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Ijaw allege attack by soldiers
•Delta Govt
may shelve Warri LG polls
SEGUN
JAMES, Warri and CAJETAN MMUTA, Asaba
IJAW
community group, the Ojogbo Development Committee (ODC) in Warri, Delta State
yesterday alleged that soldiers of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) on the
Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, opened fire on kinsmen who had
occupied the Benisede flow station in protest, critically injuring 21 people in
the process.
ODC chairman, Mr. Emmanuel
Guokamor, who made the claim, further alleged that the purported victims are
being hospitalised at a hospital belonging to an oil firm.
But political temperature is
rising in the city over Saturday’s elections there as indications are that the
council polls may be shelved.
But Shell, which operates the
Benisede flow station, confirmed the take-over of the facility by the Ijaw, but
said in a statement, yesterday, that they (Ijaws) had quit the place and had no
knowledge of any shooting even as Commander of JTF, Brig. Gen. Elias Zamani said
he had not been briefed on the alleged shooting.
It was gathered that the Ijaw,
numbering about 200, had invaded the flow station Saturday afternoon to protest
the alleged refusal of a contractor, Parker Drilling Company, to stick to the
terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on employment for the natives
entered into with the people.
Mr. Guokomor said following the
invasion, which effectively halted activities at the contractor’s drilling
rig, men of the JTF were invited, led by a lieutenant apparently unable to
persuade the youths to leave the flow station, ordered his men to open fire at
the expiration of a 30-minute ultimatum to quit, a situation which led 21 of the
youths critically wounded.
Following the new dimension, it
was learnt that a party to the clash immediately ordered for two helicopters
which evacuated 17 of the critically injured out of the clinic at Ogunu, Warri.
Contacted, Gen. Zamani said he
was yet to be briefed on the incident.
Also, Shell Public Relations
Manager (Western Zone), Mr. Don. Ovberedjo said the oil company did not order
the military to shoot or kill anybody.
Ovberedjo insisted that any talk
about shooting should be directed to Gen. Zamani as the company has no control
over the military.
The latest development in the
Warri council’s polls matter, Daily Champion gathered, may not be
unconnected with the litigations, protests and threats from different aggrieved
stakeholders over the creation of new wards by the State Independent Electoral
Commission (DSIEC), which were deemed unconstitutional.
The latest development Daily
Champion gathered, may not be unconnected with the litigations, protests and
threats from different aggrieved stakeholders over the creation of new wards by
the State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), which were deemed
unconstitutional.
Even Ijaw militant activist,
Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, crossed over to Patani, Delta State, Saturday, and
warned that holding the elections on November 27, as planned, could re-ignite
the Warri crisis.
However, emerging from an
emergency closed doors meeting yesterday with the leadership of the state House
of Assembly on the vexed issues surrounding the wards delineation and the
proposed election, DSIEC chairman, Justice James Omo Agege (rtd) flanked by his
commissioners, declined comments on the outcome of the parley.
He merely told anxious
journalists that he would address them in two days time.
One of the DSIEC commissioners,
who requested anonymity told Daily Champion that "the proposed
election may or may not hold."
It was, however, gathered that
the Assembly leadership had yesterday mandated the embattled electoral
commission to go back to the drawing board to ensure that all the grey areas are
removed regarding the wards creation in view of the protests and petitions sent
to the House before holding the election.
A source close to the Assembly
who disclosed this to Daily Champion, said the amendments and adjustments
were imperative because of the barrage of court litigations, protests and peace
of the state which is being threatened.
The source noted that already
eight local governments had gone to court to seek injunction restraining the
DSIEC from conducting the controversial election.
"DSIEC had been summoned by
the House of Assembly and they are going to make amends where that is demanded.
I believe all those adjustments will come before the election. More than eight
local governments have gone to court to seek injunction restraining DSIEC from
conducting the election," the source said.
Aggrieved local governments and
communities not favoured by DSIEC in the creation of electoral wards have
threatened the commission alleging gross marginalisation, partiality and
political vendetta in the exercise. The communities equally vowed to use every
available legal means to disrupt the election.
Among the protesting communities
are the Ijaw ethnic groups in Warri, the Itsekiri, Abavo and Umunede communities
in the Delta North senatorial district.
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