Amidst protest arising from the controversial ward delineation recommended for Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), protesting Itsekiris have shutdown a 28,000 crude barrels per day, bpd facility in Warri South – West Local Government Area, of Delta State.
Protest broke out on Wednesday at the facility formerly operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC and recently acquired by Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings.
The peaceful protesters comprising men, women and youths, stormed the facility with placards with inscriptions showing their anger over the recommendation by INEC.
According to them, the proposal by INEC, amounts to ethnic cleansing by the Commission and its collaborators.
It was gathered the peaceful protest would spread to other critical oil and gas facilities in Itsekiri land and may result in further drop in the country’s daily crude oil production.
The aggrieved Itsekiri people are demanding the withdrawal of the proposal by INEC as regards ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, saying proper delineation, which would take cognisance of the historical and legitimate names of communities in Warri South, Warri South – West and Warri North Local Government Areas, should be carried out by INEC.
It will be recalled that INEC last Friday unveiled the proposed delineated wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment that calls for fresh delineation.
The Itsekiri Nation however rejected the proposed ward delineation in Delta State by the Commission.
At a briefing on Sunday, the Secretary of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Mr Amorighoye Mene, dropped the hint of a court action against INEC.
He said: “We expected INEC to consider the voting strength of the various ethnic groups that comprise the area — the Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, and other mixed-demographic areas — when delineating the wards and polling units.
“At a stakeholders meeting on Friday, INEC unveiled the proposed delineated wards and polling units in the Warri Federal Constituency, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment that calls for fresh delineation.
“We were not allowed to speak or react at the venue of the unveiling, but we have looked at the report given to us and the entire Itsekiri nation completely condemns and rejects the work done by INEC.”
Another group, Itsekiri National Development Initiative, INDI, also kicked against the delineation, claiming it lacks transparency.
INDI, which petitioned the officials handling the delineation exercise, faulted the report from the fieldwork released by INEC in Asaba last week.
The group stated that the report was not a genuine reflection of the Warri Federal Constituency and called for their removal.