RE-PLANNED PROTEST BY THE DELTA IJAW YOUTHS – AN APPEAL FOR PATIENCE AND RESTRAINT
The INTEGRITY GROUP of Delta State, the MORE Agenda and You Matter Charity Foundation ambassadors, have been following the planned protests of the
Coalition of Delta IJAW PDP Support Groups for some reasons adduced by them, to include marginalization in terms of appointment of their members into government .
We are aware, and this has been corroborated by them, that several meetings have been held with them by senior government officials such as the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor, the Director of Protocol, the Chief Security Officer and others, appealing for calm and understanding.
The INTEGRITY GROUP is quite aware that when the Governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office, he pledged to run an all-inclusive government while also pledging to involve the youths in his administration.
One year into the Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, the Integrity group can comfortably confirmed that the Governor has kept to his promises as a very youth-friendly Governor. The State Executive Council has more than 30 percent of youth composition and we are talking of youths under 40. The State Executive Council has three IJAW youths as Commissioners and this is unprecedented in the history of Delta State. The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor who is an IJAW is in his youthful years. The Oborevwori administration has also appointed several IJAW persons, (many of them youths) as Executive Assistants (EA’s), Senior Special Assistants (SSA’s) and Special Assistants (SA’s) into government and this information is incontrovertible and can be verified.
The issue of political appointments is an ongoing process and cuts across all the ethnic nationalities of the State. The point to note, however is that political appointments have to be dispensed responsibly taking into account the resources of the State, availability of political positions and so many factors unknown to the coalition of PDP Ijaw Youth Support Group.
Besides, Government cannot employ every body into governance as that alone can potentially derail government’s MORE Agenda.
The people-friendly Government of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has established several entrepreneurial schemes available to the youths in the State, and the MORE Grant Scheme which has recorded tremendous results as more than 5000 beneficiaries have been targeted in trade/Artisan categories.
Also direct beneficiaries of the Delta COVID -19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) has improved exponentially from 36,353 to 110,841 within one year of the Oborevwori’s administration.
The Oborevwori’s administration has also shown tremendous regard for IJAW leaders like Chief EK Clark, Senator James Manager, Chief Broderick Bozimo, Chief Tunde Smooth, Government Ekpemupolo (AKA Tompolo) amongst other IJAW prime leaders, while also extending hands of friendship to them.
The INTEGRITY GROUP believes, quite strongly that the planned protest by the coalition of PDP IJAW Youth Support Groups is politically motivated as the demands of the group which is based on political appointments does not constitute enough ground for such a planned protests. If youth groups from Urhobo, Itsekiri and Isoko and Anioma also embark on protests due to political appointments, then Delta State will become a hotbed of intrigues which can derail the MORE agenda.
The INTEGRITY GROUP of Delta State calls on the coalition of PDP IJAW Youth Support Groups to shelve their planned protest to the Government House on the 17th of July to enable Governor Oborevwori study their request critically in line with the State’s policy on political appointments.
The Oborevwori administration is just a little above one year old and should be given time to attend to different shades of needs. One thing we know for sure is that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is a listening Governor and does not discriminate against any tribe. He is a Governor for all Deltans and he has amply demonstrated this in the siting of projects and distribution of amenities to every ethnic community in the State. What the IJAW Support Group needs is patience as their grievances will on the long be addressed one way or the other.
The number of Government officials that have interfaced with the IJAW Support Groups demonstrates government’s readiness to listen to its citizens and they should also reciprocate these gestures by applying self restraint. A planned protest is not the best channel to ventilate a grievance.The path of dialogue is always more effective than protests and we commend the IJAW Youth Group for starting with dialogue and we believe that more restraint is needed to enable Government study their request carefully.
While looking forward to the shelving of the planned protest by the IJAW Youth Groups, we want to assure them that as an experienced NGO, the INTEGRITY GROUP realizes that dialogue and constructive engagement achieves faster results than protests, no matter what form it takes.
Signed:
Dr. Oke Idawene,
Convener, Integrity Group of Delta State.
Barr. Felix Ofia (PhD),
Secretary, Integrity Group of Delta State.
Hon. Barth I. Ozah,
Director, Media and Communication,
Integrity Group of Delta State.
Elder Fred Akpewe,
Editor, Integrity Bulletin.