Nigerians Should hold Gov. Oborevwori Responsible, Should They Make Good Their Threat.

Being Text Of A Press Release By Egbema Youth Council ( EYC).

The threat by the Itsekiri Consultative Congress led by one Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, a PDP Stakeholder in Warri North Local Government Area to resist the Egbema Ijaw planned protest against Gov Sheriff Oborevwori’s unjustified exclusion of the Ijaws of Warri North Local Government Area, in nominating two Commissioners from Warri North do not come to us as a surprise. But it’s a further affirmation of their mistaken belief that the Council belongs to only the Itsekiris, yet cannot find the population to make an homogeneous local government. Our population is only good to increase their voting strength but not good for appointment and development!

This, we no longer find shocking anymore.

Protest is a Fundamental Human Right and any group with legitimate reason need is free to do so without any disturbance. In fact the Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed this in the case between Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and others versus the Federal Government of Nigeria, after the Police attacked the the protesting Buhari and his All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) members, on the grounds that they didn’t obtain a police permit before embarking on the protest. The supreme court held that, not only are Nigerians free to embark on protest without any prior notice or permission from security agents, but the police on hearing any protestation MUST provide security cover unsolicited for those protesting. It’s therefore, a settled matter by law. We need not take permission from the Itsekiris or the apparently bias government Sheriff Oborevwori (whom by his act we won’t be wrong to deem the in this matter), and a suspected enemy of the progress to the development of Egbema Ijaw people.

We would not have responded to the publication of the Itsekiri group issued on Thursday, July 20, 2023, but we are doing so, to put the records straight for the general public and as a notice to the whole world that, that publication we saw has all the imprematu of Government support for the aggression from our Itsekiris neighbors of Warri North. The quest waiting for an answer remains; will the Government of Rt. Hon. Oborevwori now be the enabler of the aggressions and avoidable violence in Delta State? One of the governor’s aide was busy circulating the offensive story of the Itsekiri group to resist us. What are they resisting us for? For demanding for Justice in Warri North, from a government we all worked hard to install?

We want to put on record that “history does not repeat itself but people do repeat history.” We want the unguided Itsekiri group to read the history of the Warri crisis. *What caused the Warri crisis? It was the unjust relocation of a local Government headquarters created for the Ijaws of (present day Warri South West LGA) and the burning down of Chief E. K. Clark building by a group of Itsekiris mercenaries at his Warri GRA home when the Ijaws protested against the unjust relocation. The Ijaws protested against the government at the time and not Itsekiri people. So, what was the offense of the Ijaws? “A dog that wants to get lost in the jungle, will never hearken to the voice of the hunter”. This is the case of the government of Oborevwori with this brazen injustice with his adamance to reverse himself, even when he has been ask(ed) to reverse do so.

*We therefore, want to put on record that our planned protest is NOT against Itsekiri people of Warri North but the Delta State Government of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori* and so, there’s no need for any group to make the threat to attack us. Whichever group decides to do so should be very ready as we won’t bow to cheap blackmail by mischief makers, not even the Governor.

Now, the issues raised in their publication are resources Itsekiris spent on the election. Their claim to have spent more resources in terms of money is to stand truth on the head. Most of the money spent came from the State PDP, via the Government and individuals donations on the side of Ijaws and the Itsekiris. If more Itsekiris contributed, it means they are men favoured by successive governments to the detrimental perennial abandonment of the Ijaws. The Itsekiris were contestants to the House of Assembly and Senate from the council. So, when you contest election it’s expected that more fund(s) will come from your end. The second issue raised is Votes cast. Let the Itsekiris state the votes during the Presidential Election and the Senate. The true figure of votes in accordance with BVAS is there, which is expository to their bloated voter population. We will not say anything about the Governorship because we know what happened and especially since the matter is before the court.

*Our Resolved Position:*

a. That we have four Federal Wards in Warri North as against the Itsekiri Six Federal Wards an as such they cannot take the two Commissioners slot in Warri North.
b. That it’s against the Federal Character principle as provided in *Chapter II, section 13 subsection 4 of the 1999 constitution.* The essence is to avoid the dominance of one ethnic group at the government level.
c. That we gave Gov Oborevwori our four wards in the election just as Itsekiris gave their six wards, and hence we deserve the fruit of our labour.
d. That the votes that came from Warri North are collective votes and as such the government must reflect that collective nature, and cannot alienate us by giving the two Commissioners slot to only Itsekiris who already have the State House of Assembly member. These are very clear issues.
e. That the Itsekiris constantly having the state assembly member and even now cannot in all fairness have both commissioners.
f. That politics is a game of interest but perennially ignoring the interest of your neighbours is witchcraft and a call to anarchy.

The DSS and the government knows that our agitation is justified except the mischief makers who are bent on a direction to cause trouble.

Therefore, by asking the DSS to arrest Egbema Right Activist, Francis Abulu Esq. is to stand the truth on the head and to further exacerbate the problem.

Therefore, we submit that “peaceful rebellion becomes a lawful thing when it’s against oppression.” Our protest is against the Government of Sheriff Oborevwori and not Itsekiris, and must hold except Mr. Governor do the needful.

Signed:

Comr. City Kelvin Eferusuoa, President Egbema Youth Council ( EYC)

Mr. Ekpokeme Governor, Secretary Egbema Youth Council (EYC).