Ogulagha youths tackles Iduwini youths over comment on Forcados terminal ownership
Youths of Ogulagha kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State have written a rejoinder debunking claims by alleged youths of Iduwini kingdom in Delta state wherein claims where laid on the ownership of Forcados terminal.
According to the rejoinder authored by the Ogulagha kingdom youths issued to newsmen in Warri earlier today, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspaper signed by Comrade Timiadi Akuna – President Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council, OKYC; Comrade Miyenkiriya Dose – Secretary, OKYC; Comrade Moses Agbobulagha – PRO, OKYC and Comrade Ekpos Okunwanzei – Chairman, IYC Ogulagha Kingdom Chapter, they had cautioned the youths of Iduwini kingdom not to make statements that are capable of causing crises between the two neighbouring kingdoms.
The rejoinder authored by the Ogulagha kingdom youths read in full bellow:
REJOINDER: DELTA IDUWINI YOUTHS TASK H. E SEN. DR OKOWA ARTHUR IFEANYI TO REVERSED THE DESOPADEC COMMISSIONER /BOARD OF DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT TO IDUWINI KINGDOM.
Our attention has been drawn to a statement by some persons under the aegis of “Delta Iduwini Youths” where the authors laid claim to the ownership of the SPDC Forcados Terminal and threatened the fragile peace that exists between the both kingdoms.
In their exact words; “Iduwini Kingdom is the Rightful owner of FORCADOS TERMINAL , we are going to make the Governor understand that, enough is enough of this intimidation given to our Kingdom. This time around the Government will cry bitterly as they are oppressing us of our Right”.
It is not in our character to reply every statement we see on the media space but since the one in question lay claim to our land as well as have security implications capable of brewing tension between the Ogulagha kingdom and Iduwini kingdom communities on one hand and the Ogulagha Community and security agencies on the other hand it is pertinent that we make our position known.
We wish to enjoin the general public especially the Delta state government to brush aside the unfounded claim of the Iduwini Delta Youths as Ogulagha is the sole host of the SPDC Forcados Terminal save for the magnanimity of the Ogulagha people that allow Odimodi community to enjoy 25% percent of resources accruing from the SPDC tank farm in Ogulagha Community; which was permitted only in the interest of brotherliness and not as host community or owners of the facility.
It is a fact that no single Iduwini Delta community is an oil producing community but are classified as impacted communities in the records of SPDC and the DESOPADEC Act; and that is their very true position till date.
We also wish to draw the attention of security agencies and the government to the following extract from their statement;
“this time around the Government will cry bitterly as they are oppressing us of our Right”.
The above statement is of grave security implications especially as it threatens our peaceful coexistence and the safety of the oil installations in our kingdom. This is so because the said persons are capable of making good their threat to make the State Government cry.
While we enjoin the group to withdraw their statement with immediate effect; we are calling on security agencies to invite the signatories of the said statement that is; Tarede Ebiarede, Paul Akpowaide, Ebitorumi Eseimokumo, Godday Bekenawei, Diyebo Desmond, Peredi Tukorogha, Awudi Ipinwei and Collins Ipidei Bamughan to explain what their real intentions may be.
We want to echo it again that our interest is to continue to build on the existing peace with our neighboring communities with whom we have had fragile coexistence until now.
It is on that note that we are calling on the Iduwini Delta and Diebri people who have missed out on the appointments into the DESOPADEC management board not to throw caution into the wind while agitating for their acclaimed rights; we hereby call on His Excellency the Governor of Delta State to consider other avenues to pacify them such as appointing their wards into the Government of the day.
That they called for the reversal of the appointment of our ward who was appointed as an Executive Director or any other Ijaw man that was appointed into the DESOPADEC is a move to further divide the Ijaw kingdoms of Delta State.They are at liberty to demand for a place in the government of the day but their rights do not extend to demanding for the reversal of the appointment of an officer appointed based on the merits of the facts put before the government by the Ogulagha people.
In conclusion, we are calling on the Delta State Government, the Burutu Local Government Executive Council, well meaning leaders and individuals especially of the Iduwini Delta enclave to call the Iduwini Delta Youths to order and guide them to make statements that are only objective in the pursuit of their acclaimed entitlements and desist completely from laying claim to what is not theirs; threatening the fragile peace that exist between us in the process.
Signed:
1. Comrade Timiadi Akuna – President Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council
2. Comrade Miyenkiriya Dose – Secretary, Ogulagha Kingdom Youth Council
3. Comrade Moses Agbobulagha – PRO, Ogulagha kingdom Youth Council
4. Comrade Ekpos Okunwanzei – Chairman, IYC Ogulagha Kingdom Chapter
