2019: MULADE TO OKOWA, DON’T DEPRIVE IJAW COMMUNITIES OF DEVELOPMENT

***FROWNS AT APPROVAL OF KWALE-BENEKU BRIDGE WITHOUT ANY IN IJAWLAND

A community leader and human rights activist Comrade Sheriff Mulade has again expressed displeasure over the continued neglect of Ijaw communities in Delta State by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led administration in terms of tangible projects particularly in oil producing communities.

Comrade Mulade spoke recently during the commissioning of projects executed by Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation EGCDF, a Chevron sponsored Global Memorandum of Understanding GMoU, where he is the General-Secretary of the organisation.

He said recently Governor Okowa approved the KWALE-BENEKU BRIDGE PROJECTS connecting several communities in Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East Local Government Areas without any tangible projects once again in Ijawland where the resources to fund those projects are coming from.

According to him it makes most of the host communities take their anger towards the International Oil Companies’ IOCs operating in the area because of the failure of government.

He drew the attention of Governor Okowa to the abandoned Okerenkoko-Pepeama and Kokodiagbene road and Ubafan-Oporoza-Madangho-Ogedigben-Yokiri to Sokebulou road projects that transverse across Warri South West to Burutu council areas, saying that; “They are key and important road projects that will open up the hinterland awarded by our dynamic leader and former Governor Chief James Ibori. They have since been forgotten despite the contribution of the areas to the State and Federal governments revenue by successive administrations”.

Comrade Mulade appealed to Governor Okowa to as a matter of urgency reconsider the approval of the aforementioned roads as important projects to give sense of belonging ahead of the 2019 general elections.

He said; “We are totally neglected and deprived of tangible infrastructural projects, it is pertinent to mention that Egbema kingdom in Warri North local government area is the most deprived and neglected Ijaw people in Delta State in terms of infrastructure and political recognition”.