The people of Emevor community in Isoko North local government area of Delta State, have barricaded the Ughelli/Asaba express road in protest over an abandoned Emevor/Orogun road.
Residents of the community came out in hundreds with placards, leaves with war songs to express their pains and anger over the Emevor/Orogun road which has been abandoned for many years now.
However, the Odio of the community HRH, Johnhost Ologbo, told the Trumpet that those on the protest were hired and that community was not in support of the protest. Ologbo explained that the community had been following up on the issue of the road with the state government and it was yielding positive results.
He said “All the community leaders are aware of Delta State Governments’ plans to do that road and the Governor has been giving us a listening ear. Those protesting are just a few misguided and disgruntled elements”
He said peace would return to the community because the DPO, Mr Omunu and the Vice Chairman of Isoko North Local Government Area, Mr Ozue were all on ground to calm down the youths and women whom he described as “hired crowd”.
The Royal father appealed to the protesters to disperse ” because we don’t want to offend the state government and jeopardize the progress that we made so far “Nonetheless, Mr Emerhana Patrick, a former Secretary, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission as well former Secretary, Federal Character Commission, a native of the community told the Trumpet that the issue of the road had lingered on for too long.
He said that during the campaign rally at Emevor for the Isoko North constituency by-election to replace the Late Hon. Tim Owhefere the governor of Delta State Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, made a promise to take over the construction of the road. Based on the promise of the Governor, he explained, the community voted en mass for the governor’s candidate. Since then, nothing had been done ” and that’s why the youths and women are angry ” he explained.
Mr Karo Oghogho, an indigene of the community told The Trumpet that, the youths, women and men of the community, were angry because the road had been abandoned and is in dilapidated condition for a very long time.
Agboro Moses, the President General of Emevor Community, however, tolled the line of HRM, Ologbo, insisting that the protesters were hired by a few disgruntled persons in the community.
Meanwhile in a telephone conversation with the commissioner, representing Isoko ethnic nationality in Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Dr Paul Oweh, said “Those who are protesting are misguided youths of the community, they are not under the control of any Emevor structure”.
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Oweh also said that “Between 1999 to 2019 the community was only given less than 1km of road but between 2019 till date that I was appointed, we have completed 4.2km of internal roads in the community.”
He said that he had been following up on the situation and that the Governor had invited him to Asaba and had a useful discussion with him about the road.
He said that he informed the Traditional ruler and the President General of the community, noting that the protest was not intended for the good of Emevor community.
He also confirmed to the Trumpet that, the governor had called him over the protest, questioning him whether it was not the road they were preparing to start.
At the time of this report, the security agents had been mobilized to the scene of protest to restore peace to the community.
The DPO, Mr Heorge Omunu, could not be reached as at the time of this report.
Emevor community is on the Asaba / Ughelli Express Road and any barricade of the road at any point, could cause a serious traffic hold up for commuters from Warri and Onitsha.
