…completes abandoned projects

By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has called on the Governor of Delta State Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to establish tertiary institutions in Ijaw parts of the state and complete all abandoned projects in Ijaw areas particularly the Ayakoromo Bridge.

IYC in a press conference yesterday, expressed disappointment that the Oborevwori led administration has not really given the Ijaw people “reasonable attention in terms of development, youth empowerment, and other areas to atone for our contributions toward the emergence of Oborevwori as Governor of Delta State, considering our political and economic contributions.”

The text of the statement signed by the Spokesman of IYC Worldwide, Amb Binebai Princewill , reads in part: “The IYC is stating clearly that we cannot continue to be micromanaged by the Governor of Delta State. There is a need to balance his administration, ensuring that all ethnic groups in Delta State have a sense of belonging. Delta State belongs to all of us, and the Ijaw ethnic group is a serious stakeholder in the state.

“As a council, we have keenly followed the 2024 and 2025 budgets of the Delta State Government under Oborevwori’s watch. Apart from the lack of full implementation of the 2024 budget, there is no adequate provision for the Ijaw people. Instead, we see a repetition of projects that could have been addressed in the previous budget.

“For us, it is becoming shameful that the Delta State Government is deliberately manipulating the Ijaw people by deliberately abandoning the Ayakoromo bridge. From Uduaghan to Okowa and from Okowa to Oborevwori, the bridge remains a political subject of debate. What does it really cost for Governor Oborevwori to fix this bridge for the Ijaw people? We are worried if there is something the government is not telling us. We have never seen anywhere in the world where a project fights this hard to come to fruition. The IYC will not tolerate any further delay of this project.

“Moreover, the Ohoro-Bomadi Road as well as Torugbene-Ojobo Road projects should be given serious attention. It is unfair that all these projects, so vital to the Ijaw people, have remained unattended to by the Delta State Government, particularly Oborevwori’s administration.

“As critical stakeholders in Delta State, if our oil money is used to fund various institutions and projects in Delta State, we demand that Ogulagha Kingdom should have a state-owned university as compensation for the many years of oil revenue accruing to the Delta State coffers and the country at large from Ogulagha Kingdom and other Ijaw areas in Delta State.

“The growing population in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, makes it imperative for the Delta State Government to either convert the ancient Isena-ibe Teacher Training College to either a Polytechnic or University to meet the educational needs of Deltans in the area.

“Bomadi is a rallying settlement for most of the Ijaw people in Delta, Bayelsa, and beyond. We demand that a tertiary institution be established in Bomadi considering the political contribution of the good people of Bomadi towards the growth and development of Delta State.

“The IYC urges the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to urgently correct the political error in Warri North Local Government Area. Only Itsekiris were given the two commissioner slots, whereas it is a local government purely dominated by the Ijaws of Egbema and the Itsekiris. This is highly unfair and a political anomaly that needs correction.

“Finally, in view of the foregoing, the Ijaw Youth Council is giving the Delta State Government one month, beginning from the day of this publication to address the issues raised, failure to do so within the one month period, the IYC will converge in our large numbers to pass a vote of no confidence on the Governor and to also match our words with action by declaring the mother of all protest against the Governor. We pray that these issues are fixed before things deteriorate to that level, where the falcon can no longer hear the falconer.”