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Allow the Ijaws of Warri North to rule as Council Chairman, IYC Tells Okowa

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WARRI- The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to do justice to the Ijaw people of Warri North Local Government of Delta State in the affairs of the council in the forthcoming local government area by rotating the Chairmanship to the Ijaws in the spirit of equity and fair play.

 

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IYC factional President Barr. Eric Omare made this call in an electronic message made available to Daily Watch in Warri said ‘‘Since the creation of Warri North Local Government Area in 1991, the Ijaws of Egbema that constitute the council area with the Itsekiris have not had the opportunity of leading Warri Local Government Area. This is not only unfair but unconstitutional as it runs contrary to the provisions of section 13(3) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) which demands that the composition of the government of a local government council shall be carried out in such as manner as to recognize the diversity of the people within the area and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty.

‘‘The IYC made the call after a national executive council meeting president over by its President, Eric Omare in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday, the 17th of October, 2017 having critically appraise the political situation in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta upon a presentation by the Chairman of IYC, Egbema Clan, Prince Igbiriki. The IYC national executive council further observed that if the Chairmanship of Warri North Local Government is not conceded to the Ijaws; it would mean that the Itsekiris would be Chairmen of Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West Local Government Areas without a single Chairman of Ijaw extraction. This is most unfair and unjust considering the fact that the Itsekiris already have three out of the four State House of Assembly members with the Urhobos of Warri having one and the Ijaws having none. Furthermore, the Itsekiris already have all the three Commissioners representing the three Warri Local Government Areas in the Delta State Executive Council without a single Ijaw man from Warri as Commissioner for the first time since 2003. Even the only member of the federal house of representative from Warri is of Itsekiri extraction’’ IYC tells Okowa

 

‘‘The IYC national executive council views this abnormal situation as the height of political injustice against the Ijaws of Warri and by extension the entire Ijaw nation. We are not persuaded by the argument that the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro is from the Ijaw area of Warri. This is so because when former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Itsekiri extraction was Governor of Delta State, it did not deprive the Itsekiris from having local government Chairmen, members of the state house of assembly, commissioners and the only member of the federal house of representative from Warri.

‘‘Consequently, the IYC calls on Governor Ifeany Okowa of Delta State to start the process of correcting this monumental injustice by prevailing on political stakeholders of Warri North to concede the Chairmanship of Warri North Local Government Area to the Ijaws of Egbema Kingdom in the interest of fairness and peace. We strongly believe that Governor Okowa as a product of equity based on power rotation will do equity to the Ijaws of Warri North.  The IYC also advise stakeholders to avoid actions that would cause unnecessary tension in the Warri area of Delta State as Warri is yet to recover from the fratricidal war of 1997 to 2003 and we do not want a repeat. We also call on Itsekiri leaders of Warri North LGA such as former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to prevail on our Itsekiri brothers to see reason while there should be equity and fairness in Warri North LGA. The Itsekiris must note that they cannot expect to have fairness in the affairs of Delta South Senatorial District when they are not ready to be fair to their neighbours in the affairs of Warri federal constituency’’  he said

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