Political Offices:Egbema Ijaws vow to tackle their Itsekiri neighbours over perceived marginalization

From: Udu
By: Omonigho Matthew

President of the Coalition of Egbema Democrats (CEDE) Comrade Doyah Tiemo Clement has vowed that the Egbema Ijaws in Warri North local government area will produce the Council Chairman, House of Assembly member and other political office holders in 2011, even as he accused its Itsekiri neigbour of marginalization in the council.

Comrade Doyah Tiemo Clement said the Ijaws have been marginalized by their Itsekiri brothers due to the lopsidedness of political positions shared between the two ethnic groups. The issue he said is now generating a lot of controversies between the Ijaws and Itsekiris.

The Warri North local government which was created in 1991 according to Comrade Doyah Tiemo, has twenty wards with the Itsekiris having eleven wards and key political positions while the Ijaws only have nine wards.

He said since the creation of the local government, the highest position the Ijaws have ever held was that of the vice chairman and councilors. He alleged that the present chairman, secretary, leader of the legislative arm of the council is all from Itsekiri ethnic Nationalities.

Comrade Doyah Tiemo also alleged that the commissioner representing the council area in the state executive council, House of Assembly and federal constituency are also Itsekiris, adding that officers and staff of the local government on grade level 06 and below were appointed by the council chairman and those on grade level 07 and above appointed by the Delta State local government service commission are all Itsekiris. He added that the head of personnel management, finance and supplies (treasury), works, primary health care, environment, agriculture, education, community development and legal departments are all Itsekiris.

He stated that “out of the eight hundred and one staff” in the council, only twenty eight are Ijaws, alleging that all appointments were made contrary to the provision of the Delta State local government, cap 131 section 63, sub-section (4).

Comrade Doyah Tiemo said the Ijaws in Warri North have lived in this condition for nineteen years (1991-2010) and can no longer tolerate such marginalization.

Comrade Doyah Tiemo also used the medium to solicit the assistance of the Forum for Justice and Human Right Defense to ensure that the Ijaws in Warri North are no longer relegated to second class citizens in the political arena of the local government, State and Nigeria at large. He appealed to Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan to address the issue once and for all.