FG yet to address our forefathers’ fear of oppression, marginalization-NAIG

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG says the Federal Government is yet to address fears of Itsekiri forefathers “against oppression, economic and political marginalization by the Federal, State governments as well as our hostile neighbours”, several decades after the respected Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT raised the concerns in a letter addressed to the then Military Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed in 1976.

The Itsekiri Graduates’ body in a statement titled, “The visit of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo To The Niger Delta: Our Position”, averred that their “fears manifested in form of the Warri crisis between 1997-2003 under the guise of purported relocation of a local government headquarters”.

NAIG claimed that “the same people that carried out a genocidal attack on the Itsekiri people are threatening war over a genuine call by the Olu of Warri concerning land under his over-lordship” and cited several court cases which “conferred the ownership of the land where the Nigeria Maritime University, NMU in Warri South-West Local Government is situated on the Omadino people who are Itsekiris”.

The statement signed by three members of the association’s publicity committee, Messrs Solomon Sholuwa, Dede Shuwa and Toju Apoh backed The Olu of Warri’s demand for the establishment of a Naval Base in the Escravos-Ogheye Waterways, dredging of Escravos Bar and Koko River, revitalization of Warri Port, commencement of construction work at the Gas Revolution Industrial Park, GRIP project at Ogidigben as well as the Koko-Ogheye-Lekki Road and Omadino –Escravos Highway.

While noting that these projects have the potential of creating over 300,000 jobs for Niger Delta youths at the construction stages, NAIG quipped, “we want sustenance of peace in the Niger Delta as this will help allay the fears of multinationals who have refused to relocate their corporate headquarters to their areas of operation despite the call by Federal Government under the Goodluck Jonathan administration”.

“Chevron should relocate their headquarters to Warri, but FG should create the enabling environment”, the statement added.

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