Follow Us on Google
Arogbo Ijaw Patriots has accused the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, of deliberate nepotistic conduct in project execution against the minority Ijaws of the state.
The group, in a statement by its Coordinator, Fidelis Soriwei, and Secretary, Bibisa Kekemeke, yesterday, said Akeredolu has failed to protect the interest of the disadvantaged Ijaw minority in the state.
The group said it was rather distressing that Akeredolu only focused attention on the development of Ijaw Apoi, his maternal country home, to the exclusion of the Arogbo Ijaws.
According to the group, the Arogbo Ijaw community has not been so terribly marginalised and treated as an enemy territory by any governor before Akeredolu.
The duo appealed to the governor to display the compassion expected of a leader to recognise the fact that Ondo State has two ethnicities: the dominant Yoruba and the minority Arogbo Ijaws.
Soriwei and Kekemeke said since Akeredolu took over governance in Ondo State, he has executed four budgets, totalling N734 billion out of which N310 billion was approved for capital projects.
They expressed shock and disappointment that not even N10 million worth of project was sited in the more populated Arogbo Ijaw part of Ese Odo while the governor and his deputy moved all the projects to Apoi.
The group challenged Akeredolu and his government to counter the claim if it is untrue by pointing to any such project in the area after almost four years of his administration.
“Ondo State has 18 local government areas and Ese-Odo, the Ijaw local government happens to be one of the two oil producing councils in the state. The Arogbo Ijaws are the more populated out of the two Ijaw clans making up the local government area but Akeredolu and his deputy, Agboola only opted to site all roads and other projects in Apoi land in a brazen display of unparalleled nepotism.
“Between 2017 and 2020, Akeredolu has had the opportunity to preside over a cumulative budgetary figure of about N734 billion. Out of this figure, the governor allocated about N310 billion for capital projects for four years.
“We hereby challenge the Ondo government to contradict this statement of fact. We can only plead with the governor to show compassion as a leader to listen to the cries of the mistreated Ijaws for a likeness of developmental attention.”
The group lamented further that Akeredolu’s maternal country people were given 188 job slots out of 200 that were given to Ese-Odo local government area.
It further said out of seven contracts of about N100 million awarded by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Authorities, four were given to the Ilajes of Ilaje local government area and three to Ese-Odo, which Akeredolu gave to his mother’s people to the exclusion of Arogbo Ijaws.
