Delta Council Polls: Group writes Oborevwori as Ogbe-Ijoh Insists on producing Warri South-West Chair
By Ezekiel Kagbala
As Local Government Council elections in Delta State beckon, a sociopolitical group, Progressive Political Advocates, has appealed to the State Governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Obovrevwori "to allow the Ogbe-Ijoh Ward produce the LGA chairman for Warri South-West Council Area".
The group insisted that it is their turn based on the working arrangements among the stakeholders in the Council Area.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued by the group and signed by the Coordinator, Mr. Godspower Benakiegha, copies of which were made available to journalists at a press briefing held in Ogbe-Ijoh on Saturday.
Benakiegha told journalists that the call on Governor Oborevwori became imperative "because the Ogbe-Ijoh people do not want external interference from neighbors who have had their turn to produce the Local Government chairman according to the gentleman agreement which is common knowledge to all concerned".
According to him, "in upholding the existing zoning arrangement in the forthcoming local government elections, the Ogbe-Ijoh ward should produce the chairman without interference".
The group's statement explained that "the Itsekiri community had the first elected chairman, followed by the Gbaramatu Ijaws, and then back to the Itsekiri".
According to the group, "With this pattern, it is now the turn of the Ijaw, specifically the Ogbe-Ijoh Ward, to produce the next chairman.
"The existing gentleman agreement has so far promoted peace and unity between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities in Warri South West Local Government.
"After the tenure of the Gbaramatu Ijaw, only Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba Wards are left to produce an elected chairman, according to the zoning arrangement".
The open letter to the Governor partly reads, "We wish to bring to the notice of the Governor of Delta State that by zoning arrangements between the Itsekiri and the Ijaw in Warri South West Local Government that has fostered unity and peace in the last three (3) elected executives of the Council.
"In the 'gentlemen's agreement' as shown in the table below, the Itsekiri had the first elected Chairman of the Council, the late Hon. David Atikpekpe, and the Vice Chairman was the late Hon. Daniel Akada from Gbaramatu.
“After the Itsekiri elected tenure, the Gbaramatu Ijaw produced the next elected Chairman, Hon. George Ekpemupolo with his Vice an Itsekiri, Hon. Blexons Omadoyi and after their tenure, the Chairmanship position went back to the Itsekiri and Hon. Taiye Duke Tuoyo became the next Chairman. It’s now the turn of Ijaw to produce the next Council Chairman. Gbaramatu Ijaw having taken their turn in the person of Hon. George Ekpemupolo, leaving Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba Wards as the Ijaw yet to produce an elected Chairman".
