekiri as commissioner in Warri North

By Peters Monday, Abuja

The Egbema Youth Council, EYC, has threatened to shut down oil facilities in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State should the governor of the state, His Excellency Sheriff Oborevwori appoints two other Itsekiri’s as commissioners without considering the Ijaws in the LGA.

According to report, there is an attempt to appoint two Itsekiri commissioners by the governor of Delta State, despite the Warri North LGA is comprised of Itsekiri and Ijaws.

The Youths are demanding that there should be justice and fairness in the sharing of appointments and other political benefits between the Itsekiris and ljaws of Warri North.

This was revealed in a statement by the group’s president Comr. Kelvin city Eferusowoa, and Comr. Ekpokeme governor,Secretary on Thursday.

The Youths said they would asked all oil companies to close down operations in Warri North if the governor continued to close eyes to genuine agitations of the Egbema people.

They warned strongly that the governor should convene a meeting to listen to the agitations of the Ijaws of Warri North and stop every move to appoint another Itsekiri in the LGA as commissioner to douse the looming tension in Warri North.

The statement reads, “the attention of the apex youth body of Egbema kingdom, Egbema Youth Council (EYC) has been drawn to the Delta State Executive Council /Commissioner nominee list that the Executive Governor of Delta State has sent to the State house of Assembly for screening is outrightly an injustice in this egalitarian society and is unacceptable by the Egbema people in Warri North Local government Area despite our bulk votes given to him that enable him emerged winner of the gubernatorial poll and we are even more populated than the Itsekiris. Hence, we never expected His Excellency will involve himself in this imbroglio in Warri North.

“His Excellency sir, since the inception of Warri North in 1991, it was only once the Egbema people have be appointed as Commissioner and it was only six months during the end of the second tenure of former Governor, His Excellency Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

“Your Excellency sir, we were expecting you to enlist Egbema indegene in your executive Council but it was quite unfortunate you continue the perpetual deprivation and marginalisation by our Itsekiri neighbours.

“A local government where there are two ethnic group even though one outsmart the other, you would have use your exalted Office to correct this imbalance.

“Failure to review and correct this political anomaly in Warri North will be proned to another unrest between the two ethnic group in Warri North because we are tired of smiling in agony with our neighbours. Hence, His Excellency should as a matter of urgency see reasons to grant our plight in order to curtail the aftermath of this injustice meted to Egbema by our neighbours.

“Talking of physical population in the local government, the Ijaws are more than the itsekiris, your excellency why this injustice at this early stage in your Government?. Since the inception of the local government, it’s these itsekiri people that have been enjoying the commissioner slot except the six months appointment of Hon. Joel Ebisina towards the ending of His Excellency Emmanuel Udughan on his second tenure.

“Justice demands that if there should be an appointment of a Executives Council/Commissioner from Warri North, then that person must be an Ijaw, because of the long political marginalizing meted to Egbema by our neighbors.

“The Ijaws of Warri North have been denied the position of House of Assembly member since 1991 when the Local Government Council was created (inclusive of the inception of democracy in 1999) till date. We thought that His Excellency will give the Egbema people more listening hear this time due to the bulk votes the Egbema people gave to him during the governorship pull but, yet not so! In our due consultation Egbema political Leaders wrote the governor, H.E. Sheriff Oborevwori, a letter for a meeting, yet, it was not considered because we are only good at voting but cannot share from the proceeds.

“But this time we will not accept this injustice until fairness and justice prevail, at this junction the Egbema youth council EYC is calling on the governor of delta state to call for an emergency meeting between the Egbema political leader, the Apex youth council EYC to address this two nomination from itsekiri axis to avoid political crisis.
Warri North comprises the Itsekiris and Ijaws who have equal stake in the Local Government”.