The
Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli, has explained why those he
called outsiders control the oil blocks in the Niger Delta region,
particularly in Delta State.He attributed the development to lack of
unity among the various ethnic groups inhabiting the region, which
emboldened outsiders to take over their resources.
The monarch, who
spoke at the weekend in his palace during the installation of three new
chiefs in the kingdom, said inter-ethnic rivalry was the reason the
region could not attain its full potential thereby creating a corridor
for outsiders to implement "a divide and rule" diplomacy and take
control of the resources of the region.
Ikenwoli, who
warned that "personal interest" was not allowing the dividends of
democracy get to the grassroots, charged the ethnic groups to work
collectively together for the development of the state and region,
stressing that until there is comprehensive unity, the much sought after
development in the region may be a mirage.
The monarch said:
"The Ijaw man should fight the cause of the Itsekiri and the Itsekiri
man should support the Ijaw man, including the Isoko and the Urhobo. If
we are united, outsiders will be afraid to divide us. Because we created
loopholes for outsiders to exploit us, today, no Itsekiri man or Ijaw
man has oil well or oil block, yet the oil is in our land."
In another
development, host-community contractors in Bayelsa State have vowed to
shut down Conoil Producing Nigeria Limited in Koluama community of
Southern Ijaw Local Council of Bayelsa State over N400 million debt owed
them by the firm.
The contractors,
under the auspices of Conoil Ango Field Marine Spread Contractors,
claimed the oil major owed them for about 10 months for the barges and
tugboats hired from them for its operations.
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