NDDC, Edo people beg Oshiomhole and Anenih for a nominee

Dear Governor Adams Oshiohmole and Chief Tony Anenih,

Edo NDDC slot, Edo Unity League warns against sabotage. This is an open letter to Edo political Leaders.

We have solemnly observed that no matter the determination and good spirit that is inherent in the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole towards the infrastructural and human capital development of Edo State and people, his hands will remain tight if interventional agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Area Development Commission (ESOPADEC) are not functional owing to lack of representation of Edo state person like the case of NDDC; and the non constitution of the EDSOPADEC owing to politically motivated litigation. This is the trust of our petition, because, Edo people are currently victims of class struggle as a result of the deteriorating political relations between the Governor of Edo State and Chief Tony Anenih.

It is a well known fact that whereas Edo state has not been represented in the NDDC board for well over six months, yet the board has continued to award contracts on behalf of Edo State as it deem fit; and this is partly because Chief Tony Anenih has continued to strangulate efforts by the Governor to present a candidate for the vacancy. We also have it on good authority that Chief Anenih is taking undue advantage of the vacancy to award huge contracts in favor of his Edo Central senatorial district at the detriment of Edo South and North senatorial districts that have huge population and political goodwill. So far, the Oshiomhole administration has been struggling to boast the infrastructural base of Edo State, the functionality of these interventional agencies will no doubt help in boasting the developmental agitations of Edo people. This is why we have resolved to place on record and to say for the umpteenth time, that Edo people will be mobilized by our group to seek self-help in the face of these threats to good governance by anyone we found culpable.

It is a fact that the Governor sent a nominee in one Mr. Ise-Idehen five months ago who was rejected on the ground of questionable credentials, we believe that a credible nominee that has been associated with the cause of the oil development communities; recovery of Edo oil wells and a formidable relations with the Niger Delta struggle will be able to assist the Governor in boasting the “dawn of a new era” which comrade Adams Oshiomhole symbolizes and not social and political mediocre who will further the nest of political contractors and entrepreneurs of violence whom are currently representing the interests of failed politicians who bastardized governance in Edo for eight years and rendered our people postrait in the comity Niger Delta states. We call on Edo people to join in the wake-up call in forcefully transforming or re-orienting Chief Anenih to repent from retrogressive politics of resisting development of other districts of Edo other than his native Uromi settlement; like he canceled the contract of Anegbete road project which was influenced by Admiral Mike Akhigbe. We will mobilize to fight this injustice by any means available to us. In the main time, we have instructed our team of lawyers to file a law suit against the NDDC board for awarding monies appropriated for Edo State pause in the circumstance of the absence of a substantive representative of Edo State, without recourse to the oil bearing communities or the State Governor. We are not unmindful of the current happenings in the presidency owing to the tension arising from the absence of President Yar Adua, but our people cannot continue to suffer undue hardship because of the prevailing situation in the country and we maintain grave silence because of the fear of over-heating the polity. This legal action will be pursued to its logical conclusion irrespective of the eventual appointment of an Edo representative because, the time has come to correct every anomaly so we can move on as a people.

We call for concerted solidarity support from all Niger Delta groups because Niger Delta people are one family that shares common destiny and aspiration. We must collectively protest this injustice in the spirit of cross-border-solidarity.

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation sirs.

Evang. Okhide Festus Salami- President.
Cc; The Peoples Democratic Party, Edo State
Action Congress, Edo State
All National Assembly members from Edo State
Leaders of Host Communities of Oil Exploration in Niger Delta

National Association of Nigerian Students
Nigerians in Diasporas