Urhobo indigenes storm Govt House, demand sack of DESOPADEC MD, others

AGGRIEVED Urhobo indigenes on the aegis of Host Communities, Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, yesterday, stormed and barricaded Delta State Government House, demanding the sack of Managing Director of the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Chief William Makinde and three Urhobo commissioners serving in the board.

This came as the state government warned contractors handling its projects that it would not pay for poorly executed contracts. The protesters, who arrived Government House at about 12:30pm, barricaded the Government House gate with over 20 buses, preventing vehicular movement in and out of the premises. Chanting songs of disenchantment, they named the three commissioners to include Mr Jonathan Amitaye, Chief Pius Ovbije and Chief Amos Itihwe. They displayed placards with inscriptions such as ‘Makinde must go’, ‘Amitaye must go’, accusing the Urhobo representatives on the board of not using the commission’s fund to the advantage of the people. Speaking on behalf of the protesters, chairman of the Urhobo ethnic nationality chapter of HOSTCOM, Mr. Godspower Okovwurie, alleged that their representatives were working for personal gains and not the interest of the communities. At the time of filing this report, the protesters, represented by 15 persons, were meeting with the Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr Tam Brisibe.