Declare State of Emergency in Delta State, IYE urges Tinubu

The  Itsekiri Young Elites, IYE, has urged   President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to  immediately declare a state of emergency in Delta State, citing what they described as a total collapse of authority and a "slap in the face" of the state government.

?The group, hinged its call on the seeming escalating crisis,  sequel to the alleged breach of Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori-mandated peace agreement reached at Asaba, Monday June 8. 

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?President of IYE, Comr. Lily -White O. Esigbone, Secretary of the body, Comr. Eboma Tuoyo, in a statement made available to Fresh Angle International Tuesday June 9, said in  the wake of rising tensions surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) highly contested ward and polling unit delineation exercise in  Warri Federal Constituency, the Governor Oborevwori issued a strict  directive, halting all public protests across the state, but the Ijaws of Gbaramatu defied the directive, despite agreeing in Asaba to abide by the order.

According to IYE, ?while  Itsekiri leadership and youth groups strictly complied with the peace mandate to prevent civil unrest, their Ijaw counterparts  in the early hours of Tuesday, embarked on fresh  protest in Olero Flow Station, situated in an Itsekiri  community. 

The group, stated : " They, the Ijaws, defied the governor's order, they  descended upon the Olero Creek flow station, a vital oil infrastructure asset located within an Itsekiri community, launching a new wave of protests.

?"It is sad to see that after the Governor of Delta State gave an order for all protests to stop, the Itsekiri people and her leaders obeyed, yet the Ijaws in the early hours of Tuesday disobeyed and went to an Itsekiri community, Olero Creek, and its flow station to protest," the president of the Itsekiri Young Elites stated Comr. Lily-white O. Esigbone stated. "This is a direct slap to the face of the Governor of Delta State."

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?The youth group expressed deep frustration over what they interpret as a glaring double standard in how the law is enforced within the state. 

They accuse Governor Oborevwori of maintaining a worrying silence in the face of open defiance, suggesting that law enforcement would have reacted far more aggressively had the roles been reversed.

?"The Ijaw leadership is not bigger than the state," the group asserted in their public address. "If this disobedience had come from the Itsekiris, you would have seen the Governor give orders for everyone involved to be arrested immediately. Why is Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori silent in the face of this blatant disobedience? President Tinubu must call the Governor to order or declare a state of emergency immediately," IYE, emphasized.

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?Taking their grievances directly to the federal government, the Itsekiri Young Elites called on the Presidency to review its strategic security architecture in the region. 

They specifically demanded an immediate halt to the multi-billion naira pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, a private firm headed by former Niger Delta militant commander Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo.
?"Indeed, a militant is a militant and cannot change," the group remarked bitterly. 

"Our demand to the federal government is simple and clear: the President should halt the Tantita Security Services contract, and declare Tompolo wanted for causing crisis and instigating war in Delta State and Warri.

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"?The federal government now faces a complex dilemma. While private security firms like Tantita have been praised by federal oil authorities for significantly curbing illegal oil bunkering and boosting Nigeria's crude production past 1.2 million barrels per day, local rivals argue that empowering specific regional militant figures creates a dangerous imbalance of power.

"?With critical economic assets like the Olero Creek flow station hanging in the balance, pressure is mounting on both Governor Oborevwori and President Tinubu to act swiftly. For the residents of Warri, the looming question is whether the state can enforce its laws equally to maintain order, or if federal military intervention will become necessary to prevent the region from sliding back into the devastating ethnic conflicts of its past.

"?Neither the Delta State Government nor representatives for Tantita Security Services have issued an official response to the group's demands at the time of this publication," they asserted.

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