By Chancel Sunday

BOMADI — THE alleged abandonment of the proposed State Polytechnic, Bomadi in headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area, Delta State is now causing disquiet in the Ijaw speaking enclave.   According to the natives, the proposed polytechnic, which is one of the higher institutions established in different parts of the state for the educational advancement of Deltans by the immediate past administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, would have not only served    the riverine communities of the state but also accelerated the socio-economic development of the host community.

•Proposed temporary site (classroom blocks), Bomadi Poly at Esenaebe College premises.

The immediate past administration, they argued, had promised the commencement of academic activities at a temporary site with work going on   at the permanent site, at Olomu Bou in Bomadi town.

Leadership of the community

This, according to the natives, prompted the Amananaowei (traditional ruler) of the community, Chief Godspower Oporomo and the immediate past chairman of the community, Clement Tikpa to shoulder the responsibility of renovating some block of classrooms at Esenaebe College, after which the leadership of the community notified the state government of the readiness of the temporary site for the take-off of academic programmes.

Niger Delta Voice gathered from sources privy to the discussions between the community and the previous administration that academic activities would have taken off before the 2015 general elections but was shelved because of the tight schedule of the government.

They, however, lamented that the state government reneged on its promise, fuelling speculations that it only used the institution as a bait to secure the vote of the community during the polls.

“The present administration under the leadership of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has not done or said anything about the Bomadi Poly project, but we are disturbed by the governor’s recent remark that the state government is not ready to open new educational institutions due to the economic challenges facing the nation at present,” said a disturbed community source.

He added that the Ijaws would not be silent on the Bomadi Polytechnic issue just as he lamented the fate of the Federal Maritime University, Okerenkoko also in Ijaw territory, which was on the verge of commencing academic activities before it was put on hold by the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government.

Prominent Ijaw leaders including Chief Edwin Clark, the Bishop of Bomadi Vicariate of the Catholic Church, Most Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, according to community sources, are also worried about the continued delay in take-off of the Bomadi Polytechnic in spite of the government pronouncement and enactment of a bill by the State House of Assembly to that effect.

They called on the government to expedite action on the take-off of the institution, which is the first and only tertiary institution in the area, to enable the people of the riverine area feel the impact of government on their soil.

Also, the Delta State chairman, ex-militants under Phase 2 of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, Mr Kingsley Muturu, decried the situation saying the Bomadi Polytechnic project and its take-off was long overdue while others are already in session in their respective places in the state.

“The riverine people are anxiously waiting for the state government to revisit the Bomadi polytechnic project. At the community level, the question on the lips of the people is “will Governor Okowa ever visit this Bomadi Poly issue?

“The locals, especially the youths are not happy when the issue of the polytechnic comes up for discussions at the People’s Parliament in Bomadi. You will not be surprised to hear discussants citing existing state polytechnics at Ozoro, Ugwashi-uku, Oghara and other tertiary institutions in other parts of the state, wondering why those in Ijaw territory are in limbo.”

Grand design by government

He listed some of the institutions to include the State Marine School of Technology, Burutu, with the rumoured government plan to open another faculty of its kind in another upland town in the state due to the inaccessibility of the former by road.

Also speaking, the president, Amatebe Youth Forum, Bomadi town, Comrade Ebikeme Senator, lamented what he called “the unwarranted” delay in executing the Bomadi Polytechnic project, describing the action as a grand design by government to perpetually keep the Ijaws backward in the state and nation.

“I will not hesitate to call on the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led government to without delay clear the air over the issues surrounding the Bomadi Polytechnic to gain the trust of the riverine people. It is high time the new administration find out the present position of things regarding this school. The governor should clear the air on his decision concerning the long-awaited Bomadi polytechnic project to assuage the fear of our people,” he said.