HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKPEMUPOLO

(Ibe-Ebidouwei of Ijaw Nation)

No 1, Pere Road, Oporoza Town, Gbaramatu Kingdom,

Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria.

 

RE: DELTA EPZ AND MATTERS ARISING

MY TAKE IS ON JUSTICE, EQUITY AND JUSTICE

 

So much has been said about the $16 Billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) which is

meant to galvanize Nigeria’s economic growth through adequate gas processing

and supply, using our dear Delta State as the hub. For one, I am happy as a Deltan

that this laudable project is being planned and nurtured in my time, especially

on the heels of our fight for the need by government to industrialize and enhance

our economic well-being in the oil-rich Niger Delta Region.

 

Nonetheless, I am not persuaded by the nebulous and loudly-echoed ‘economic

and industrial gains’ slogan being orchestrated by some forces hiding under the

EPZ Project to re-launch a back-door move for the acquisition of lands belonging

to the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area

of Delta State. In this regard, I stand on the side of my people as I have always

done, to ensure that the voice of reason was raised and heard by the powers that

be. As a peace-loving Kingdom, the people of Gbaramatu had used all civil and

legal means to ensure that justice was done by the federal government by not

going ahead with the planned ground-breaking ceremony in the face of clear

injustice, unfairness and inequity.

 

As a result, many insinuations and perverted comments have been made by

both interested and rented parties to the effect that ethnic colourations have

been brought to the fore by linking the justifiable postponement of the groundbreaking

to President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘soft-spot’ for the Ijaws of Gbaramatu

Kingdom.

 

It should be noted however, that the struggle of the people Gbaramatu Kingdom

for both political and economic rights pre-dates the Jonathan Presidency. History

is replete with courses of events as far as the struggle of the oppressed people

of Gbaramatu Kingdom is concerned. It is no longer news to all that our Itsekiri

neighbours, using all advantages of being in government and power since the

time of former governor, Chief James Ibori(whose mother is Itsekiri) as well as

the incumbent governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan(also an Itsekiri) who both

as commissioner and later Secretary to State Government under Ibori, cannot

insulate himself from the calculated attempt by the government-backed Itsekiri’s

attempts to enslave Gbaramatu Kingdom.

 

It should therefore be placed on record that if the belief of the people of Gbaramatu

Kingdom in their just and fair struggle saw them through thick and thin since the

time of Ibori till date, the same spirit still lives on; and such does not need the

‘soft spot’ of a Nigerian President of Ijaw extraction to take the people to their

rightful place. It was (still) this belief in a just and fair struggle that in spite of

glaring attempts by both Ibori (then) and Uduaughan (now) to exterminate the

Gbaramatu Kingdom to the advantage of their kinsmen, I made conscious efforts

to respect the institution they represent. In essence, I refrained from abusing

their persons as some Itsekiri leaders have mindlessly done in the case of the

postponement of the ground-breaking ceremony by the President.

 

Perhaps, it is unfortunate to note that all those Itsekiri leaders, especially Pa J.O.

Ayomike who betrayed uncontrollable and misplaced sentiments by abusing the

person of the president and calling for his resignation would have achieved better

things and indeed, much development would have come to their impoverished

Itsekiri villages if such energy was deployed to ginger their son, who is now

governor, to bring development to their areas. The Ayomikes of this world should

rather be expressing worry and bury their heads in shame that the over 12 years

of their sons in government and power in Delta State are more of curses than

blessings to their people. The case of those vilifying President Jonathan is that

of bottled-up anger and transferred aggression ordinarily targeted at those who

looked the other way in the face of the sufferings of their people to a man who

tried to do justice by listening to all sides of an issue.

 

What Does Festus Keyamo Want?

This question has become imperative in view of the rented roles the Lagos-based

Lawyer has played in the last couple of weeks in the affairs of the state especially

as they relate to the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local

Government Area of Delta State. Before now, I had seen Keyamo as a young

promising lawyer whose passion to fight oppression was unquenchable. I see

him as a brother and friend because there is still time for him to stratify rented

and commercialized struggle from passionate human and civil rights crusade.

As a matter of fact, Keyamo’s continuous linkage with me to purported attempts

close crime is unacceptable to me. At best, Keyamo knows too well that those

whose flair for injustice I fight against, those who have been severally linked

to murders in Delta State who today are his latter-day friends, are not men of

conscience. As a human rights lawyer (as claimed by Keyamo), his efforts to

unearth the killers of Onokpite Ogbe were applauded by many, including me.

I was even tempted to disbelieve others when accusations of ‘unpalatable

practices’ trailed Keyamo’s sudden u-turn to abandon the Onokpite’s case. But

today, I have no reason to disbelieve such against the backdrop of Keyamo’s role

in the orchestrated EPZ Crisis. In the face of Keyamo’s sudden u-turn in character,

it is absurd to ask him if would have not have done what I did on behalf of my

people should he find himself in my shoes. I therefore find very curious Keyamo’s

attempt to demonize me especially when it is obvious that since I willingly

embraced the Federal Government Amnesty offer, I have selflessly, at high risks

too, contributed to the enhancement of peace and security in the entire Niger-

Delta Region. I will therefore urge Keyamo to be on the side of truth and justice

rather than being on the side of injustice because conscience is an open wound,

only the truth can heal it.

 

Conclusion

My appeal to all men of conscience is to ensure that justice and fairness are

made the cornerstone of human existence. Where these do not exist, it will be

difficult for society to make progress. The case of the plight of the people of

Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta is clear

and unambiguous. The precepts for injustice and ingredients of inequality are

daily being planted by those who find themselves in positions of authority and

influence, especially in Delta State.

 

It should therefore be known that those who deliberately drag the name of

President Jonathan into this blackmail game are doing this to perpetuate injustice.

This is the crux of the matter. But little do they know that the struggle has been

an age-long one, predating the president’s ascendancy to office and through the

will of God, my people have been forging ahead. In the same vein, the struggle

might also post-date President Jonathan unless the issues of injustice that have

continually set the Gbaramatu and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities against each are

permanently resolved. The Gabramatu people cannot be intimidated by any

resort to blackmail, using ethnic cards. Similarly, I will not succumb to any cheap

blackmail aimed at weakening my resolve to fight for my people because this is

a matter of conscience and posterity. I shall not waiver even in the face of threat

and intimidation of all sorts until justice is done.

 

Thanks and God bless

 

SIGNED:

HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKPEMUPOLO

RE: DELTA EPZ AND MATTERS ARISING

MY TAKE IS ON JUSTICE, EQUITY AND FAIRNESS