Okowa’s Aide Allegedly Hires Youths Against Peace Parley Move

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s Special Assistant on Youth and community development, Victor Egbo, otherwise known as Last Mugu and a grandpa youth president from Isoko extraction, Anthony Ogbalor, addressed as Dracular, mobilized youths from different parts of the state to stage a mass protest against a parley meeting called by his boss to dialogue with the leadership of the Isoko National Youth Assembly, (INYA), over certain issues.

The protest which took place Thursday at the office complex of the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), in Asaba, the state capital, saw the former embattled president of Isoko National Youth Assembly, (INYA), Mr. Egbo, pulling the gate of the complex in a bid to force his way and other alleged hired youths into the main complex.

Our correspondent reliably learnt that the SSG, Festus Ovie Agas who was in his office presiding over the meeting between the state government and the incumbent President of the Isoko National Youth Assembly, Umuakpo Ovie and his executive came out furiously to warn the rampaging youths and their leader to leave the premises.

The scenario which almost resulted into a bloodbath, it was gathered, forced the mobile policemen attached to the SSG into shooting sporadically into the air to scare away the rampaging youths.

Our correspondent gathered that governor Okowa had invited to a meeting the Isoko National Youth Assembly, led by its president, Umuakpo Ovie following Monday’s protest against the governor and the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh over what they called alleged abandonment of the Isoko axis of the Ughelli-Asaba dualization project, non-funding of DESOPADEC and corrupt related issues.

Sources told our correspondent that following his tight schedules, the governor directed the SSG, to preside over the meeting billed for Thursday and as the meeting was going on, the governor’s Special Assistant, Victor Egbo, alias Last Mugu mobilised youths with strange faces from different parts of the state and stormed the SSG’s office complex, venue of the meeting with a protest to disrupt to the meeting called by his boss.

The INYA Monday protest witnessed the blockage of the busy Isoko-Kwale-Asaba expressway thereby causing a serious gridlock as travelers were subjected to severe pains and frustration.

The governor’s aide whose tenure elapsed as the president of the INYA some months ago is said to be enjoying the backing of the controversial Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh as a result the embattled aide has vehemently refused to relinquish office.

Meanwhile giving reasons for the Monday mass protest, the youth body said in statement signed by its Director, Media and Strategy, Eniwake Orogun, and obtained by this medium noted that “Members of the Isoko National Youth Assembly led by Comr Umuakpo Ovie led over 2,000 Youths and women to a peaceful, well coordinate and generic protest along the ever busy Ozoro-Kwale-Asaba expressway to make known the stance of the Isoko youths on critical issues that affect us as a people.”

Explaining further INYA enumerated to among other reasons why the embarked on the protest to include, the abandoned Isoko axis of the dualization of the Ughelli-Isoko-Asaba project, Heritage energy operational services and companies without Isoko borders, non-inclusion of Isoko youths in the Federal government amnesty, DESOPADEC social security fund among others.

“Consequent upon the issues above, we have resolved to continue to fuel this agitation in a more vigorous and sustained manner. In the days ahead, we shall direct the protest to individuals, groups and companies who have resigned themselves to taking the Isoko youths for granted. Since the governor has decided to be political with the elders and royal Fathers of Isoko nation by not heeding to their resolve when they visited him in his office, we have also resolved not to tolerate anything that pertains to him in Isoko nation.

“We shall come hard on all oil companies operating in Isoko land to force them to do the needful in terms of employment of our people or leave our land. Conclusively, we want to specially thank our Youths, the Isoko women who volunteered to join the protest without financial inducement. We must also thank the business women and other road users who joined the protest seeing that our agitation was germane and well intentioned.” the statement added.