By Emma Amaize
THE Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-
Madueke, has given the Itsekiri and Ijaw in Delta State one
week to resolve the disagreement over the $16 billion Delta
Gas City project or government would take the project
elsewhere.
It was learned that the Minister handed down the warning to
the representatives of the two ethnic groups, who met
separately, last week, with the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, in Abuja.
Both ethnic groups are scheduled to attend a fresh meeting
in Abuja on Wednesday to brief the Minister on their joint
resolution on the contentious issues, particularly the name of
the project, but, as at yesterday, there had not been any
meeting by leaders of both sides to resolve the issues at
stake.
Leaders of the two ethnic groups were not even talking as if
they planned to meet. When Sunday Vanguard asked an Ijaw
leader, he said, “Ijaw people met Friday in Warri to
deliberate on the Abuja meeting. I am not aware of any
meeting yet with the Itsekiri people for a joint resolution.”
An Itsekiri leader and Ajuwaoyiboyami of Warri Kingdom,
Chief Ayiri Emami, aka Akulagba, said, when contacted,
yesterday, that the land where the Export Processing Zone,
EPZ, renamed Delta Gas City, was sited, belongs wholly to
the Itsekiri.
He said the NNPC authorities made it clear to the Ijaw
representatives at the Abuja meeting that the over 2,500
hectares of land acquired for the project belonged to the
Itsekiri communities of Ajudaibo and Ogidigben.
“They showed them the map of the acquired site. The only
thing that brought Ijaw in is the 300 hectares acquired for
the Deep Sea Port at Madangho/Kpokpo. Because of that,
some people are suggesting that since there are two different
projects, the EPZ should be named Ogidigben EPZ and the
other, Gbaramatu Sea Port,” Emami said.
He, however, said, “Such suggesting or thinking is wrong
since the Deep Sea Port is in Itsekiri land of Madangho and
Kpokpo, which the Ijaw people call Ikpokpo and are using it
to claim ownership. Kpokpo is not owned by the Ijaw, it is
owned by the Itsekiri, which was why they burnt it down
during the Warri crisis.”
The Itsekiri leader said his people would not surrender
Kpokpo to the Ijaw, adding, “Even if they are claiming
Kpokpo, the Deep Sea Port is also in Madangho. So why
should it be named Gbaramatu Deep Sea Port? I have said
that the way out is to use the Escravos Gas to Liquid,
EGTL, project template and call it Delta Gas City,
Escravos.”
An Ijaw youth leader, who attended the Abuja parley with
the NNPC, said, “The Minister of Petroleum Resources
came to address us on Tuesday after we held separate
sessions with the Group Managing Director of the NNPC,
Joseph Dawha.
“The Minister was very bitter at the attitude of the Itsekiri
people, who accused the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan,
of pursuing an ethnic agenda. She told them she was the one
that conceived the project and took to the President for
approval and she is also the person scouting for investors.
“She warned the Itsekiri people to apologize to the President
and herself and told them to send the message to the
Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILT, Barrister
Edward Ekpoko.
“She said the project will leave the place if within one
week, the Ijaw and Itsekiri did not resolve their differences,
adding that she is aware that Ijaw and Itsekiri live in the
contentious area in dispute. She further told them to be
careful about their statements.
“The NNPC met with us later to take proposals from the
two ethnic groups, The Gbaramatu-Ijaw are the owners of
Ikpokpo community and we are insisting on a joint name for
the EPZ project.”
ILT Secretary, Barrister Ekpoko, told Sunday Vanguard on
phone, yesterday, “Itsekiri and Ijaw did not meet jointly
with the NNPC and the land acquired for the EPZ project
had nothing to do with the Kpokpo.”
He added, “It appears from feelers that the purported
acquisition of land by Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, for a
deep sea port is what is creating the problem. What I want
to make clear is that the whole of EPZ is on Itsekiri land
and even if your talk about Kpokpo, it is an Itsekiri land,
and we have court judgment to that effect.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/epz-controversy-fg-gives-itsekiri-ijaw-one-week-resolve-differences-lose-project/

Wisdom of Diezani.

.

Nigerians with wahala, we fight over infrastructure that we all will benefit from. The best thing is to relocate the project to another location.

Deziani get balls pass oga Jonna.

Pls our wife, bring it to Anambra, we have gas in abundance.

SHE SHOULD JUST TAKE IT TO ANOTHER STATE.THAT WAY NONE OF THE TRIBE WINS

ABEG BRING THE PROJECT TO LAGOS OR ANY SOUTH WESTERN STATE, SINCE THEY ARE NOT READY TO GRAB THIS OPPORTUNITY.

The project will face no bottleneck if it should be sited at Ogbaru, the place have abundant natural gas and very close to river Niger and Onitsha city.

Diezani pls Anambra people will be very glad if the project will be sited in Anambra State.

#SiteTheProjectInAnambra.

Arysexy:
Pls our wife, bring it to Anambra, we have gas in abundance.

Slonge2:
ABEG BRING THE PROJECT TO LAGOS.

Point of correction Lagos is not a south west state. I welcome project relocation to Anambra, our able gov will greatly assist and even build roads and arrange boys to make sure everything is done.

Arysexy:
Pls our wife, bring it to Anambra, we have gas in abundance.

You like better thing o.Don't worry she will take it to her state(Bayelsa).There is gas in Bayelsa too.

dontjealousme1:



Point of correction Lagos is not a south west state. I welcome project relocation to Anambra.

Just as anambra is not in the southeast. Mtcheww....

Slonge2:
Just as anambra is not in the southeast. Mtcheww....

Hahahaha! U want to claim global mansion for ur southwest, u no fit...


Everybody has house and investment in Lagos from every conner of Nigeria and the Globe.


