DTHA Majority Leader Seat: Leave Our Position Alone – Isoko Group Tackles James Manager

The group, Isoko Watch-Dog, an indigenous Isoko non-partisan group has accused Senator James Manager of plots to swap the position of Majority Leader at the Delta State House of Assembly zoned to Isoko Federal Constituency with his kinsman, Hon. Kenneth Preyor who is currently the Deputy Majority Leader.

BIGPENNGR reports that the Isoko North Constituency position became vacant following the unfortunate death of the former Majority Leader of DTHA, late Rt. Hon. Tim Owhefere.

A bye-election to fill the vacant seat was recently conducted by INEC and won by Hon Jude Omena Ogbimi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, in an open letter addressed to Senator James Manager signed by Comrade Blessing Obukohwo, Chairman, Mr. Ogure Onofua, Secretary, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Sunday, the Isoko group alleged that for weeks now, James Manager, as the political leader of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, have led a campaign to swap the positions of the Deputy Majority Leader with the Majority Leader originally zoned to Isoko Federal Constituency.

The group said that Manager and his kinsmen were trying to take advantage of the unfortunate incident that beclouded Isoko nation by robing her of the chance to produce a new Majority Leader of the House.

The letter reads; “It will interest the general reading public to know that the Isokos, the Ijaws and the Itsekiris form the Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State. And on this premise, because of the deep rooted genealogical affiliation between these different ethnic nationalities, the Isokos have always seen, treated and handled the Ijaws with abominable respect.

“However recently, because of the unfortunate incident of the sudden death of late Rt. Hon Tim Owhefere who had occupied the position of Majority Leader of the DTHA that has been zoned to Isoko Federal Constituency that comprises of three State Constituencies of Isoko North, Isoko South I and Isoko South II, with Hon. Kenneth Preyor of the Ijaw ethnic nationality as the Deputy Majority Leader, and Hon. Fred Martins of ltsekiri extraction, the Deputy Majority Whip of the DTHA.

“It has been observed that under your watch as the political leader of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, you have led a campaign for the replacement to fill the now vacant position at the DTHA with a swap of positions of the Deputy Majority Leader with the Majority Leader originally zoned to Isoko Federal Constituency because he is an Ijaw like yourself.

“It will also interest the reading public to know that in Delta State Government today, the Deputy Governor is an Ijaw, the Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District is an Ijaw, the Deputy Majority Leader of the DTHA and the DTHA House Committee Chairman on DESOPADEC are all Ijaws. These are very powerful and influential positions.

“Of all these, the only position zoned to Isoko ethnic nationality and because of the unfortunate incidence of the death of the occupant, the Isokos have seen a maneuver and political consultations being led by you, to hijack and take over this position for the current Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Kenneth Preyor and swap over his position to any one in Isoko Fed constituency at the DTHA. Sir, Isoko’s are appalled.

“We draw our authority from just recently when it became necessary to change the Speaker of the DTHA from Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, the mantle of leadership of the House was handed over to the current Speaker of the House, even though he was just 18 months old at the House, just because it was a position that was zoned to his Okpe/Sapele Federal Constituency.

“Sir, we have always seen you as an Isoko man. However with what you recently did in exchanging the position that was zoned to Delta South Senatorial District at the Delta State Local Government Commission which late Mrs. Catherine Ilolo occupied at her demise with an Ijaw lady, is an affirmation of what we are now seeing that you are set to do again.

“Sir, a chronology of your past efforts to undermine the political interests of the Isoko people is now getting more evident. It is on record that in 2003 the Isokos supported the rotation of the position you have since been occupying in the Senate against one of their own – Mrs. Stella Omu – who was then the Chief Whip of The Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 2011, you also thwarted Chief Solomon Ogba’s efforts to go to the Senate.

“What has the Isokos done to you and your Ijaw political counterparts to deserve these treatments? It is worrisomely shameful, Sir!

“Sir, we have always seen you as an Isoko man and as such, we are saddened to see you champion the marginalisation and extinction of Isoko interest in politics in our Senatorial District in particular and Delta State in general.

“We therefore hope that you will call all the political hawks of Ijaw ethnic nationality that intend to undermine the long standing political relationship between Isokos and the Ijaws, to order and leave the vacant seat of the Majority Leader of the DTHA to Isoko Federal Constituency”.