OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

After extensive deliberations in our last general meeting held Saturday March 7, 2015 at Ishaka Hotel, Refinery Road, Effurun in Delta State, we resolved as follows:

That we should commend the Federal and Delta State Governments, particularly Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan for the savvy deployed in bringing a resolution over the land ownership controversy on the location of the Ogidigben EPZ cum Delta Gas City.

We are particularly enthralled by the final resolution, considering the attacks the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had to undergo from some Ijaws and some of his Itsekiri kinsmen on the EPZ land ownership controversy before he brokered the recent resolution.

We want to appeal to the Delta State Government and NNPC to include the peace loving Ilaje people living in Ilesanmi, Egbe-Okuta, Ogidigben Sea Shore, Ogo-Oluwayo, Akodo and Costain communities in Ugborodo Land in all subsequent stakeholders meetings.

We will also like to use this medium to advise the Delta State Government that the only way a lasting solution can be reached on the EPZ project, is for the State Government to as a matter of necessity, equity and urgency inaugurate the executive of other stakeholders into Interface Committee, the way it was done in the case of The Escravos Gas To Liquid Project (EGTL).

The Governor should as a matter of fact inaugurate Ilaje Interface Committee on EPZ, as the project landmass equally cuts across Ilesanmi, Ago-Ilaje, Egbe-Okuta, Ogidigben Sea-Shore, Akodo, Ogu-Oluwayo and Costain communities in Ugborodo, which have been occupied by the peace loving Ilaje people for over 200 years now.

Mr. President, we wish to state once again that every ethnic Nationality in Nigeria, migrated from somewhere to the place where they presently occupy. For the benefit of doubt, we wish to state that we the Ilajes of Delta State migrated from the present day Ondo State in the 17^th Century to our present communities.

We wish to advise the Ijaws of Sokebolou/Yokri Community to be knowledgeable enough to fight their struggle with regards to the EPZ project without undermining the stake of the Ilaje people. We wish to quickly remind our Sokebolou/Yokri brothers’ in-case they have forgotten where they came from, that they migrated from Payan in neighbouring Equatorial Guinea.

We must also stress with all sense of responsibility that the Ijaws of Sokebolou/Yokri communities in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State should immediately stop discrediting we the Ilaje people of Warri South-West in Delta State. We have lived peacefully in the afore-stated communities for over 200 years with our Itsekiri and Ijaw brothers in the present day Warri South-West Local Government Area and would not want anything that will abort the peaceful co-existence.

Your Excellency, now that a resolution has been reached that the Delta Gas City project be named after Ogidigben, we want to wholeheartedly welcome you, as you come to perform the hugely anticipated Ground Breaking Ceremony of the EPZ, with a view to opening up the economic and social frontiers of Niger Delta Coastal Communities in particular and the country at large, a move that will be another plus to your administration.

Lastly, we want to advise the Federal Government to ignore any threat(s) from any quarter to heed to the voice of reasoning by coming to perform the EPZ Ground Breaking Ceremony March 16, 2015. Because apart from creating the over 3 million direct jobs as well as build capacity of indigenous contractors in the history of Our Dear Country Nigeria, the EPZ Ground Breaking Ceremony itself will boost the re-election bid of Mr. President, strengthen the peaceful co-existence of Itsekiri, Ijaw and Ilaje of Warri South-West Local Government Area and create a balance in the dwindling socio-political economy of our great country.

Thanks and God bless.

Signed:

For: Concerned Ilaje Coastal Communities’ Trust Foundation

Egbekuta Fishing Port, Escravos Warri South-West Local Government Area,

Delta State

Cc:

Delta State Government

The Minister of Petroleum

The GMD NNPC

The Department of State Security Service, DSS

The Chief of Naval Staff

The Chief of Army Staff

The National Security Adviser

The Inspector General of Police

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