Edumogiren Addresses Gov. Oborevwori of Delta State, Says his Performance is Key to Unlocking ljaw Votes in 2027

Edumogiren Addresses Gov. Oborevwori of Delta State, Says his Performance is Key to Unlocking ljaw Votes in 2027

INTRODUCTION

As the renowned Leonardo da Vinci once stated, “Nothing strengthens evil more than silence.” It is vital to shed light on the challenging and often uncomfortable realities the Ijaw people face in Delta State. 

Over the years, successive administrations have persistently undermined the Ijaw Ethnic Nation, subjecting the people to systemic neglect and emotional turmoil. This unfortunate plight has been exacerbated by some self-serving leaders, who engage in a cycle of recycled empty rhetoric each election cycle, leaving the Ijaws to grapple with their inherent and unjust marginalization.

This discourse aims to explore the historical neglect of the Ijaw Nation since the creation of Delta State, particularly from the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999. We must awaken from our passive acceptance of this pervasive status quo and actively pursue strategies to dismantle the structures of marginalization that have hindered our progress. Together, we can forge a path toward equitable development, fairness, dignity, and justice for our ethnic nation.

POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT.

Reflecting on past instances of discrimination, one can look back at the short-lived Felix Ovodoroye Ibru administration in the ill-fated Third Republic. During the James Onanefe Ibori administration, only one Commissioner was appointed from the Ijaw ethnic group - a stark inequity, especially when considering the sizable presence of the Ijaw people in Bomadi, Burutu (which also doubles as a federal constituency due to its vastness), Patani, Warri South, Warri Southwest, and Warri North Local Government Areas. Population-wise, the Ijaws rank closely behind the Urhobos yet, within the political landscape, the disparity in representation is glaring.

While five Commissioners and the Secretary to the State Government, alongside heads of numerous lucrative boards and parastatals, hailed from the Urhobo ethnic group, the Ijaw representation remained woefully inadequate. This trend continued as Ibori increased Urhobo representation to ten Commissioners, leaving the Ijaw people with a mere two. Perhaps as a test of our tolerance or worse, a deliberate affront, the second Ijaw Commissioner was assigned the inconspicuous role of “Commissioner for the Deputy Governor's Office.” An appointment likened to a spare tire, this choice was not only a vital underestimation but also an insult to the Ijaw populace.

It is also important to remember the context of the larger defunct Bendel State, where the Ijaws secured two Commissioners while the Urhobos had three, highlighting the persisting inequalities in representation. The persistent denial of Ijaws in civil service employment and their exclusion from strategic roles is a bitter reality of which we are all too aware.

ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING.

Prior to the onset of the Ibori administration in 1999, the following state-owned institutions of higher learning existed primarily on Urhobo soil:

1. Delta State University, Abraka (Urhobo Land);

2. College of Education, Edjaba-Warri (Urhobo Land);

3. Delta State School of Nursing, Edjaba-Warri (Urhobo Land);

4. Delta State College of Health Technology, Ufuoma-Ughelli (Urhobo Land);

5. Delta State School of Nursing, Sapele (Urhobo Land);

6. Delta State University, Oleh Campus (Isoko Land);

7. Delta State University, Awain-Asaba Campus (Oshimilli-Igbo Land);

8. College of Education, Agbor (Ika Land);

9. Delta State School of Nursing, Agbor (Ika Land).

Under James Ibori's tenure, additional institutions were established, favoring Urhobo interests:

10. College of Medicine/Teaching Hospital, Delta State University, Oghara (Urhobo Land);

11. Oghara Polytechnic, Oghara (Urhobo Land);

12. Ozoro Polytechnic, Ozoro (Isoko Land);

13. Ogwashiku Polytechnic, Ogwashiku (Oshimilli-Igbo Land);

14. College of Physical Education, Mosogar (Urhobo Land).

Significantly, it was only during Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration that a multi-campus Delta State School of Marine Technology was established at

15. Burutu (Ijaw Land) - an exception amidst a trend of neglect;

16. Gbaregolor Campus (Urhobo Land);

17. Kwale Campus (Ukwuani Land);

18. Eku Baptist School of Nursing was taken over by the Uduaghan administration as a State Institution of Learning (Urhobo Land).

Developments under the Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa administration expanded on this disparity, upgrading various institutions predominantly in non-Ijaw areas without correspondingly supporting the Ijaw ethnic nation's educational needs. For instance, he elevated the following schools to autonomous universities:

19. Anwai-Asaba Campus of Delta State University, to Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba (Oshimilli-Igbo Land);

20. College of Education, Agbor, to University of Delta, Agbor (Ika Land);

21. Ozoro Polytechnic, to Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro (Isoko Land).

 - a proactive measure far removed from our Ijaw struggles.

Sheriff Francis Oborevwori has similarly perpetuated this inequity with the establishment of educational facilities favoring primarily the Urhobo and Isoko regions with:

22. Faculty of Management Sciences, Delta State University of Science and Technology, Orerokpe Campus (Urhobo Land); and 

23. School of Health Technology, Ovrode, (Isoko Land).

This leaves Ijaw aspirations once again sidelined.

