The news of the nomination of names for Commissioners and members of Delta State Executive Council by the Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, should ordinarily be a thing of joy but for the Egbema people of Warri North Local Government Area it signifies a sad day.

Justice demands that if an appointment of a Commissioner from Warri North should be considered, then that person must be an Ijaw. This is because since the creation of Warri North Local Government Area, it has always been Itsekiri occupying the position at the State Exceutive Council. Not until toward the end of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s second term in office was an Ijaw, Hon. Joel Bisina, made Commissioner for six months!

We the Egbema people have suffered political oppression and injustice in Warri North Local Government Area for too long. The Ijaw 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.

Against this background, we – indeed every lover of justice – had no reason to doubt if a governor, whose emergence was only by divine grace, would give serious thought to addressing the Egbema political situation; yet not so!

Egbema Leaders wrote the governor, H.E. Sheriff Oborevwori, a letter for a meeting but it was not considered, apparently because we are only good at turning in our votes massively during elections but cannot share in the proceeds therefrom. The disposition of the governor in alienating the Ijaws of Warri North from executive office shows he does not understand the political calibration of the State he is voted to govern.

Warri North comprises the Itsekiris and Ijaws who are equal stakeholders in the Local Government Area. It would have been a thoughtful act to appoint two Commissioners from the Local Government inhabited by two ethnic groups of equal footing to achieve political balance but, sadly, the two Commissioners selected by the governor happen to come form one of the two groups and the other ethnic group is told to go to hell.

This action of the Governor is clearly to perpetuate and escalate the political overpowering of the Ijaws of Warri North so that they can be kept under by the other ethnic group in the local government area.

The votes that he got in Warri North did not come from the Itsekiris alone. It was a collective Vote! The Ijaw Four Federal Wards as against Itsekiri six Federal wards were claimed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Ijaws overwhelmingly voted for H.E. Sheriff Oborevwori as governor. So, on what basis was this decision to exclude the Ijaw completely in Warri North made?

*What we see is that the governor is pleasing two contending forces of Itsekiri ethnic group, between the former Gov. Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Michael Diden (a.k.a. Ejele) whose case is in the tribunal, by unwittingly making the Ijaws the guinea pig or scapegoat. We are, and remain, equal owners and stakeholders of the council area with four wards! So, rewarding a people with six wards with two Commissioners without considering the people with four wards is an act of injustice, a heinous offence crying to Heaven for redress and roundly condemnable* .

We demand to know the rationale for this unholy decision. The action of the Governor violates *Chapter II, Section 14 subsection 4 of the Constitution* of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The two Commissioners Nominees are: Ms. Erode Uduaghan and Dr. Isaac Wiliky, both Itsekiris from Warri North. Injustice is the bedrock of political conflict. Where the likes of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ejele (Diden) want everything, they should be courageous enough to demand their own homogeneous local government. We can only vote to increase their voting strength but not good for appointment!?

*Our Demands:-

1. Reverse the decision and appoint an Egbema Ijaw into the State Exceutive Council;

2. Converne a meeting of Egbema Leaders to resolve the impasse, whichever comes first.

As a major Oil Producing Kingdom, we are host to Opuekeba Flowstation operated by Chvroven, with production capacity of 20,000 barrels per day;

ii. Opuama Flotation operated by NPDCL, with production capacity of 18,000 barrels per day;

III. Chvroven Nigeria Limited in (RMP 17) Olero Field;

IV. CONOIL Producing Limited OML 103 (undergoing drilling).

Consequently, if we are not good enough to be where our God-given wealth will be shared in the state, we will do all within our powers legally to halt oil operations, where this monumental injustice is not addressed.

Where there is injustice, rebellion is a lawful duty.

Thank you for your time and and attention.

Signed:

Barr. Francis Abulu, for the leadership of Egbema Integrity Group (EIG);

Cmr. City Kelvin Eferusua, President Egbema Youth Council ( EYC);

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