Emerging reports suggest that traditional rulers in Delta state stormed
out of a peace meeting with Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Monday,
January 16.
According to a Tweet by TVC News Senior Correspondent, Sumner Shagari
Sambo, the traditional rulers walked out from the peace meeting with
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at Effurun, Delta state.
Vanguard reports that it was a hectic one-day visit to Delta State for
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, as he witnessed the explosive nature
of the region, with the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups disagreeing on
the ownership of the site of the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU,
Okerenkoko, whose take-off is a major demand by the Ijaw of Gbaramatu
Kingdom.
Prof Osinbajo also found himself in another tight spot when monarchs,
who waited for several hours for his arrival at the Petroleum Training
Institute, PTI, Conference Hall, Effurun, got tired and angrily stormed
out of the venue.
The appearance of the Vice President, who made an emergency landing at
about 5p.m. with his chief host, the governor of Delta State, Senator
Ifeanyi Okowa, moments after they staged a walk out, did not persuade
some of the monarchs from returning, but security operatives locked the
entrance, stopping their drivers from leaving the premises.
Some reluctantly returned in the circumstance. Osinbajo was accompanied
on the visit by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu,
Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP and Special Adviser to
the President on Niger Delta Matters, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd.) and
others.
Governor Okowa led the state delegation, which included his deputy,
Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, while the co-chairman of the Pan Niger Delta
Forum (PANDEF), Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, HRM Alfred Diete-Spiff, led
the former Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Brodrick Bozimo, Pastor
Power Aginighan and HRH Anabs Sara Igbe to the event. Delta State
Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (left) receiving the Vice President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, during his one day
working visit to Delta state, at Osubi Airport.
At the troubled Gbaramatu Kingdom, in Warri South-West Local Government
Area, the people complained that they have become more endangered and
estranged by the current Nigerian state, calling on the Federal
Government to reconcile them back to the national union.
The Vice President, who touched down at Oporoza onboard a Nigerian Navy
231 helicopter, at about 1209hrs, first held closed door talks with the
Pere (King) of Gbaramatu, HRM Oboro Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba and
his Council of Chiefs as well as host governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, among
other stakeholders before an open and broader open air interaction.
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