Outrage Over Appointments, NDDC Project Allocations In Edo State

A major cleavage in the one-time famed political cum ethnic unity in Edo State was emerging at the weekend after the Benin National Congress, BNC, petitioned the state’s prominent monarch, the Oba of Benin, HRM , Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II CFR over discriminatory political appointments and projects in favour of Edo North.

GWG.ng reports that the BNC in the petition alluded to the claim that all five major political appointments from the State have gone to Edo North.

In a development that has left many Bini fuming even beyond the political appointments, the BNC also alluded to five capital projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC in the 2024 budget which they say have been cited in Edo North.

The location of the projects in Edo North is despite the fact that Edo State is accounted as oil producing because of the oil and gas in Edo South. Some have tied the anomaly to the fact that the minister of Niger Delta, Hon Abubakar Momoh is Etsako, from Edo North, the same ethnic stock as the All Progressives Congress, APC state leader, Senator Adams Oshiomhole.

In the petition to the Benin monarch, the BNC said:

SELECTION FOR POLITICAL OFFICE APPOINTMENTS AND ALLOCATION OF PROJECTS/AMENITIES –THE CASE OF EDO SOUTH

“We noticed a disturbing trend related to the above subject, and humbly bring this to the highly esteemed attention of Your Royal Majesty, Our Royal Father.

“The Edo North Senatorial District has 6 LGAs and constitutes roughly 25 percent of the population.

Yet:

1). The Newly re-appointed National Population Commission (NPC) Commissioner from Edo State by President Tinubu – 8th November 2023 is Dr. Tony Aiyejina (Edo North)

2) The Newly appointed INEC REC from Edo State by President Tinubu – 23rd October 2023 is Mr. Isah Shaka Ehimeakne (Edo North)

3). Edo North (25% Population of Edo State) currently holds the following political positions of governance in any order:

· Majority Leader, Federal House of Reps

· Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly

· Deputy Governor, Edo State

· Minister of Niger-Delta Ministry.

Your Royal Majesty also find below the distribution of projects as proposed in the 2024 Federal Government Budget from the Ministry of Niger-Delta. Edo State is Niger-Delta because of the Local Governments of Edo South that are mainly the oil and gas producing areas.

Our next line of action would be to publish an open-letter to President Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to bring to his highlight these acts that in our view are detrimental, discriminatory and perpetrated to reduce the Pride of Place of Benins within the Nigerian Social-Political and Economic Development

The petition was signed by Ambassador Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, President and Comrade Maxwell Uwilekhue-Uwagboe, Secretary General.

GWG.ng reports that the fury among the Bini who constitute more than half of the state’s population over the appointments is now fueling agitations against a shift in the governorship seat from Edo South to any of the other senatorial districts.

The outgoing governor of the state, Mr Godwin Obaseki is from Edo South.

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