The leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Clan Chapter, has declared its full support for the ongoing agitation by concerned youths of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, the administrative headquarters of Warri South West Local Government Area, calling on the governor of Delta State Elder Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently address what it described as years of neglect and underdevelopment in the kingdom, noting that the governor has failed the riverine communities.
The Pan-Ijaw organization further disclosed that, should its petitions remain unaddressed, it is prepared to mobilize more than 10,000 men and women for a peaceful protest in Asaba to press home its demands for justice and development.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the INC, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Hon. Michael Tonbra Oweikpodor, and the Secretary, Amb. Engr. Okosu Smart, the leadership lamented that despite the community’s consistent electoral support for successive administrations in Delta State, the kingdom has received little in terms of meaningful government presence and infrastructural development.
According to the INC leadership, Ogbe-Ijoh, despite serving as the headquarters of one of the state’s major oil-producing local government areas, has continued to suffer from inadequate government infrastructure, with several public projects either abandoned or left uncompleted. The group maintained that the current administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori must prioritize the development of the area and reverse what it described as years of marginalization.
The statement emphasized that the kingdom’s prolonged silence over its developmental challenges should not be mistaken for weakness or indifference, explaining that its restraint was borne out of respect for the political leadership of the kingdom. However, the INC warned that the people could no longer remain silent while the headquarters of Warri South West continued to experience infrastructural decay and neglect.
Reaffirming its solidarity with the Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Concerned Youths, the INC said it would continue to advocate for equitable development and improved government presence in the Kingdom.