Ijaw groups bemoan ward delineation defect in Delta

By Etop Ekanem

AS Nigeria celebrates Democracy Day, the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities, FNDIC, and Gbaramatu Rebirth Initiative, GRI, have called on acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to prevail on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to correct its errors that had deprived the Ijaw people of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Warri in general, real democratic freedom and ensure creation of electoral state constituency, which INEC earlier promised.

A statement by Chief Bello Oboko, President, FNDIC said the  FNDIC, and GRI, “Are constrained to inform the Nigerian nation that Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State has not enjoyed, constitutionally, the cherished democratic experience, due to errors admitted by INEC, on electoral wards delineation, since 1999.

“The allocation of more electoral wards to the area constituting 37 percent of the population in Warri South-West LGA and allocating fewer wards to the area holding 63 per cent of the population in the local government area is an unacceptable affront to our democracy. INEC should, therefore, act expeditiously to dignify democracy by doing the constitutional thing to reconcile the Ijaw of Gbaramatu Kingdom and Warri in general to the Nigerian democracy.

“Gbaramatu Kingdom, being one of the stakeholders in the Nigerian project, had listed in a recent publication what threatens her rightful stake in the Nigerian project that is not in tandem with democratic principles. It is against this backdrop that we call on acting President Osinbajo and Governor Okowa to prevail on INEC to address the issues raised by FNDIC and GRI.”

“It is important to clarify that INEC did not apply the1991 population census in electoral wards delineation in Warri South-West LGA, thereby resulting in ‘skewed results designed to satisfy certain selfish interests.”

Meanwhile the groups have congratulated acting President Osibanjo, Governor Okowa and the good people of Nigeria as the nation celebrates Democracy Day.

According to them, “Following several national unpalatable experiences that interjected its quest for enduring democracy, Nigeria has achieved, through struggle, a relatively stable democratic experience from 1999 till date,  clear uninterrupted 18years worth celebrating.”

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