Benemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom and frontline Ijaw interests agitator on the contentous EPZ project, Chief Godspower Gbenekama told Vanguard that Gbaramatu have padded their communal demands that Federal Government and NNPC must meet before ground breaking is done for the $ 16B project.Excerpts.

GOVERNOR Uduaghan has been reaching out to the Ijaws and even Ilaje stakeholders over this ethnic contention on the EPZ. The feedback he gave recently was that of positive response from the communities towards lasting resolution, but Gbaramatu Ijaws were said not to have turned up for the recent meetings. Why is Gbaramatu still raging with discontent on the matter?

L-R: Godwin Akori, Matthew Diofelo, Chief Godspower Gbenekama (Spokesperson) , Williams Tortor (Chairman) and Dr. Clement Tonfawei among other members of the Gbaramatu EPZ Committee during recent protest briefing in Warri

Let me tell you categorically that the Governor is not in touch with the Ijaws of Gbaramatu, except he is talking of the Ijaws from Bayelsa or wherever.

The only time the governor summoned us was to a Town Hall meeting on November 11, 2013 and about three weeks ago for another town hall meeting.

On both occasions the only thing we took home was a matching order directing us not to protest or make anymore public statements again because our protest, according to him, was driving away investors. Why should we stop protesting?
We are speaking as Gbaramatu Kingdom under a constituted traditional authority.

If the governor met with other persons or individuals, he could not be seen to have spoken to Gbaramatu kingdom. From November 11, 2013 till date, we have loads of letters, presentations we have made to government, NNPC, Julius Berger and co. About a week ago some of us were sent to deliver letters to the Petroleum Minister, NNPC GMD, everybody. Nobody seems to listen probably because we refused to kill ourselves to be heard. We will not kill ourselves. Nobody has listened until we read in the papers that Itsekiri EPZ Interface Committee has been set up. We will continue to protest until the right thing is done.

What is the right thing really?
With an Itsekiri EPZ in place by the government, the dance just changed. Our agitation and demands are further padded and we are ready to take to self help to ensure that this injustice of impunity is not foisted on us. The renaming agitation is such a big deal and we maintain that the name must be changed before ground breaking is even considered on the project. The emerging demand which is no less significant than renaming is that EPZ Stakeholder Communities of Gbaramatu Kingdom must have their own Interface Committee to negotiate their affairs on the project. The Itsekiri EPZ Interface Committee or anybody else cannot negotiate our stakes. And it is so amazing that the Governor or NNPC alienated us from the very beginning of acquisition and negotiations on the project.

Contrary to the impression by Itsekiris and the Delta State Government, it is safe to say that about 70 per cent of the project land belongs to Ijaw. Over ten Gbaramatu communities are host to the project. The people of Ikpokpo, site for the Seaport to the EPZ, would suffer the most because its entire land would be swallowed by the project and Ikpoko would cease to exist, its people would become homeless in their own homes while only the bushes of Madangho, Ajudaibo and Ogidigben which the project is named after would be affected.

The Warri Study Group of Itsekiris had referred to cases they claim to have won over Gbaramatu people as a basis for misinforming the public that Gbaramatu Ijaws are not affected by the EPZ land acquisition. They deliberately failed to divulge that most of these cases are still being litigated while a number of them are remitted back to appellate courts for trial to commence de novo.

In view of the aforementioned, we do not intend to make further comment on these issues that are sub-judice.
The point to make is to remind the governor that in the time of the Ecravos Gas to Liquid Project, RGTL, he supported three different Interface Committees for Itsekiris, Ijaws and the Ilajes, yet the EGTL was located entirely in Ugborodo (Itsekiri) soil, no doubt about that. Though the community stakes were not shared equally, the Ijaws and Ilajes whose land were not acquired had the privilege of own Interface Committees. Why would the governor who promoted this understanding on the EGTL be seeking the confusion of alienating Gbaramatus who own most of the EPZ land?

In the midst of the protest, Gbaramatu Ijaws are seen to be profiting on the EPZ project already. Are you aware that Government Ekpemukpolo, a.k.a Tompolo, arguably the prime opinion leader in the kingdom today is reportedly handling supply of tugboats and badges in the clearing of the project site? Are Gbaramatu Ijaws working at cross purposes?
I read that in the papers attributed Ayiri Emami. That is cheap blackmail. We won’t fall for that. If a project is somewhere and government thinks one individual can handle it, would that represent the contractor community’s stake? Tompolo is right behind us and struggling to ensure that Gbaramatu communities get their due. He is aware of our grievances. He has been in communication with Government, but Government seems not to listen.

Apart from Tompolo, we have a traditional institution which is bigger than any individual in Ggaramatu Kingdom. Tompolo is also subservient to that traditional institution. It is this traditional authority that openly declared that the Ijaws are not being carried along.

We don’t know of any other leader that is given something. If people are given something then it is a system of divide and rule. Knowing the people involved, why would you look for leaders where there is a traditional institution which can direct on who to meet? A 23 man committee has been set up by the clan to manage EPZ affairs. The Government and companies are aware of that. If after being aware they go out to dash (sic) people money, it is not our business. Our business is that the Gbaramatu stakeholders are not carried along and we are waiting.