Ijaw youths protest appointment of market master in Warri

TRACKING___The Ijaw youths protesting the appointment of a market master in Igbe-Ijoh market in Warri, Delta State, June 24, 2020.

The Ijaw youths who gathered in the early hours of Wednesday at the market said they are rejecting the market master who they say is an Itsekiri man, insisting that only an Ijaw man is qualified to be the market master of that market.

The protesting youths bearing various placards with inscriptions like, “Tidi we reject your plan to Kill Ogbe-Ijoh market because your Pessu market is dead”, “Ogbe-Ijoh people are yet to handover Ogbe-Ijoh market to Delta State Govt, Deltans please take Note,” were chanting solidarity songs during the peaceful protests.

Addressing journalists during the protest, chairman of the Ijaw Youth Congress, Ogbe-Ijoh chapter, Engr. Smart Okosun, said they are rejecting and condemning the appointment of an Itsekiri man as the market master in Ogbe-Ijoh market.

He said that pending when the Delta State Government will completes market, the Ogbe-Ijoh market Committee that was already in place, should continue to oversee the affairs of the market and not the Committee set up by The Warri South Council Chairman, Michael Tidi.

“We are passing a Vote of No Confidence on Michael Tidi as Warri South Local Government Chairman. Michael Tidi should not use Ogbe-Ijoh market for his campaign for second tenure. Delta State Government please come and complete the building of the Ogbe-Ijoh market for us.

“Tidi wants to cause crisis in this area in Warri and the crisis will consume him. As the IYC chairman in Igbe-Ijoh, I have come to render our grievances with my people to the State Government to come and build Ogbe-Ijoh market.”

As at the time of filing this report all efforts to speak to the Warri South Council Chairman, Dr Michael Tidi, proved abortive as his telephone lines were switched off.

However, an investigation by Vanguard revealed that the market master of the Igbe-Ijoh market had been appointed more than one year ago.