By Francis Sadhere
Ijaw people in Delta State have rejected the composition of the new board of the State intervention agency, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission (DESOPADEC) and carpeted Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over what they described as bias in picking members of the board.
The board has 13 members with Ijaw people having two slots, occupied by a former Chevron Staff, Chief Phillip Gbasin, who is Executive Director, Social Service and Chief Favour Izoukumor
They accused the governor of short changing them in the appointments of members of the board notwithstanding the fact that they produce the highest crude oil quantum in the state, which they put as 30 per cent.
A prominent Ijaw Community Leader, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who stated this moment after the inauguration of the board on Friday in Asaba, the state capital, by governor Ifeanyi Okowa, said the Ijaw people have not been treated comparatively, stressing that the 27 per cent production quantum assigned to them was meant to deprive them of their benefits.
He accused former governors, Chief James Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of working against Ijaw interests when they held sway, blaming them for such ‘’unfair policies’’ by cutting down their production quantum just to give alleged undue advantage to Urhobo and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities and urged incumbent governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to address the injustice to give them a sense of belonging.
Comrade Mulade, who is the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community, an oil producing riverside area, warned that they will take to the streets in the coming days to vent their spleens over the iniquitous treatments in the scheme of things.
He said: ‘’ Ijaw people reject completely the present composition of the DESOPADEC board because we are greatly short changed. Based on our contribution, we are entitled to a minimum of three members, so we call on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to address this imbalance, because it is unfair and unjust board’’.
Comrade Mulade advised the governor to revisit the composition in the nick of time, otherwise they have no other option than to embark on civil unrest until the ‘’abnormally is corrected’’, adding, ‘’we are talking of derivation from oil. This is not politics’’.
He insisted that appointments into the board were not meant to compensate ethnic groups and political jobbers rather the right thing should be done for the sake of justice and fair play.
