Less than one week before the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s primary in Delta State, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSO, has charged leaders and stakeholders in Warri Federal Constituency on the need to sustain the current robust peace, harmony, good neighbourliness, love and unity among the two ethnic nationalities of Itsekiris and Ijaws in Warri Federal Constituency in the interest of social justice and development.
The coalition under the auspices of the Civil Society Network for Citizens Engagement, Credible Elections and Good Governance (CSNCE2GG) led by its National chairman, Activist Rex Emojite Anighoro, gave this charge in Asaba recently as part of its interim report from its ongoing assessment tour of the 25 Local Government Areas in the State in preparation for the forthcoming party primaries and general election in 2023.
Addressing the press in Asaba on Monday, Anighoro disclosed that the group decided to embark on the assessment tour of the various Council Areas of the State as part of its duties to evaluate the readiness of Deltans at the grassroots in terms of peace, unity and inter-ethnic cooperation towards ensuring a successful electoral process, adding that its report is made available to government and security agencies as a guide as the election draws near.
Anighoro said that in the course of the group’s tour of Warri North Federal Constituency, it observed that political activities and participation in the current process that will give birth to a new democratic administration revolves around the two ethnic nationalities of Itsekiris and Ijaws.
According to him, the group observed that there has been an unprecedented peace and harmony, understanding, unity and love for the past year when, for the first time, the Ijaws were allowed to actively participate in the political representation process since an Ijaw man emerged the Executive Chairman of Warri North Local Government Council.
The coalition also testified in their report that infrastructural and human capital development as promoted by the current Council chairman, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, were equally unprecedented, adding that, indeed, it attracted the attention of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs which gave a national award to the Council chairman as the Best Performed Local Government Council Chairman in Delta State.
The coalition, Anighoro added, has observed that the current sustaining peace and harmony was due to the balance created by the emergence of an Ijaw as the Local Government Chairman of the Council while other political offices were held by the Itsekiris.
According to him, it was observed that apart from the Council chairman, all other political offices, except the Senate, in the area are currently being occupied and or being vied for by the Itsekiri, including the House of Assembly and the House of Representatives.
The group also noted that while the Senate seat for Delta South is currently being hotly contested by the Itsekiris without any interference from the Ijaws, the House of Representatives seat for the Warri Federal Constituency is also being hotly chased by an Itsekiri who had done the first term in that capacity while the House of Assembly which has been held by the Itsekiris over the years is also being chased by the Itsekiris without interference from the Ijaws ethnic brothers.
The coalition observed that the tenure of the current Warri North Local Government Council chairman, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, which is the only political position presently being held by the Ijaw, is due to terminate in the first quarter of 2024, adding that as at then, the Ijaws would have been completely denied of all political offices and political participation.
The coalition under the auspices of the Civil Society Network for Citizens Engagement, Credible Elections and Good Governance in its interim report, therefore, advised stakeholders and power brokers in the Warri Federal Constituency, leaders of the two ethnic nationalities, including the governor and security agencies to seriously consider the group’s observation so that smooth political transition could be assured for the purpose of a successful election by ceding the House of Representatives seat of Warri Federal Constituency to the Ijaws.
In a related development, the incumbent chairman of the Warri North Local Government Council, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu whose tenure as Council chairman will end in early 2024, has indicated an interest in vying for the position of the member to represent the people of Warri Federal Constituency in 2023.
Asekutu, a coalition of youth organizations from the Niger Delta region has been persuaded to run for the House of Representatives seat, has been screened and cleared by the PDP screening committee, and currently awaiting the party primary coming up on May 23, 2022.
It would be recalled that a coalition of youths’ non-political organizations made up of Ijaw and Itsekiri youths, the Niger Delta Progressive Youth Leadership Foundation, NDPYLF purchased the PDP Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for the House of Representatives was and presented it to the Council chairman free of charge.
The Council chairman who has been carrying out wide consultations among leaders of Ijaws and Itsekiris has also reached out to a good number of delegates for the purpose of the party primary coming up on May 23.
Asekutu, it would also be recalled, marked his first year in office as the first Executive Chairman of Warri North Local Government Council, with unprecedented achievement in terms of peace and infrastructural development across the Council Area. His tremendous achievement was accorded national recognition when the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, after touring the 774 Council Areas of the Country, awarded the chairman the Best Performed Local Government Chairman in Delta State.
He was achievement was also accorded recognition by the Warri Monarch, HRM Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri kingdom as well as leaders and youths from the two ethnic nationalities of Ijaw and Itsekiri for carrying everyone along.
Our correspondent reports that the coalition of Civil Society Organization, CSO under the auspices of Civil Society Network for Citizens Engagement, Credible Elections and Good Governance (CSNCE2GG), paid the chairman a courtesy call in his office in Koko recently, in the course of its assessment tour of the 25 Local Government Areas in the State.
Satisfied with the level of achievement in the Council within the past year, the group led by Activist Rex Emojite Anighoro, commended the Council chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu for his effort towards the sustenance of peace and overall development of the Council Area.
The group hailed the strong efforts of the Council Chairman in advancing the provision of Water and Primary Health Care within one year in office. He also praised him for improving sanitation, renovating the Local Government Council Secretariat, and maintaining relative peace and Inter-Ethnic Harmony in Warri North Local Government Area.
Activist Rex Anighoro stated that his ongoing engagement and empowerment programme for the youths and the women in the Local Government was also very commendable as well as his efforts in enhancing riverine transportation through the provision of speedboats.
Speaking on behalf of the Civil Society Groups in the Network, Deacon Okezi Odugala Executive Director of Eziodu Initiative for Sustainable Environmental Development (EISED), a member of the coalition team, posited that the Civil Society will always be fair to all the aspirants regardless of political party affiliation, ethnic group or religious and ideological leaning, he stated that the Civil Society is determined to hear from all the aspirants and engage with them without bias.
He also made it known that the issue of ethnic harmony and inclusivity is a very significant issue and that the Civil Society is independently evaluating the issues and would take a position for the good of the citizens.
On her own part Amb. Augusta Impact Keneboh the Executive Director of Afro Centre for Development Peace and Justice, another member of the coalition team, hailed the Local Government Council Chairman Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu for localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She stated that Water, Sanitation and Rural Health Care, especially in the Riverine communities, mean so much to advocates of development like her and that she will work to see that greater recognition is accorded the developmental strides of the Local Government Council Chairman who is aspiring to higher office.
She noted that the level of performance of the Council chairman, qualifies him to be an Ambassador of United Nations Strategic Development Goals, SDG, of the international body.
Concluding, Activist Rex Emojite Anighoro assured the Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu whom he referred to as a Civil Society Activist of his Goodwill and support.
