By Ebi Perekeme
A member of the House of Assembly, Hon Success Torhukerhijo has faulted the composition of the committees set up by the Ondo State Government to source fund and to distribute palliatives to the people of the State over the CODVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world.
The lawmaker representing Ese-Odo state constituency said the two committees by the government excluded people from his constituency especially the minority Ijaw in the state
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has set up fund and palliative committees to source for fund and distribute palliative to the people who have been locked down as a result of the CODVID-19 pandemic.
But Torhukerhijo in a statement said no Ijaw person or someone from Eseodo Local Government was included in the two committees set up by the Store Government.
Torhukerhijo said the people have been marginalized in the policies implemented by the government since it came to office ty three years ago.
He said: “I have gone through the list of the recently constituted committees of the state and discovered that the Ijaws who constitute the minority tribe in the state are not included in these very important committees.
“My people consider this act as vexatious and disturbing.
As the representative of the people at the House of Assembly, I have received a lot of calls and text messages from religious leaders,opinion leaders,socio-cultural and youth groups who are irked by the Governor’s action.More disturbing is the fact that the new committee did not take us into consideration.
“My people are particularly disturbed that it is becoming a regular attitude of the governor to ignore the existence of the Ijaws as a separate tribe in Ondo state living peacefully as a minority amongst the majority Yoruba, a status which nature has created for them, which they have been enjoying since the creation of Ondo State.
“The governor as a father to all is expected to give consedration to both the majority and minority in a dual tribe state like ours. but it is sadly worrisome that the Akeredolu led administration has always treated the Ijaws with utter neglect and reckless abandonment,a situation which is becoming unbearable and intolerable to our people.
“If I may recall, some time a commitee was constituted for the purpose of creation of Local Council Development Areas in the state. (LCDAs). It was a clear case of minority exclusion at that time.
“Now important committees such as the Palliatives and Fund Raising Committees have been constituted without any Ijaw man. Who will handle the peculiarities of the Ijaws with proper cognisance for their culture?
“It is also bewildering to note that the Akeredolu-led administration,with it’s first term gradually winding up, cannot point to a 50 Million naira project in the whole of Ijaw land. This has made the people to be threatened and very uncomfortable in their God given land.
“I am calling on the Governor to include an Ijaw person in the Palliative and Response Fund Committes for equity and justice as this is in tandem with the principles of federal character enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“The Governor should also ensure that he embarks on at least one or two projects in the Ijaw axis of the state before the expiration of his first tenure so as to have his name on the good side of posterity and history.
“I am appealing to all the Ijaws of Ondo State to remain peaceful and law abiding as we expect the governor to do justice in this matters.”
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