Regrettably, the educational infrastructure necessary for progress has been consistently denied to the Ijaw Nation. Rumors suggest that this grievous oversight was facilitated by Ijaw political representatives, choosing momentary gratification over long-term investment in our communities’ educational development. Their selfishness has contributed to a crippling gap in higher learning opportunities established by the administrations of Ibori, Okowa and now Oborevwori. 

Education is undeniably the cornerstone of social and economic advancement, contributing significantly to poverty reduction, the bridging of inequalities, and the empowerment of future leaders.

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT.

Infrastructural development embodies the process of enhancing the foundational structures essential for a community's growth. It improves the quality of life while stimulating enduring economic prosperity.

Yet, when assessing infrastructural progress in Ijaw Land, it is apparent that our region is treated as if it does not belong to Delta State. Aside from the Bomadi Bridge - erected during Ibori's administration - no substantial infrastructure has been developed to serve the needs of Ijaw people.

The projects initiated during the Uduaghan administration have seen little to no follow-through under Okowa, landing them in a state of abandonment or, worse, neglect. Ayakoromo Bridge and roads such as Bomadi/Ojobo, Bomadi/Ohorho and Agoloma/Toru-Agiama/Uduophori roads have deteriorated into dangerous pathways, turning into death traps for fishermen, river transporters, motorists, and passengers alike. These once-promising projects have transformed into habitats for wild animals, symbolizing our leadership's disregard for the economic contributions of the Ijaw Nation.

LIKE OKOWA, LIKE OBOREVWORI.

Like his predecessor, since he was inaugurated, Oborevwori has been displaying insouciant attitude towards the plight of Ijaw People. He has continuously demonstrated astonishing and wilful detachment from the Ijaws, offering no sense of empathy and responsibility for the gross underdevelopment of their land. This sordid and despicable behaviour of his will not be taken lightly.

He would have known that "Power is never the property of an individual; it belongs to a group and remains in existence only so long as the group keeps together. When we say of somebody that he is 'in power' we actually refer to his being empowered by a certain number of people to act in their name. The moment the group, from which the power originated to begin with… disappears, his power also vanishes" - Hannah Arendt.

The Delta Ijaw struggle is not merely a matter of representation; it is a relentless pursuit of dignity, justice and recognition. As such, we cannot continue to rest on our oars. Being the second most populated tribe in Delta State, we are a formidable political block and force that have contributed significantly to the victory of all elected Governors of Delta State since its creation in 1991.

We must rally together as a united force, demanding equitable treatment and a departure from the status quo of marginalization that has plagued the Ijaw people for far too long. The call to action is loud and clear: it is time to reclaim our rightful place in the governance and development of Delta State. Only through collective effort and resolute action can we facilitate the necessary changes that will allow the Delta Ijaw Nation to thrive and flourish.

Against this background, the overwhelming feeling of Delta Ijaws should be that, henceforth, no Governor of the State, starting from Oborevwori, should be supported and re-elected in 2027, if he continues on his present trajectory of governance. The Ijaws have realized that it is bad enough for them now, and will certainly be worst if Oborevwori is re-elected in 2027.

That, once he is re-elected by whatever contrivance, without the challenges of facing another round of elections, he will feel safe and free to perpetuate the injustice against Ijaw People.

HOW TO GET IJAW SUPPORT AND SWING OUR VOTES.

Ijaws are aware now that, incumbency factor does not always work where the people speak with one voice as witnessed in the victory of former President Muhammadu Buhari over then incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

The political shenanigans or deviousness displayed by some Ijaw Leaders that paid you homage cannot help deliver you as well. The Ijaws know that most of those persons have no electoral value. Some don't even go to their villages on election day, and even those who go to their villages leave the polling boot after voting, without recourse to hanging around to protect their votes.

This time, the collective decision of the Ijaws at the Ballot Box will be guided not by party affiliation or loyalty, but by authenticity of conscience.

I wish to state unequivocally that only aggressive infrastructural advancements in Ijaw Land and human capital development will be the fundamental influence of our electoral decision. Hence, the basic deciding factor that will determine Ijaw support and votes for you is prompt completion of all abandoned projects, including but not limited to Ayakoromo Bridge, Bomadi/Ojobo Road, Asaba-Ase/Abari Road, Kiagbodo Technical College, and convert it to a Campus (Faculty of Agriculture and Fisheries), Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, commence infrastructural cum academic work at the moribund Bomadi Polytechnic, initiate, award and complete new economically viable projects like connecting Bomadi, Burutu, Patani and Ogbe-Ijoh to the National Grid, etcetera.

"It is the fly that does not listen to wise counselling that follows the corpse into the grave." "The wise man hears and increases in learning." I am convinced that Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will act accordingly and promptly too, to swing Ijaw Votes in his favour in 2027, thus win and continue enjoying the spoils of his office for a second tenure. So I believe, His Excellency!

Hon. Prince Edumogiren Augustine writes from Ayakoromo Town in Delta State.

November 18, 2024.