Delineation: Ijaws, Urhobos Of Warri Calls On Govt.To Expedite Action, Not To Succumb To Blackmail

Ogheneruona Tejiri, Warri

Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri Federal Constituency in Delta State have thrown their support on the fieldwork on the fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Addressing journalists in Warri, Hon. Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, Comr. Sheriff Mulade, Chief Arthur Akpodubakaye, Joel Bisina, Comr. EmmanIgetei (for the Ijaws) and Chief John Eranvor, Chief Westham Adehor, Olorogun Victor Okumagba and Hon Mark Ikpuri for the Urhobos called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite action on the exercise before future elections.

The people drawn from Okere-Urhobo, Agbarha-Warri, Isaba, Ogbe-Ijoh, Egbema and Gbaramatu kingdoms of Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West Local Government Areas also spoke on the recent threat to peace and security in the area following the arrest of a dismissed British Army Major, Micah Polo, along with some collaborators, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly arising from the delineation process.

While calling on the Presidency not to Succumb to blackmail , they commended INEC for obeying the Supreme Court order despite series of litigations against it to stop the exercise, charging it to complete the process before future electoral activities.

According to them, “the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri commends the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the steps taken so far towards complying with the Supreme Court order on fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.

“We note that, in a bid to frustrate the implementation of the Supreme Court order, the Itsekiri Ethnic nationality filed multiple suits in different Divisions of the Federal High Court of Nigeria. However, INEC has demonstrated its commitment and respect for the rule of law by taking necessary steps to comply with the Supreme Court order on the fresh delineation.

“In this respect, we welcome the release of the report of the fieldwork on the fresh delineation by INEC. We further note that, the report of the fieldwork by INEC confirms the obvious fact on ground, which is that, the Ijaws constitutes the majority population in Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas, while the Urhobos constitutes the majority population in Warri South Local Government Area. We commend INEC for standing by the truth and justice.

“We therefore call on INEC to complete the process of the fresh delineation of electoral wards and polling units in Warri Federal Constituency and release its final decision without further delay.

“It is the position of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri that, there should not be any electoral activity including to the registration of voters in Warri Federal Constituency without completion of the fresh delineation as ordered by the Supreme Court.

“Our position is predicated on the ground that, without completion of the fresh delineation exercise, there are no existing electoral wards and polling units upon which any electoral activity can be predicated upon, including registration of voters.

Opposing the call by the Itsekiri ethnic nationality that INEC use the voters’ register as basis to conduct the fresh exercise and urging the electoral umpire to “stick to law and guidelines,” they posited that “the primary consideration for the delineation of electoral wards and polling units is the population quota/number of inhabitants and other physical consideration of the areas concerned.

They added, “”furthermore, it is our position that, based on the Supreme Court order on fresh delineation of wards and polling units, there is no longer any existing register of voters in Warri Federal Constituency upon which any activity can be predicated upon. The field work carried out by INEC and other existing public records clearly revealed the majority population status of the Ijaws and Urhobos in Warri North, Warri South West and Warri South LGAs respectively.”

Noting that the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri were targets of the uncovered plot by the Department of State Services (DSS)and sister security agencies of a British Army Officer, as well as a traditional ruler and his aides to instigate unrest in Warri, the people called on the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to ensure transparency in the investigation and prosecution of the suspects.

Condemning a statement issued by some purported Pan Yoruba Groups, where they threatened the peace and security of the Niger Delta region as a result of the Supreme Court ordered delineation, they added, “we are aware that all these threats are the desperate actions of some Itsekiri leaders and should be ignored by the government.”

Recalling the events that led to the ethnic war in Warri from 1997 to 2003, the people warned against any attempt to “change the Ijaw and Urhobo majority status in Warri North, Warri South West and Warri South Local Government Areas, respectively as revealed by the INEC report.

They spoke further, “we are calling on President Bola Tinubu not to be “blackmailed by the Itsekiris in their desperate attempt to truncate the Supreme Court ordered delineation. Any attempt to frustrate the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on the fresh delineation is a direct invitation to anarchy by whoever that is involved.”