WARRI — ELDERS and leaders of the Ijaw in Delta State met in Warri, Wednesday to appraise the 2005 budget proposal presented by Governor James Ibori to the state House of Assembly, and said it had no prospect for the Ijaw.
Former military governor of Niger State, Brigadier-General Cletus Emein (rtd) who is the chairman of the Izon (Ijaw) Koso-Otu told newsmen at the end of the consultative meeting that the Ijaw elders have decided to send a delegation to Governor Ibori to discuss the anomaly.
The meeting was attended by Ijaw traditional rulers and leaders including the paramount ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu; Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, Pere of Isaba, Regent of Gbaramatu and the Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Okirika.
"From the statistics available to you and I, the Ijaw areas of Delta State produce about 50 to 52 per cent of the oil that makes Delta State to have the lion share in the federation account, but in terms of viable and useful projects in the past three years or so, it is only the Bomadi bridge that people are talking about.
"In terms of education,three Polytechnics were distributed to different parts of the state at a time the Ijaw are the third largest ethnic in terms of population in this state and there is no higher institution of learning in the Ijaw area. So there is something wrong, it is either we are too quiet, the government is taking the Ijaw for granted or our representatives are too docile. We want to find out whether it is our problem or the government’s problem or there is a conspiracy somewhere", he said.
On when the Ijaw delegation would meet with Ibori, he said the governor had travelled out but "our delegation will meet him at the earliest possible time once he is back to the country."
He, however, said that the Ijaw were not going to meet Ibori to protest, adding that "I am above protesting. We are going to discuss, we will discuss and make our feelings known."
The former governor said it was left for Governor Ibori to make necessary amendments after the Ijaw people might have seen him, pointing out that "if people make presentations to any listening government and they are rationale and concrete, then it is left to a listening government to make amends. We are not a pressure group, it has not come to that."
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