Ijala communities in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have threatened to shut down critical oil fields and depots if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to allocate a separate electoral ward to them in the ongoing ward delineation exercise. Scores of residents from Ifiekporo, Ajaetan, Ikeren, and Utunwa staged a peaceful protest on Sunday at the Ifiekporo community hall to express their grievances.
Spokesman Pa Michael Domino said the protest became necessary after all civil and constitutional means to press for the division of Obodo/Omadino electoral ward into four independent wards were ignored. He said the communities have the numerical and economic strength to become a standalone ward.
Domino noted that the Ijala Axis of Warri Islands has four communities and hosts oil companies, including the Warri Refinery, and has arable lands, which are the mainstay of Warri South. He expressed disappointment that INEC had not proposed a single ward for them in all the proposals shared with ethnic stakeholders. He questioned why INEC could propose three wards for the riverbank of Warri GRA, a marketplace, but could not propose the same for Ijala. He praised President Bola Tinubu for his intervention in the Warri Federal Constituency, but said their grievances in Warri South remained unresolved.
The protesters warned that they would not shy away from shutting down critical oil fields and depots if INEC fails to allot them the Ijala ward. They noted that oil fields managed by Conoil and Seplat, petroleum depots including Matrix Energy, AYM Shafa, Pinnacle Oil and Gas, Parker Oil, A&E Petro, Keonamex Oil and Gas, and the Warri Refinery are located on their land. They said allotting Ijala ward is non-negotiable and that they would speak the only language the Federal Government understands, which is crippling the economy, if their demands are not met.
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