Following the recent submission of two names of Itsekiri extraction from Warri north local government area of Delta State to the State House of Assembly (DTHA), by the State governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for screening to form members of the State Executive Council, the Egbema Integrity Group (EIG) and Egbema Youth Council (EYC) have placed two demands before Oborevwori.
Miffed by the deliberate suffocation of the Ijaws of Warri north with four federal wards in favour of their counterparts in Itsekiri with six federal wards, the Egbema Ijaws have demanded that Oborevwori reversed the decision and appoint an Egbema Ijaw into the State Exceutive Council or convern a meeting of Egbema Leaders to resolve the impasse, whichever comes first.
Their demands was made known on Monday 24th 2023, during a press conference organized by the Colligate Leadership of Egbema Integrity Group (EIG) and Egbema Youth Council (EYC) the nomination of two commissioners by Oborevwori.
The press statement was jointly signed by Barr. Francis Abulu, for the leadership of Egbema Integrity Group, Cmr. City Kelvin Eferusua, and Mr. Ekpokeme Governor, President and Secretary Egbema Youth Council respectively.
According to them, the nomination should have come with joy, however the reverse was the case.
“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.
They insisted that it is the turn of the Ijaws of Warri North to occupy the State Executive Council, “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 Executive 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”.
They listed the two Commissioners nominees to include Ms. Erode Uduaghan and Dr. Isaac Wiliky, both Itsekiris from Warri North.
They warned that injustice is the bedrock of political conflict, saying “Where the likes of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ejele (Diden) want everything, they should be courageous enough to demand their own homogeneous local government”.
They regretted that they could only vote to increase their voting strength but not good for appointment, stressing that the Egbema people have suffered political oppression and injustice in Warri north local government area for too long.
