The four ethnic nationalities of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo in Delta State yesterday rejected the decision by the Federal Government to relocate the Delta state office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs from Warri to Asaba on the directive of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru.The ethnic nationalities under the Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo Youth leaders forum said though the oil bearing communities in Delta State considered the reason for the proposed relocation based on the ministry non-willingness to pay for rented apartment as absurd, suffering the effect of the relocation of oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and several contracting firms, and to relocate the state office of the Niger Delta Ministry which has some economic impact on the city would worsen the already comatose economic situation of Warri.The forum of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo Youth Leaders Forum in a communiqu issued at the end of an emergency meeting held in Warri,Delta State and made available to Leadership yesterday via email, Warri is already economically and socially suffering and the relocation of the Niger Delta office will kill the already poor socio-economic activities in the area.The Communique, signed by Hon. Eric Omare(Ijaw), Awani Esimaje(Itsekiri),Victor Egbo(Isoko) and Terry Obieh (Urhobo),stated that We reject the proposed decision to relocate the Delta state office of the Ministry of Niger Delta from Warri, the oil capital of Delta State to Asaba. The effect of the relocation of oil companies such as Shell, Chevron and several contracting firms, and to relocate the state office of the Niger Delta Ministry which has some economic impact on the city would worsen the already comatose economic situation of Warri.In the first place, the state office of the Niger Delta Ministry was located in Warri just like that of the NDDC because Warri is the oil capital of Delta State and the oil producing communities which the Niger Delta ministry is supposed to serve would easily be access and projects monitored from the Warri office.Also most of the people that have something to do with the ministry are from the riverine communities and carry out their activities within Warri and its environs and accesses the Niger Delta Ministry office in Warri easily to address their problems. It would amount to subjecting these people to untold stress and hardship for them to be going to Asaba.We also reject the reason for wanting to relocate the office from Warri to Asaba. There are a lot of federal government properties belonging to the federal government agencies such as NPA properties in different parts of Warri that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs can occupy in Warri. We therefore call on the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Uguru to put a stop to the decision to move the Delta State office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to from Warri to Asaba. We also call for the intervention of the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Senator representing Delta State, Senator James Manager and the Hon.member representing Warri Federal constituency, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju to put a stop to this decision.
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