Crisis is currently looming among the Benin and its Ijaws/Itsekiris indigenes in Edo State following a protest march yesterday by Benin Solidarity Movement, (BSM), over alleged claim by the later to the ownership of the yet to take off proposed Gelegele Port and Oil rich Communities by the Ijaws.
The March which took them to the Edo State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Directorate of State Security, DSS, Edo State House of Assembly, EDHA, where they also registered their grievances.
The group dressed in red T-shirt in a widely circulated press statement said it was piqued to embark on the protest as a respond to a publication (Not Leadership), by the Ijaw Youth Council on the 9th of March, 2017, over the legitimate ownership of Benin Kingdom land in Gelegele.
The statement signed by its National President, Curtis Ugbo, Osarodion Osagie, Secretary, respectively warned that the group “ can longer condole non-natives, strangers or settlers to speak on behalf of any community , town village Local Government Area belonging to the Benin Kingdom in any public fora, function or occasion as the case may be”
“That Oil exploring, prospecting and servicing companies in Benin Kingdom should deal or do businesses only with the Benin people. That all oil wells flowing and non-flowing belonging to the Benin people should be used to develop our Kingdom, (e.g Ologbo) which is a dukedom under the leadership of the Enogie of Ologbo in Benin Kingdom”
“ Oil well flowing and non-flowing in Benin Kingdom belongs to the Benin people and we want the Federal Government to stop the flow of our crude Oil from the 9-flowing oil wells in Obagie N’Okenkporo to Ovade in Delta State with immediate effect”
It further added “All deserving youths and students must be given automatic education bursary scholarship and employment by all the Oil exploring Companies”