A group under the aegis of Egbema Massive Movement (EMM) has threatened that Egbema people would boycott all political activities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State leading to next year’s General Election, in view of alleged marginalization of the people by government at all levels.
Leader of the group, Kelly Rufus Iweka at a media briefing in Aggah Egbema last weekend, said despite the large oil and gas deposits in the area which contributes to the mainstay of the nation’s economy, the people had nothing to show for it.
He lamented that the candidature of seven of their sons who contested for different positions at the just ended Party Primaries, were rejected by the two main political parties, the PDP and APC, adding angrily that the action tantamount to ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.
“Since the creation of Rivers state in 1967, Egbema as an ethnic rationality in ONELGA cannot boast of any visible state government contribution to her land. In the history of political involvement and representation, the Egbema man is still begging for a position in government.
“We feel saddened that the government of the day had decided to tactically neglect the people of Egbema from the benefits of the state democracy, which from our findings is an attempt to leave us under- developed and development hungry”, Iweka fumed.
He said that the position of the Federal House of Representatives due for ONELGA was given by the PDP to the incumbent who is from Ogba clan; even as he regretted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) also zoned same position to Ndoni clan.
“We view these actions as the height of marginalization for leaving the minority and resources endowed people of Egbema clan with no elective position”, he said even as the group reminded the APC and PDP in ONELGA to realize that they were not only good at voting for other people but also deserved to be voted for.
Iweka went on: “What offence have the Egbema people in Rivers State committed to warrant this great injustice and abandonment? Why has the RSG decided to abandon the much hyped construction of the Egbema dual carriage way project billed to be completed in December, 2018?
Why are Agip, NAOC and other IOCs tactically retiring our people? These persons whom NAOC retired were employed by Agip on host community slot, but when retired, no provisions were made for their replacement”.
In conclusion, the group’s leader said: “Our position as visionary people of Egbema is simple, we have unanimously agreed as a people to keep to our over 30,000 votes. And we wish to inform the various political parties that have refused our sons a chance to participate in a free and fair election that we will not be part of a show that its king will not be crowned. Enough is enough. We don’t have any interest on who becomes, but all we want is for an Egbema man or woman to be given a place in her local and state governments”.
