Aggrieved Ijaw youths, who are supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rekindled their resolve to stage a mass protest against Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State.
The supporters under the aegis of Coalition of Delta Ijaw PDP Support Groups, made known the impending via a statement on Tuesday.
Titled ‘FINAL NOTICE OF INTENTION TOPROCEED WITH OUR PLANNED PEACEFUL PROTEST AT THE ENTRANCE OF GOVERNMENT, HOUSE ASABA’ and addressed to Oborevwori, thr youths listed their grievances to include abandonment and marginalisation by the incumbent administration.
The statement signed by heads of different PDP Support Groups and copied appropriate security agencies, reads;
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His Excellency,
Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff, Oborevwori,
The Executive Governor of Delta State.
Government House,
Asaba.
Sir,
RE: FINAL NOTICE OF INTENTION TOPROCEED WITH OUR PLANNED PEACEFUL PROTEST AT THE ENTRANCE OF GOVERNMENT, HOUSE ASABA
The leadership of Coalition of Delta Ijaw PDP Support Groups, comprises of conglomerate of leaders from 35 various Support Groups in consonance with Niger Delta Ex-agitators Forum wish to, without prejudice express her
discontent over the lukewarm disposition, persistent and/or palpable unenthusiasm of His Excellency, Elder Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, the
Executive Governor of Delta State, over our plight and as such, hereby give FINAL NOTICE to proceed with our planned peaceful protest at the entrance of the Government House Asaba.
The planned peaceful demonstration which was billed to commence on 18th of June, 2024, was placed on hold temporarily due, solely to
unavailability/absentof Your Excellency in the State.
” It is an age honouredaxiom that a party who calls for a peaceful dialogue
is wiser.”
Recall that the Leadership of the Coalition of Delta Ijaw PDP Support Groups was graciously invited to Asaba for a meeting by the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor, Sen. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, upon the receipt of our letter/notice of intention to carry outa peaceful protest dated 19th February, 2024 addressed directly to Your Excellency, in order to draw His Excellency’s attention to our plight. This is pursuant to Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), as amended.
In the said august meeting held at the office of the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor Asaba, we were made to understand by the Senior Political Adviser that the meeting was significant and that he placed a high premium on same as it is
convened at the behest/instance of the Governor.
He, (The Senior Political Adviser) whilst addressing the Leadership having listened with rapt attention to the Chairman, Secretary and Legal Adviser respectively, who spoke on behalf of the Group, stated that the Governor has heard and seen our plight andthat our case is peculiar and genuine.
He went further to state that His Excellency has commissioned him to procurefrom us a list of names of members and submit same to him for
possible appointments and that we should suspend our planned peaceful protest slated to commence on that fateful day, which was on 8th of April,
2024.
It is worthy of note that, the planned peaceful protest was put in abeyance forthwith in obedience of His Excellency’s directive, and at theclose of the meeting, names ofmembers of the Group were enlisted and same was duly submitted to the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor as directed by His Excellency.
Therefore, an assurance was given by the Senior Political Adviser, to the effect that, the appointments will be made in piecemeal and that first tranche of appointments will be released in less than two weeks and thereafter others will follow suit.
However, it is over two months now since we submitted the list and a single name has not been released for appointment, whereas multiple appointments have been channelled particularly to Delta Central where the PDP recorded an abysmal failure at the polls.
Moreover, Delta South, particularly the Ijaws who voted massively for His Excellency are groping in the dark. However, all efforts made towards meeting the Senior Political Adviser were futile, as calls put across to him as well as messages sent were not replied.
It is expedient to state that members of the Coalition of Delta Ijaw PDP Support Groups are peace loving and law abiding citizens and as such, are always disposed to giving room for peaceful dialogue, hence plethora of letters have been written to draw the attention ofHis Excellency, and also in
view of this, myriads of meetings were held between the Leadership of the Group and relevant authorities, both political and apolitical, to wit; meetings were held between the Director of Protocols, Chairman Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Security Officer Government House and Leadership of Coalition of Delta Ijaw PDP Support Groups at Wellington Hotel Warri.
The Coalition has also had meetings on three separate occasions, with the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Delta State and Commissioner of Police Delta State Command. Sadly, we recorded a statement with sheer
consternation, in our last meeting with the Commissioner of Police, where a threat was issued by a senior police officer, who threatened fire and
brimstoneto mobilize soldiers to attack and disperse us should we proceed with our planned peaceful protest.
The record of this unpatriotic, unethical and unprofessional statement will be presented and identity of the police officer who made the statement will be made public in due course.
It is in light of the foregoing that we have resolved to proceed with our planned peaceful protest, with a view to further register/express our discontent and as well as draw the attention of His Excellency to our plight.
The peaceful protest is billed to commence on 16th of July, 2024. TAKE NOTICE THAT: we shall, without further recourse to you, mobilize from Koka Junctionand move to the entrance of the Government House and dwell there until all the issues raised in our previous letters are
holistically addressed.
The protest will be covered by the following media houses: TVC, Arise TV, AIT and other local media houses. Other Ijaw pressure groups will also be part of the protest in solidarity.
Yours faithfully,
Okporu Ebi Augustine – Chairman
Jesse Birinumigha – Vice Chairman
Comr. Jackson Agbor – Secretary
Barr. Prince Nelson Gomeromo – Legal Adviser
Awipi Lawson Peibulou – Member
Benjamin Izoukumor – Member
Kokoimgbi Abraham E. – Member
Doutimi Boubeni – Member.
CC:
(1)Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Defence Headquarter, FCT Abuja
(2)The Director-General, Department of State Security Service (DSSS),
Aso Drive, Abuja FCT.
(3)The Inspector General of Police, Louis Edet House, Shehu Shagari
Way, Abuja FCT.
(4)Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State.
(5)Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Asaba.
(6)Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, Speaker ofDelta State House of
Assembly.
(7)Department of State Security Services, Delta State Command, Aasaba
(8)Chief of Staff to the Governor, Government House Asaba.
(9)Senior Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta State.
(10)Chief Pa. E.K. Clark, Niger Delta Foremost Leader.
