Youths Protest Against Road Contractor, Lawmaker In Delta

Youths from agrarian Ikpide-Irri community in Isoko South local government area of Delta state on Monday protested against the contracting firm, Portplus Limited, handling the controversial road project in the community.

The youths also protested against the member representing Isoko South constituency I, in the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Orezi Esievo, saying she has failed in her representation of the area.

The protesters alleged that the contractor handling the road project was hiring non-indigenes to work as labourers in the project to the detriment of the indigenes who are left with nothing.

They accused the chairman of the community, Mr. Immanuel Emoefe of conniving with the lawmaker to shortchange them in the menial job being done by outsiders at the project site.

The protesters however, gave the company a seven days ultimatum to start the process of engaging them or have the project work disrupted.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “We Pass A Vote Of No Confidence On Hon. Orezi Esievo, “Hon. Esievo Has Failed And We Say No To Second Tenure For Esievo, No Vote For Esievo In Ikpide. “Hon. Esievo Is A Monumental Failure, “Stop Causing Problems For Us In Ikpide.

“Portplus Give Us Standard Road, We Say No To Substandard Work, “Portplus We Say No To Use Of Non-Indigenes As Labourers In Our Town, “Ikpide Youths Are Not Lazy, Portplus Allow Us To Work, “Gov. Okowa Call Portplus To Order Now.” and so many others.

Meanwhile, the protesters have pronounced a vote of no confidence on Mrs. Esievo over what they said her failure to deliver dividends of democracy to the community.

They vowed to sack her with their Permanent Voters Cards, (PVCs), come 2019, adding that apart from hiding under NGOs the lawmaker has nothing to offer to the people.

“We the community youths are now wiser, no one can use us any longer. Chief Okpugo and Esievo, alas “Overflow” cannot use us this time around. What have we benefited from Hon. Esievo since we voted for her in Ikpide in 2015. She is always taking credit for the hospital equipment brought to Ikpide by an NGO.

“We are asking Esievo, where are our constituency projects for the three years of your stay in the house of Assembly.? What has the youths and the community benefited from you.? Can you show one single individual you have empowered in Ikpide, madam over flow.? You have failed completely and don’t come to campaign in Ikpide in 2019”, the aggrieved youth retorted.

Vice President of the community, John Esieba, who addressed the protesters, appealed for calm and promised to liaise with the company within the next one month so as reach an agreement with the youths.