Ijaw rejects gov’s proposed amendment to DESOPADEC bill

The Ijaw nation have protested the proposed amendment to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission bill, insisting that it would not be in their interest. Led by one of their leaders, Chief Favour Izokumor, Ijaw youths numbering over 400 rose in solidarity with their at the weekend against the proposed amendment by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

According to them, the amendment was against the interest of the Ijaws whose vast areas (on and offshore) constituted more of the oil producing communities in the state. DESOPADEC, they pointed out was specifically established to cater for the peculiar needs of oil producing areas of the state.

If the amendment as being sought by Okowa, was effected, they said the whole state would blankly become oil producing. The Ijaw youths in their message said what the government should rather be addressing, was the issue of the five Commissioners representing Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ndokwa, Urhobo and Isoko on the board of the commission.

Before now, the board had eight commissioners of which Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo, had one each. Izokumor called for the restructuring of DESOPADEC, to meet the peculiar challenges of oil producing communities of the state.