SIX (6) DECADES OF DELIBRATE AND CONTINUOUS NEGLET OF THE ITSEKIRI PEOPLE: A CASE STUDY OF THE UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN WARRI FEDERAL CONSISTUENCY AND ITSEKIRI COMMUNITIES IN DELTA CENTRAL WHICH HAS ESCALATED WITH THE CURRRENT GOVERNMENT.
It is a well-established fact that in the year 1914 the Northern and Southern protectorate were amalgamated to one Nigeria and subsequently, in the year 1960 Nigeria got her independence and then became a Republic in 1963. As a result, itsekiri under Warri kingdom relinquished and surrendered her sovereignty to the federal republic of Nigeria, believing that the government of Nigeria will utilize the resources of the entire country judiciously, for the development of all part of Nigeria.
The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 1999 constitution as amended has guaranteed the security of lives and properties, economic well-being (welfare) and the equitable distribution of our common wealth for the development of every part of Nigeria.
Prior to the discovery of Oil in 1956 in Oloibiri now Bayelsa State, the Itsekiri’s under Warri kingdom as a sovereign nation, traded with the Great Britain and Portuguese now in Europe and signed several business deals and treaties for the development of our nation, thus Ebrohimi at the time had streets so well paved like those in England.
Now over sixty years (60yrs) of oil discovery and exploration on Itsekiri land whose resources and wealth is being managed by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from where monthly allocations are returned to States (Delta and Edo State in particular), local government and the 13% oil derivation funds, yet the Itsekiri communities and her territories remain in total neglect by both the Federal government of Nigeria, its interventionist agencies (NDDC, PTDF, BOI, BOA etc.,), Delta and Edo state government where Itsekiri communities are the highest producers of Oil and Gas in these States.
Itsekiri communities in the riverine areas of Warri South, Warri North, Warri South-West, and many others in Delta central and Edo state remain starved of basic amenities such as: Security of the riverine communities, Interconnection of our rural communities, Schools, Rural Health care facilities, Rural Electrification programme, pipe borne portable water, Water transportation or any other means of transportation. For over sixty years majority of Itsekiri oil and gas bearing communities have remained in total darkness despite the enormous oil wealth running in billions of dollars being taken from our land on a daily basis.
For over sixty years under the national grid system and rural electrification projects, Nigeria has failed to connect these oil and gas bearing Itsekiri community and many others to the national grid with the necessary power infrastructures budgeted for under the rural electrification project. Itsekiri communities suffers perpetual darkness under the national grid regime, and even till this day after the system has been unbundled, empowering state government to generate, transmit and distribute power, while other non-oil producing rural communities in the state enjoys stable power supply.
Itsekiri communities lacks federal government presence in the area of Roads, Education, Health, shelter (housing), Transportation and Communication. Thus, leaving our communities uncatered for. In the area of transportation before, and even after the removal of fuel subsidy, the Delta state government despite increased government allocation have not positively impacted the cost of, and provision of affordable water transport services, which have increased the cost of living and made life unbearable for our people living in our riverine communities.
The Delta State Government have also failed to prevail on the International Oil companies to implement the Nigerian Local Content Act which mandate the IOC’s to employ indigenes of oil producing communities in the state.
Sadly, and unfortunately, all these Itsekiri communities are cut off from civilization with no means of communication, no security. One can imagine an entire local government area having security challenges of Militancy, Terrorism, Vandalism, Kidnapping, Sea-Piracy, theft and the forceful Annexation of our communities having just one police station at the local government headquarters only.
The Delta state government have consistently been short changing the Itsekiri’s believing that we have always been complacent, when it comes to issues of holding Government at all levels accountable prior to now. The funds released from the Federal Government, Oil and Gas companies, International and National interventionist agencies particularly the 13% Derivative Revenue Funds accruing to all Itsekiri Oil and Gas bearing communities, are being diverted to develop non-oil and gas-bearing areas or communities thereby leaving our own areas Underdeveloped. A case study of the almost total diversion of DESOPADEC funds by the Delta State Government into developing non-oil-bearing communities within the state, meaning that the UKODO which we call EPURU belonging to the Itsekiri People are being used to feed others, while their youth mock our areas for being underdeveloped even though this underdevelopment is the handy work of the Delta State Government and its Collaborators.
Interventionist like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with so much corruption allegation has become a shadow of itself with little or nothing to show of any development in our communities, in particular, the Ugborodo-Omadino road project, Koko-Ogheye road project, Ugborodo, Ogheye, Koko, Omadino shoreline protection and many other vital projects significant to the economic development of our rural communities are being abandoned.
For over Twenty-Six (26) years the Delta State Government have spent over Nine Trillion Naira made up of 90% percent Oil and Gas Revenue largely generated from Itsekiri oil and gas bearing communities. Yet, Itsekiri oil and gas bearing communities cannot boast of development worth 3% of this total spending in 26 years from the Delta State Government. This is the height of neglect and marginalization, under the guise of declaring Itsekiri Minority. Itsekiri cannot be only relevant and a majority in the generation of wealth, but declared a minority when it comes to the distribution of wealth which she has produced.
For example, in this current administration of Governor Sheriff Obovrevwori, around Seventy-Eight (78) Billion Naira has been spent in the construction of three flyover bridges and roads in Uvwie LGA, another Thirty-Nine point Three (39.3) Billion naira on the recently flagged off, fly-over bridge at Otovwodo, and more billions belonging to DESOPADEC being expended for the construction of Southern Delta University Management Faculty at Orerokpe all in Delta Central. Bringing the total spending to over One Hundred and Seventy (117) Billion Naira.
In a related flag-off, the Delta State government have further planned the spending of 59.7billion Naira for the construction of the Agbor – Uromi fly-over bridge.
While these projects are critical infrastructures necessary for the development of the state, the inequality and lack of equity in the distribution of these infrastructures is a major challenge, when compared with the worth and value of other related infrastructural projects executed in the Warri Federal Consistency and other Oil and Gas rich Itsekiri communities outside of the three Warri’s. A typical example, refers to the only major project recently set to have been completed by the Delta State Government which had lingered on for over 18years is the Trans Warri – Ode-Itsekiri Road and bridge project, awarded for around 26Billion naira in the year 2006. Yet, the major bridge spanning around 1.5kilometer which connect the two island of Warri just like we have in Lagos as of today is left undone and in fact abandoned over excuses of lack of fund.
Regardless of the presence of International Oil Companies (IOC’s), the Government of Delta State cannot neglect her responsibilities of developing our communities, just as she has developed other part of the state that lack the presence of IOC’s. for the intervention of the IOC’s are only but an augmentation of Government Responsibility on development.
We call on the international communities, the United Nations, President of the United State of America, Donald Trump, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Amnesty International, European Union (EU), EFCC, ICPC and all relevant stakeholders to intervein, investigate this marginalization and the utilization of funds accruing to Delta State Government from oil and gas exploration on Itsekiri lands.
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