By Emma Amaize

WARRI Study Group, WSG, an influential Itsekiri group in Delta State, yesterday, insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan’s surprise visit to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, on Friday, would not stop Itsekiri and other ethnic nationalities in the Niger-Delta from voting against him if he did not perform the groundbreaking of the $16 billion Export Processing Zone, EPZ, Ogidigben, before next month’s presidential election.

Chairman of WSG, Mr. Edward Ekpoko, told Sunday Vanguard, “We are amazed that he told the Olu that he would perform the groundbreaking ceremony before the end of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration. What has the tenure of Uduaghan’s administration got to do with the EPZ groundbreaking, he should not tie it to Uduaghan administration, which is clearly misleading?”

“Our position is that he should do the groundbreaking before the February 14 presidential elections, otherwise, he will lose not just Itsekiri votes, but the votes of other ethnic nationalities in the region, which are angry with his style of doing things.”

He reiterated that that the EPZ project would create thousands of jobs for unwaged Niger-Deltans and Nigerians, and wondered why a president, who claimed he was concerned about the unemployment problem in the country, would delay the groundbreaking of such a job-spinning project because his Ijaw kinsmen at Gbaramatu kingdom kicked against it.

Ekpoko, who lamented that the groundbreaking had suffered three postponements allegedly in pursuit of “unstainable Ijaw objections/agenda,” said the president has inexplicably ignored the benefits of the projects to other Nigerians.

His words, “The project will be of immense benefits to thousands of youths from Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ibo, Isoko and indeed, other Nigerians facing severe employment and Jonathan should not tie it to his election on February 14.”