THE PLANNED ISOKO-IJAW-ITSEKIRI PROTEST AGAINST DELTA STATE GOVT:

Let me be the speaker
After about two hours on the road, one of the passengers alerted the driver of the need to stop at the nearest community so that all can answer the worms threatening the stomach. As the driver was about to navigate and stop someone raised the alarm thus, “I support the protest against the delta state government”. None of us answered him rather we went for our breakfast. After thirty minutes the five-hour journey began and as the driver was navigating a bend corner, the same man shouted, holding a newspaper in his hand thus, “Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri Group to Protest Alleged Marginalization by Govt”. I calmly requested for the copy of the paper and behold it was “This Day Newspaper of 29th January 2026. As the debate was catching fire, I requested for self-introduction and surprisingly there are three Urhobos, two Ijaws, three Itsekiri, four Ibos, 1 Isoko and two Hausas in the bus. As usual the three subject matter were happily against the state government and supported the protest but what gave us much concern is who will be the Speaker for the three communities during the protests and after much debate it was accepted that even though I am not from any of the ethnic tribes I should be the speaker during the protest and all applauded the decision.
I unzip my bag and brought out a biro and jotter. While I am jotting down, parables started flowing from my mouth like river Ethiope. A child wanted to cry only for you to flog him/her. He who is on top is complaining then what of he that is on ground? Our forefathers did not go to school but are more intelligent than us with all the degrees in our possession. Without wasting time, I opened the newspaper and began to read what the three ethnic nationalities which are part of delta south senatorial district, other being Urhobos, were complaining about. I was not amazed at what they stated in their publication thus, “At the end of a meeting held in Warri on January 27th 2026 the elders, under the auspices of Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri Leaders’ Forum resolved to engage Governor Oborevwori on a wide range of issues, bothering on inadequate funding of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), lopsided execution of major infrastructural projects in the state and the governor’s seeming lack of communication with elders, who are not active politicians,” it stated. Few minutes later one of them shouted, oga, please read to us what you will present on our behalf to the governor during the protest. Others immediately supported him. Let’s now listen to “our” protest paper presentation was my conclusion.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as we are approaching the government house Asaba the people should sing, “we no go gree oooo, we no go gree, we no go gree oooo we no go gree”. Please let’s be silent as if we are in the front of the governor now and all went dead. Your Excellency, Sheriff Oborevwori, this protest is by Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri. They appointed me as an oratory consultant to put their demand before you. Governor Sir, since you assumed office, you donated a transformer to Marine quarters Warri but Okuovwisi in Okpe Local Government Area have not seen electricity since creation. You commissioned about ten roads in Warri in a day but till date no road has been commission in Osubi community. You commissioned several projects in Bomadi, Isoko and Burutu but no singer project commission in Sapele. Your Excellency, you are spending thirty billion naira to rebuild Warri stadium yet Sapele and Orerokpe stadium is not in your plan. All these people protesting now have development agencies yet Okpe/Sapele have none. You have completed the road to Ode Itsekiri yet no road completed in Okpe/Sapele as of today. Your Excellency, I weep for Okpe Kingdom just as I wept for Ijaw land when Goodluck Jonathan was the president of Nigeria.

Please stop aga, shouted one of the passengers. You are not protecting our interest but doing opposite and everyone shouted. You have to wait as I am addressing the concern of the three ethnic nationality and everywhere was silent. Your Excellency, the three tribes are accusing you of not releasing DESOPADEC fund to the people appointed to preside over the agency and as such, many of them building hotels and schools for themselves and families are now finding it difficult to complete those projects. Conclusively your Excellency, go to Okpe/Sapele to commission a project even if it is a toilet as it is very important. Outside former governor Okowa, no other governor commissioned any project in Okpe/Sapele Local Government Area of the state. Thanks your Excellency for listening to us. “I want to thank you all for welcoming me home because I did not expect it. I said that in my first tenure I will develop outside and in second tenure I will come and develop home but I lost the election” ——-Former President Goodluck Jonathan to his people when he returned home after losing the election. I folded the paper and as I was about putting it in my back one of them snatched it from me. All of them became so angry but the Ibos and Hausas were with me. I began to smile as if I just won a jackpot or world cup trophy. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your last bus stop, snapped the driver and off I go. As I was walking away, I heard one of them saying, this man must be an extremely wicked person but I ignore him because once you are victorious there is no need arguing with the field.

Joseph Esivwenughwu is the former Chairman of Okuetolor Community Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State Nigeria