Isoko Youth Agenda flays FG’S alleged neglect, warns on possible “blood bath”
*May resort to strategies to earn recognition
Rising from an emergency meeting and what was described as crass insensitivity, and alleged marginalization, the Isoko Youth Agenda (IYA), has flayed the Federal Government’s steps in her bid for restructuring Nigeria as charade and bogus propaganda, saying that it might take steps to earn recognition if Federal Government fails to do the needful.
The National president, Isoko Youth Agenda (IYA), Mr. Sabastine Agbefe who spoke to journalists yesterday in Asaba, on the alleged marginalization of Isoko nationality, among others said that it was time for Isoko nationality to begin on a grim note, gory tales of how it has been adding “in the wee hours of June 13, 2015 a pipeline explosion rocked the peaceful community of Idheze in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, and according to residents who witnessed it, pandemonium was let loose as sons, daughters, fathers and mothers could not remember family affiliations, instead they ran in confusion so as to survive, the explosion resulted in a fire outbreak which was doused without a casualty, but till date, neither remedial effort nor viable compensation has sufficed to tackle the spillage and most especially to address the wellbeing of the residents.”
Mr. Agbefe regretted that Uzere and oil producing community in Isoko South with a total of 43 oil wells producing about 53,000 Barrels per day, has grown to become one of the largest oil producing communities in Nigeria but currently languishing in the perfect picture of integrated dearth, adding that the situation is the same with Olomoro, Oleh, Irri, Ozoro, Igbide, Owhe among others.
According to him, research has it that Isoko land is one of the most densely populated areas in Nigeria with about 500 people per square kilometer compared with average of 198 for Delta State and 130 for Nigeria, explaining that the consequence has been a shortage of farmlands which are accentuated by oil exploration activities in the region.
He said “many of the estimated over 475 Isoko people incessantly migrate to other parts of the Country, finding abode in Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, Benin, Ijebu-Ode, Ondo, Lagos and Kano just like every other ethnic group in Nigeria and predominantly in the rural agricultural land areas of Benin, Ondo and Ijebu-Ode, also some 300,000 Isoko people are permanently indigenes of Ndokwa East and Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, owing by record of population census, Isoko has two Local Government Areas with 19 tribes and several villages but there is nothing as impact from the Federal Government as Oil Producing nationality, food crop production has declined rapidly in the recent times.
This could be largely attributed to soil damage resulting from frequent crude oil exploration and spills from pipelines belonging to some major oil producing companies in the area.” He said that statistics from the national flowchart, Isoko region provides 28% of crude oil and gas to the Nigerian economy yet no visible infrastructural development are sited except few ones, lamenting that it is not a known fact that the only Federal presence in Isoko territories are two Police Stations in Oleh and Ozoro.
“Most notable is the fact that in the heat of militancy which resulted in the downturn of the County’s economic fortunes, it was the incessant flow of crude oil from Isoko region host to eight oil fields in OML 26 and 30 and Nigeria’s highest onshore crude oil producer which sustained the Country, but today those who took up arms against the Government are better treated than Isokos who have been peaceful, beyond economic and infrastructural deficit it is also noteworthy that since the advent of democratic rule, nobody from Isoko land both in Delta and Bayelsa State has enjoyed honour or privilege to serve in the Federal Executive Council” he added.
On relocation of international oil companies, the Isoko Youth Agenda president said that actions of members of the National Assembly in stepping down the bill for the enforcement of the order for the relocation of IOC to their operational base did not come only to them as a surprise but clearly shows that the legislators were only out to frustrate the ongoing peace move between the federal government and the people of Niger Delta region, adding that the Isoko people believe that the directive to relocate the headquarters of oil companies back to their operational base in the region has become very necessary in the critical period of peace building between the Federal Government and the people for the purpose of fast tracking both human capital and infrastructural development in the area.
The IYA therefore called on the Federal Government to reinforce the relocation of IOC back to their operational base and to extend same to Isoko axis of the Niger Delta being the highest onshore oil producing area in West Africa.
On Isoko not being part of Biafra, the IYA explained that whereas in article 1 (II) of the United Nation’s Character recognizes the principle of determination of people which in this regard clearly does not grant any group the right to arbitrarily usurp the self determination right of other groups adding that the inclusion of the Isoko territories in the Biafra map without the courtesy of consulting with the Isoko people in itself is a violation of the section of the United Nation’s Character that so empowers the South Easterner to seek succession.
The IYA thereby stated categorically that Isokos are not Biafrans and are not contemplating to join them adding “however this is not to suggest that we are very comfortable in the Nigeria State where we are grossly marginalized irrespective of our heavy contribution to the Nation’s Treasury, we also stress the fact that as much as we believe in the Unity of Nigeria, we will not continue to entertain relegation and marginalization in any form as we have exhausted our patience as this cannot be claims on invisibility, indissolubility of the country.”