Before we started, lagos was a bush. We paid for the land and own the land.


Lagos is multi-ethnic not yoruba.

The project should be relocated to more safer place.

dontjealousme1:


Hahahaha! U want to claim global mansion for ur southwest, u no fit...


Everybody has house and investment in Lagos from every conner of Nigeria and the Global.


Before we started, lagos was a bush. We paid for the land and own the land.

cry me a river, all your rambling and infantile ranting doesn't change the fact that lagos is fully, 100% yorubaland.

You can only whine and cry but it is fact that before the massive exodus of the igbos from their barren lands to lagos, it was a megacity and after y'all are gone it will still be a megacity.

Eko oni baje o.

Slonge2:
cry me a river, all your rambling and infantile ranting doesn't change the fact that lagos is fully, 100% yorubaland.

You can only whine and cry but it is fact that before the massive exodus of the igbos from their barren lands to lagos, it was a megacity and after y'all are gone it will still be a megacity.

Eko oni baje o.

Me and u who is crying?

I merely stated the fact whilst u continue to indulge in ur fantasy. Take am easy O!

dontjealousme1:


Me and u who is crying?

I merely stated the fact whilst u continue to indulge in ur fantasy. Take am easy O!

we both know that you're the one fantasizing. Anyway, you are welcome to stay, work and pay tax in lagos.

Slonge2:
we both know that you're the one fantasizing. Anyway, you are welcome to stay, work and pay tax in lagos.

Tax does not discriminate, abi u know pay tax, make i report u, so dey can deport u back to Osun.

Every ethnic group with presence in Lagos is entitled to produce the Gov of that state. They have started to contest for Gov, Deputy Gov and even Commissioner.

It is not proper for yorubas to dominate the Gov of a multi-ethnic state, claiming omo-onile agbero.

Lagos state Gov and commissioners should be evenly distributed amongst the ethnic representatives of the state.

R

dontjealousme1:


Tax does not discriminate, abi u know pay tax, make i report u, so dey can deport u back to Osun.

Every ethnic group with presence in Lagos is entitled to produce the Gov of that state. They have started to contest for Gov, Deputy Gov and even Commissioner.

It is not proper for yorubas to dominate the Gov of a multi-ethnic state, claim omoonile agbero.

Lagos state Gov and commissioners should be evenly distributed amongst the ethnic representatives of the state.

for the fact that we make up the government, omoniles, agberos, traditional rulers and monarchy of lagos clearly buttresses the fact that lagos remains a yoruba state. But you're welcome to come invest and take this state to enviable heights.

And as for taxes, i'am not based in lagos so I don't pay tax to her, but I am a full blooded lagosian so i am a stakeholder in its affairs.

Slonge2:
Rfor the fact that we make up the government, omoniles, agberos, traditional rulers and monarchy of lagos clearly buttresses the fact that lagos remains a yoruba state. But you're welcome to come invest and take this state to enviable heights.

And as for taxes, i'am not based in lagos so I don't pay tax to her, but I am a full blooded lagosian so i am a stakeholder in its affairs.

Every yoruba claims to be Lagosian isn't that shameful, to be claiming wat belongs to everybody, a multi-ethnic state.



Even agberos has multi-ethnic membership. Lagos has multi-ethnic commissioner and as for traditional rulers in lagos, every ethnic group in Lagos has one.
PDP is providing a multi-ethnic Deputy Gov in 2015. Lagos is multi-ethnic and we want that fact fully reflected in the Government of the state.



This is why APC will be voted out in 2015.

x

God will punish Amaechi for being in the opposition, look at projects that should be sited in Rivers is now a bone of contention btw two warring tribes.

dontjealousme1:


Every yoruba claims to be Lagosian isn't that shameful, to be claiming wat belongs to everybody, a multi-ethnic state.



Even agberos has multi-ethnic membership. Lagos has multi-ethnic commissioner and as for traditional rulers in lagos, every ethnic group in Lagos has one.
PDP is providing a multi-ethnic Deputy Gov in 2015. Lagos is multi-ethnic and we want that fact fully reflected in the Government of the state.



This is why APC will be voted out in 2015.

*yawns*

God will not forgive Amaechi for being in the opposition, look at projects that should be sited in Rivers is now a bone of contention btw two warring tribes.

dontjealousme1:

..

Thief
i never knew Lagos was the capital of biafra.

The itsekiri and ijaws will settle their diaspute and the EPZ will remain in warri.

FOI, anambra has got no oil reserves. The oil wells belong to the Ibaji people of Kogi state

AJINATU:
Thief
i never knew Lagos was the capital of biafra.

The itsekiri and ijaws will settle their diaspute and the EPZ will remain in warri.

FOI, anambra has got no oil reserves. The oil wells belong to the Ibaji people of Kogi state

nansense

the marine university should be relocated as well cos okerennigho is an which the ijaws claim ownership of,actually belongs ti the itsekiris of omadino,d land case has been won by the itsekiris.

AJINATU:
Thief
i never knew Lagos was the capital of biafra.

The itsekiri and ijaws will settle their diaspute and the EPZ will remain in warri.

FOI, anambra has got no oil reserves. The oil wells belong to the Ibaji people of Kogi state

Olodo

The oil field cuts across Anambra Kogi Enugu Edo..
..

Arysexy:
Pls our wife, bring it to Anambra, we have gas in abundance.

Are you referring to Kogi State Gas and Oil?

Anambra State does not have any gas.

BlackTechnology:



The oil field cuts across Anambra Kogi Enugu Edo..
..

Fixed

If both groups refuse to resolve their silly problem, there are enough places in delta with abundant gas and a deep water port can be constructed there too. Sapele, is a great example.

This project must be kept in Delta State.