Why We Are Protesting Against Okowa’s DESOPADEC Appointment – Ijaw Community

The people of Diebiri-Batan, a major oil producing community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, have explained why they are protesting the recent appointments into the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DEDOPADEC.

BIGPEN Online gathered that the protest,   which erupted on Friday morning led to the shut down of the Batan flow station in OML 42, operated by the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Dickson Ogugu, spokesperson for the  community, told newsmen in Warri that the alleged neglect of its indigenes in the distribution of appointments into the Board of DEDOPADEC led to the protest and subsequent shut down of the flowstation by youths.

According to him, since the inception of DESOPADEC, other major Ijaw communities, with the exception of Diebiri-Batan, have produced either a Commissioner, Executive Director or Chairman of the Board, contrary to the  internal rotational formula for sharing appointments.

In a petition addressed to Governor Okowa and signed by messer, Michael U. Douglas, Kingsley K. Oluba, Hon. Moses Douglas, Dcn. Wellington Bob Igetei, Newman Ekpo, Henry Suoware, the community leaders called on the Governor to correct the abnormally, lamenting the neglect in terms of appointments and infrastructural projects, and the total lack of government presence in the community in spite of its enormous quantity of oil production.

The petition read in full: “The Diebiri Kingdom is one amongst the five Ijaw Kingdoms that produces oil and gas in Delta State.

“Diebiri Kingdom owns the Batan oil field with the Batan oil flow station and over 35 oil wells with various oil pipe lines of Shell/ NPDC, Nigerian Gas Company etc, criss-crossing Diebiri Kingdom.

“It is a known fact that, since the establishment of the Commission by the then Governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori in 2006 the Ijaw Oil Producing Kingdoms have being taking turns in its appointment in a rotational method based on production quantum which is the bedrock of the Law establishing the Commission.

Diebiri-batan youths shut down NNPC flowstation

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“Based on the Ijaw production quatum theory, Diebiri is the fifth (5) oil producing Kingdom in Delta State and as such contribute massively to the main stay of Delta State and Nigeria at large.

“Therefore, the denial of Diebiri membership of its Board membership (Commissioner) is to say the least, the highest of all Marginalization/injustices ever witness since the emergence of HOSTCOM and the creation of DESOPADEC.

“The Ijaw Oil Producing Kingdoms have a simple sharing formula which has been guarding or controlling the selection and subsequent appointment of individuals into the Board.

“In line with the production quantum theory which is being applied by the Ijaw ethnic nationality, Ogulagha Kingdom, comes first, followed by Gbaramatu, Egbema, Ogbe-Ijoh and Diebiri Kingdom respectively.

“To show a simple narrative of this arrangement with existing facts, in 2006 when the Commission was established, Chief W.O Okirika was the inaugural Board Chairman from Gbaramatu Kingdom, Ogulagha Kingdom had their Representative, Chief Benibai who was later replaced by Late Chief Francis Temewei.

“In 2011 Gbaramatu Kingdom had their Representative, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro (the present Deputy Governor). In 2015 when the Law was amended, Egbema and Ogbe-Ijoh kingdoms were represented by Pastor Philip Gbasin and Chief Favour Izoukumor respectively.

“Based on this clear narrative and the production quantum theory/sharing formula arrangement of the Ijaw Oil Producing Kingdoms, it is practically clear that, it is now the turn of Diebiri Kingdom to be in the Board of DESOPADEC representing Ijaw ethnic nationality.

“We want to state categorically that it is now the turn of the Diebiri people (Diebiri Kingdom) to be appointed into the Board, since all other Ijaw Oil Producing Kingdoms have had their turns in the Commission.

“We are making this known to the Governor Sen.. (Dr) Ifeanyi A. Okowa and all Deltans that the Diebiri people should not be short-changed or denied their legal right into the Board of DESOPADEC.

“The Governor should know that any form of short-change and the nomination of a Gbaramatu person into the Board negate the production quantum theory/sharing formula arrangement which has been maintained by the Ijaw ethnic nationality since the inception of the Commission.

“We are confident that, the Governor Sen.. (Dr) Ifeanyi A.Okowa, a man of sincerity and integrity, a man of equity and fairness, should do what is right by correcting the present injustices being done to Diebiri Kingdom by replacing the nominated Gbaramatu person with a credible and reliable indigene from Diebiri Kingdom.

“We sincerely anticipate the quick correction of this gross marginalization and injustices done to Diebiri Kingdom in order to avoid any form of unrest and crisis in the oil producing Communities and kingdoms of the State”.