By Daniel Gumm

WARRI—The Itsekiri socio-cultural group, Itsekiri Consolidated Movement, ICM, has faulted the Ijaw of Gbaramatu over their threat to resort to self-help if the Delta State Government does not inaugurate an Export Processing Zone, EPZ, Interface Committee for Ijaw, warning that Itsekiri will not concede her heritage no matter the threat.

ICM in its reaction to media reports credited to Gbaramatu Ijaw, calling for two different EPZ Interface Committees to be created for Gbaramatu Ijaw and for Ogulagha, said that Ogulagha was not part of communities hosting the $16 billion Ogidigben EPZ in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state.

Interface c’ttees
ICM, in a statement by its Chairman, Mr. Oritsegbemi Besidone, said rather than create fresh interface committees for the Ijaw, the Delta State Government should consider the inauguration of another interface committee to take care of other host Itsekiri communities of the EPZ aside the Ugborodo Interface Committee chaired by the Delta State Government representative, Mr. Austin Oborogbeye.

The group said that the “crude way of being part of a project that does not have direct bearing on the Ijaw is over.
“Should the state government fall for the blackmail by Gbaramatu people, it should as well as set up an office for such committees in Government House.”

The Gbaramatu Ijaw, led by Chief Godspower Gbenekama in the latest publication, had claimed that the nominees for their proposed Interface Committees had since been sent to Delta State Government and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.