…Declare: “2027 is the Turn of Egbema Ijaws for House of Assembly Seat”
Egbema leaders in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have expressed deep frustration over what they describe as ongoing neglect, marginalization, and injustice against the Ijaw people in the council. Under the umbrella of the Egbema Collective Political Front (ECPF), the leaders accused the current chairman, Hon. Festus Ashima, of disproportionately siting development projects in Itsekiri communities while ignoring Egbema Kingdom.
In a strongly worded statement, the leader of the group, Hon. Kenneth Odibo, popularly known as Community, lamented the political and infrastructural imbalance in Warri North. According to him, the Ijaws have been relegated to the background in leadership positions and development projects despite their contributions to the social, economic, and political well-being of the state and the nation at large.
Decades of Political Exclusion
Hon. Odibo highlighted that since the creation of Warri North, the Ijaws have produced only one local government chairman and held a commissioner position for just six months during the tenure of former Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Meanwhile, the Itsekiris, he said, have produced over ten local government chairmen, both elected and as caretakers.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the Ijaws of Egbema have never occupied the Delta State House of Assembly seat for Warri North, nor have they been appointed as commissioners in the state executive council, members of the House of Representatives, or other key positions at the state and federal levels.
Uneven Distribution of Projects
The group accused the incumbent council chairman, Hon. Festus Ashima, of executing multiple infrastructural projects exclusively in Itsekiri communities while leaving Egbema Kingdom without any significant development. Some of the projects cited include:
A block of six 2-bedroom flats with solar power built in Oboghoro (Itsekiri community) and completed within five months.
- The newly built Koko market by the local government.
- Reconstruction of the Chairman’s Lodge.
- Construction of the Legislative arm building.
- Construction of a Health Center and nurses’ quarters in Eghoro (Itsekiri community), with a similar project ongoing in Koko.
- Completion of the canalization of Koko.
- A Back-to-School program that benefited only Itsekiri communities.
The leaders described this pattern as broad daylight deprivation and marginalization, warning that such injustice would no longer be tolerated.
House of Assembly Seat: “2027 is for Egbema Ijaws”
Beyond infrastructure, the ECPF also rejected speculations that Hon. Fred Martins, the current member representing Warri North in the Delta State House of Assembly, is planning to seek a third term in office. They insisted that the Ijaws of Egbema must be given the opportunity to occupy the seat in 2027, stating that any attempt to deprive them of this right would be strongly resisted.
Hon. Odibo called on political leaders in Warri North and Delta State to embrace diplomacy and fairness in governance, urging the Itsekiris to step aside and allow an Ijaw candidate to emerge in the next election.
A Call for Government Intervention
The ECPF appealed to Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, and other well-meaning leaders to intervene and put an end to the oppression of the Egbema Ijaws in Warri North. They emphasized that peace is priceless and that continued neglect could strain the long-standing relationship between the two ethnic groups.
“We therefore plead with our Itsekiri neighbors to allow the Ijaws to assume the State House of Assembly seat come 2027,” Hon. Odibo said. “Let our brotherly love in the council continue. However, we strongly reject any further attempts to enslave and oppress us.”
