Egbema Ijaw Communities In Edo State Demands15 Wards, A Constituency As They Decry Marginalization, Injustice, Meted Against Them.

Egbema Ijaw Communities In Edo State  Demands15 Wards, A Constituency As They Decry Marginalization, Injustice, Meted Against Them.

By Wilson Macaulay.

A Group named  Egbema Communities Peace Development and Humanitarian Rights Association of Nigeria  based in the Niger Delta region have  sent  a highly  wired Save Our Soul Message to His Excellency,   Dr. Godwin Enogheghase Obaseki, the  Executive Governor of Edo State to address what they termed
 long and endemic issues of  Marginalisation,  ostracization, , Injustice and  Denials of the Egbema Ijaw Community  people   from enjoying  accruable basic amenities  and benefits  in Ovia South West LGA of  Edo State.

The Highly Worded letter signed  by the Group President Comrade Mike J K  Tiemo , Bishop S.Pinawei, Vice President, Comrade Samson Oroupa Secretary General, Mr July prosper, Egboor, Assistant Provost and Mr Tuesday Mumbor, Assistant PRO stated in their request and demands  amongst other things that  they want the Inclusion of the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom as a member of the Edo State  Traditional Council Comrade Mike Tiemo asserted that the call became paramount and imperative due to the existing statusquo before the creation of former  Bendel State because The Agadagba who is the paramount ruler of the Egbema Kingdom use to attend traditional council meetings  in Benin as it concerns the state affairs and the well being of the People.

Tiemo emphasised that Egbema people must be treated as bonafide citizens of Nigeria that deserve the Constitutional and Humanitarian rights of the federal Republic of Nigeria , since democracy is a government of the people by the people for the people without segregation.

The Group also asserted  in the letter to Governor Godwin Obaseki that they are demanding for the the creation  of Fifteen Wards and a State Constituency  in the Edo State House of Assembly from the present  Ofunama Ward which produces one Councillor in Egbema Kingdom made up of more than one thirty five Communities. and also for the Governor to make concerted effort to ensure that all the Egbema Community Roads which  have  been abandoned for many years are all constructed during the life span of his administration.

According to Tiemo the Group President,  the obvious  fact that there is a recognised and existing Councillor in Ovia South West LGA in the Edo State Government Affairs b is indeed a good reason  to assert the fact that the demand as therein as contained in the SOS are due for immediate address.

 The Egbema Ijaw Communities in Edo State  posited in the Save Our Soul  Message that they need  power supply from the National  grid through the Governor of Edo State Dr. Godwin Obaseki as their neighbours in the same LGA.are privileged to enjoy.

Comrade Mike Tiemo the Group President who spoke to the press explain in part  the content of the letter to Governor Obaseki said: "The Egbema Ijaw  Communities which are in Ovia South West LGA of Edo State are marginalised so much that they have been reduced  politically to  infinitesimal level  in Edo politics because the more than  thirty five communities of Egbema Ijaw people  produces one councillor. Speaking further he said : "we  decided to take a bold step to write an SOS, therein we captured the fact that we need a Constituency, to enable us have a representative in the Edo  state House of Assembly , Motorable roads, Electricity and Pipe borne water to save our people from the dangers associated  with drinking of polluted water, Judiciary Courts such as Area Customary Courts and Margistrate Courts

According to Comrade Mike Tiemo  ,the Niger Delta  born Activist while briefing the press hinted that the Group  was very emphatic on their demands that there is no going back on the request  for all the abandoned Egbema roads  in Edo state to be constructed, adding that the only path to true human development  and liberation for a gerality of the Egbema people was nothing but for the Governor  to heed this noble call to transform the Egbema people through the provision of the infrastructures they are demanding for as it is reflecting in other LGA IN EDO STATE.

Comrade Mike J .k. Tiemo disclosed that they are also demanding from Governor Obaseki to award a contract for  the Construction of  ten classroom building of six blocks each for  the primary and secondary schools in Egbema Communities all in Ovia South West LGA of Edo State.so that we can feel a little presence of Government unlike the prevailing situation which  have made the Egbema people  like a football team on relegation, which is  indeed a bad situation that   can never be accepted, by any body with Egbema blood ,  he said.

Tiemo who further buttressed  his argument added: "Egbema Kingdom being the National Host Community  to Chevron, NPDC , Ecrest , Seplat, etc  that Produces  the Nation's Wealth  for the benefit of all the states in Nigeria deserves  all the basic smenities   without recourse to place a demand to the Edo State Governor before such I provision.
 he lamented.

He recalled emphatically  that  the central theme of the SOS is the Marginalisation and lnjustice done to the Egbema people in Edo state , adding that they will continue to speak and push  on until political and economic justice  is achieved by the ljaws in Edo state.

According to him,  it is time to change the narrative of the politically aniliated people of  Egbema  who have been victims of bad Governments in the past  that refused to listen or see to the deplorable condition of the Egbema ljaw people in Edo state.

Speaking further Comrade Mike Tiemo said.: " we have an awesome vision for the transformation of Egbema and we  believe the time to do that is now  since light must overcome darkness ..l am urging the administration of Obaseki to meet the needs of the Egbema people by redeeming the pledge he made during campaign in the last general election".
Continuing, the Humanitarian Rights Defender with unswerving integrity  noted:

 l am appealing through this medium to Governor Obaseki to use the instrument of his good office to reorder or restructure   the political and economic forces of the state to liberate the Egbema people in dire need of development.

The Group Vice President Bishop S. Pinawei  who also spoke to the Media hit the Edo State  Governing Authorities hard as he  maintained in his speech that besides the issues  mentioned by the Group president, they are also demanding from  Governor Obaseki to construct ten Primary  Health Care Centres with employment of  qualified health workers to  work in the facilities to reduce  general fatality and mortality rate in women during delivery.

Comrade Samson Oroupa the Group Secretary , Mr July Prosper  Egboor, Assistant Provost and Mr.Tuesday Mumbor the Assistant PRO in their separate remarks supported the claim that the Edo State Governments in the past and  up to this moment neglected the Egbema people in a  totally un imaginable way hence the call on Obaseki to throw away every clannish agenda of past Governments and come to the aid of the Egbema people who are suffering from untold story of political bondage.

While dismissing the claim that the Egbema terrain is difficult for Government to access  due to the perculiar nature ,Comrade Samson Oroupa the Group scribe said: "there is nothing wrong with the terrain since it is good enough to accommodate oil exploration and exploitation the Government have no justifiable excuse to leave our communities in darkness without health facilities and drinkable water.

Still on demands Oroupa pointed out that  One important thing I think the Edo State Government should do is to clear the water hyacinths  from the Egbema river to ease navigation of local boats used by the  ljaw fishing populace.
Continuing he said: " there are undeniable facts replete in Egbema Kingdom  which  clearly shows that the Egbema Communities has been under ruthless repression long before this time.

In summation Comrade Oroupa noted: "though our  request is not limited to what we  stated here in this press briefing, let me also add that, in  the SOS missive to the Governor  we emphasised that we  need Out board and lnboard engine  boats and buses  to be  made available for transportation by the Edo State  Government for movement of people, goods and services  in the waterways as it is done on land by the Edo Transport Scheme.

This  will go a very long way in reviving  economic activities  in the coast of Egbema that connects both Ondo and Ogun States he concluded. ln totality the Egbema Ijaw Communities condemned the persistent marginalisation, ostracization, injustice since the time of the defunct Bendel State.