ADMITTEDLY, now may not be the appropriate   time to ask for an apology from a president still   struggling under the challenges  of insecurity and sundry distractions.

Suffice to say such is one unavoidable outcome of an embryonic democratic process, and more seriously, a litmus test to the salient issue of competence and astuteness. However, an unreserved apology from the Presidency and the Delta State government to the people of Koko is in order and in fact long due.

If for no reason, at least, for keeping the people in the dark for so long as to the reason or reasons justifying the relocation of the twin-project of EPZ and Petrochemical Plant from Koko to Ugborodo after so much have been sacrificed by the people of Koko to have the projects take off there without any hitch.

This isn’t the first time the people of   Koko were   shortchanged in the scheme of things and denied the advantage of being allocated vital projects. In 1988 when toxic substance was dumped in Koko habour, the compensation paid by the Italian government never got to Koko.

Worse was the relocation of a specialist hospital to Irrua instead of Koko where it was originally designated as part of  the many conditions entered into with the Italian government as consequence for the dumping and arresting any eventual out break of disease which arising from the dumping of the   waste in Koko. In all this, the late Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu (1939-2011) and then military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and some Itsekiri leaders  were accused of denying the people of Koko   what legitimately was theirs.

Again, successive administrations have been avoiding the Koko port as if it is a plague. Incidentally, one of the reasons for the relocation of the projects from Koko to Ugborodo, as was  being rumoured in some  quarters, was ascribed to a narrow potion between Koko and Eghoro along the Benin River estuary.

It has been the reason or excuse for abandoning the Koko quay, which has been adjudged  the only natural habour in sub-Saharan Africa. With the Kokoport going comatose, there is no single Federal Government presence in Koko.

During the twilight of the Alhaji Shehu Shagari first term in office, the Koko port was approved to be upgraded to accommodate more berths and also a Nigerian Navy Training School.

These projects were diverted to Sapele for no convincing reasons order than the shallow point at Eghoro/Lagos Junction along the Koko/Ogheye estuary. Yet, navigating from the Atlantic Ocean, you will arrive Koko first before Sapele. How come Sapele is accessible by that same route and was never a barrier to the now comatose Sapele port?

Does the fact that Koko people are not militant in their approach the reason why they are not considered important to the administrations of President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan? Those in government must understand that one good turn deserves another.

The present administration may not consider the people of Koko as constituting any threat to its re-election bid in 2015 because of its size. But Mr. President and Dr. Uduaghan are better put on notice that the people of Koko are angry over the relocation of the twin-project of EPZ and Petrochemical Plant to Ugborodo. More annoying is government’s silence over the relocation. 2015 is but a few months away, and for the people of Koko, it could be pay back time!

It smacks of  arrogance on the side of government when certain policies are not explained to the people. Ordinarily, the people deserved to be informed on any action of government. It is unfortunate that some of those elected into positions at all levels of governance in this country are insensitive to the yearnings and interests of the people. Little wonder any government may wake up and carry out a policy without gauging the peoples’ pulse  regarding the acceptance or otherwise   of such policy.

When Mr. President, on May 19, 2012   announced the approval of EPZ and the construction of a Petrochemical Plant in Koko, the nation applauded the move, convinced that it will ensure that all the waste from oil exploration are put into beneficial use and at the same time, ease the effect of the continuous dumping of toxic substance on the environment.

There won’t be any need over stressing the developmental benefit of the foregone projects to the country’s ailing economy, and the strategic location of Koko to play host to the projects. Koko can be accessed by both land and sea. What’s more, it is connected to the national grid. It is peaceful and safe for investors; it has not recorded a single case of kidnapping.

I ask, what other factor is considered in the location of any of the two projects mentioned above? Imperatively, there was no contrary opinion to the fact that Koko was not suitable as host to such important project. After painstaking investigations by an expert team of technocrats and engineers, the Presidency issued a blueprint on the suitability of Koko for the twin-project.

It therefore means that Koko could not have been considered in isolation. Other viable communities were assessed alongside Koko. The terminal point was that Koko was the most viable. Hence Mr. President’s announcement on May 29.

It remains to be seen why and how the twin-project was relocated to Ugborodo, another community in Delta State without a word from government justifying the relocation. Although no reason was given by either the Presidency or the Delta State government on the relocation, it seems that both tiers of government were not convinced of their action in  relocating   the project.

I am of the view that the relocation has no justification, hence the Presidency and the Delta government could not explain their actions to the people, or at best issue a blueprint on the relocation.

OKOFU UBAKA OMAMULI a commentator on national affairs, wrote from Koko, Delta State.