WARRI—THE Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, in Delta State has renewed its call on Senator James Manager, representing Delta South senatorial district, to give account of his stewardship in the past 10 years to his constituents, as well as his chairmanship of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for eight years.

The group, in a statement by the National President, Mr. Austin Ozobo, said: “It will be recalled that on November 1, we issued Senator James Manager a 14-day ultimatum to give stewardship of his 10 years in the Senate and eight years as  Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC.

“We asked him to summon Delta south senatorial meeting and give account of his stewardship of Senate constituency funds, jobs and NDDC contracts, being the Senate Committee Chairman of NDDC for eight years.

“The bill for establishment of Maritime University, Okerenkoko, which he moved recently at the Senate, is not a waiver for our clarion call for stewardship of constituency development funds that accrued to Delta South senatorial district,” IPDI stated.

It said: “Our resolve that Senator James Manager must call a constituency meeting to brief us of his activities in the red chamber has not changed. We are watching him. Now that the Senate has asked every Senator to go for senatorial briefing, he should explore this privilege to summon a senatorial meeting, but if he deliberately ignores it, we will not forgive him and we will do the needful within the rule of law for his recall.

“Before the latest bill, some persons called and pleaded with us to give him a second chance, while others frowned at our disposition. It, therefore, did not come to us as a surprise when Senator James Manager appeared on the Senate floor on November 16 with a bill seeking the establishment of Nigeria Maritime University, Okenrenkoko.

“We see this as a face-saving device to evade the impending danger for his non-compliance with our 14-day ultimatum.

“We want to state unequivocally that Senator Manager’s Nigeria Marine University, NMU establishment bill is a face- saving bill, it was made to deceive the populace that he cares; it appears to be a product of  our 14-day threat  to James Manager.

“It is on record that prior to the 14-day ultimatum, Manager had never shown concern about the predicament of Delta South senatorial district at large. Ayakoromo community was bombarded unlawfully in 2010, he did not move any motion to condemn the lawless act in the red chamber.

“Gbaramatu Kingdom was bombarded unlawfully in 2009, there was no motion and no debate; seven innocent Delta South senatorial youths were extra-judicially exterminated in 2012,   there was no motion.  A sand scooper was unlawfully killed in Okpele-Ama, in Gbaramatu kingdom, there was no motion and no debate.

“Mr. and Mrs Tiemo were unlawfully shot by NNS Delta at Sandfield 1 in January 2016, no motion. Another nine shot by NNS Delta in November at the same Naifor Island and up till now, no motion by Senator Manager  to punish the erring Navy personnel. Okosugbene community was bombed that November 24, no motion to the effect.”

The group further stated: “The conclusion is that James Manager is only concerned with the financial benefit accruable to himself.  He does not represent Delta South constituency in the real sense.

“He is the only senator in Nigeria without constituency office and has never called senatorial meetings to brief his constituency.”