says next move is  recover dredger allegedly diverted 

By Jimitota Onoyume

Olu of Warri , Ogiame Atuwatse III has called on his subjects protesting   at the premises of the Delta state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, and the Nigeria Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Commission, NUPRC in Warri  to halt the exercise.

The Ologbotsere, Chief Oma Eyewuoma  disclosed this  yesterday,  haling the protesters for turning up to demand for the common good of Warri kingdom. 

He said the monarch  secured  assurances from governor  Sheriff Oborevwori that the issues raised during the protest would be given attention.

Continuing, the Ologbotsere Chief Eyewuoma said the next move  would be to recover a  dredger  procured with funds from the kingdom allegedly in wrong hands.

“The Ologbotsere of Warri and Chairman, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief (Engr) Oritsema Oma Eyewuoma, on behalf of the Warri Council of Chiefs and the Itsekiri General Assembly wishes to use this medium to officially notify all Itsekiri sons and daughters worldwide, and members of the general public that the twin 9 days peaceful protest embarked upon by the Itsekiri ethnic nationality from Monday 3rd of September, 2023 to  12th of September, 2023 against the management of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as it relates to the Petroleum Industry Act  (PIA) and the  demand of all the accrual of the  monies of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and stoppage of further payment of same  to any individual or group of persons by the management of  the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has been suspended. 

“The Executive Governor had reached out to His Majesty to prevail on the peaceful protesters to sheath their swords and go home with a promise that Itsekiri nation’s demands as contained in the earlier letter of demand submitted through the Itsekiri General Assembly to the Managing Director of DESOPADEC, a copy which was delivered to him,  will be acted upon expeditiously and no Itsekiri nation’s money accruable from the Commission would henceforth be paid to any individual or group of persons.

” Itsekiri nation’s monies would be kept in a designated account for the collective development of the Itsekiri people and their ancestral homeland.

” As  the father of the Itsekiri people, he ( Olu) will continue to consult with the government both at the state and federal level to make sure that the purpose of the protests are achieved for the collective benefit of the Itsekiri people.

” Two out of  the three (3) agenda on the table, which are issues surrounding the  NUPRC and DESOPADEC have yielded the positive results. The  next line of action is to go after the Itsekiri nation’s dredger, called “EREGWA” which was bought with a whooping sum of one billion naira Itsekiri money from DESOPADEC for the  reclamation and sand filling of Itsekiri ancestral communities, but has long been converted into private use to the detriment of the Itsekiri people and their Communities without any form of accountability for the funds generated from it usage.

Chief Francis Omatseye,  Chief Billy Besigiwa,  Chief Omulubi Newuwumi,  Chief (Dr) Eugene Abidemi Ikomi,  (Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs,) Chief (Mrs) Esther Okotie-Eboh, Chief JFK Omatsone and Chief Tony Godday Oritsewino Erewa were among  those who accompanied the Ologbotsere to address the protesters