Members of the Delta State Artisans Association from the Delta Central Senatorial District have formally dissociated themselves from the informal sector management initiative being promoted by the state chairman of the association, Chief Ifeanyi Abanum.
The position was made known in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting, in which the artisans argued that the proposed framework contradicts the objectives and founding principles of the Delta State Artisans Association.
The artisans claimed that on 10th July 2025, members from across the state were deliberately misled at the Cynotaph Centre in Asaba under the guise of an Artisans Day celebration.
“Many innocent artisans attended in large numbers, believing it was a legitimate gathering for all artisans in Delta State. Shockingly, Chief Ifeanyi Abanum used this attendance to mislead the Delta State Government into inaugurating ‘political coordinators’—all purportedly members of state artisans—without the consent of the broader artisan community,” the communiqué stated.
They further criticized Abanum for failing to convene periodic state artisans’ meetings following the inauguration, instead holding exclusive meetings with members of the informal sector association.
“This pattern has made it clear that the initiative does not reflect the interest of the entire artisan community,” the artisans said.
The communiqué also highlighted the history of the Delta State Artisans Association, including its year of establishment, core functions, and ongoing challenges affecting artisans in the Delta Central Senatorial District.
As part of their resolutions, the group called on Chief Ifeanyi Abanum to step down in accordance with zoning arrangements, emphasizing that the position of state chairman should rotate to Delta Central.
“Chief Abanum’s term has expired since the administration of His Excellency Dr. Arthur Okowa, which ended on 29th May 2023. By our agreement, the senatorial zone producing the state governor is where the chairman of the State Artisans Association should come from,” the communiqué noted.
Addressing journalists, the Delta Central Public Relations Officer, Comrade Kingsley Azanor, urged artisans in Delta Central and across the state to reject the informal sector management structure.
“We are calling on all members to steer clear of this initiative. Chief Ifeanyi Abanum has scheduled a misleading inauguration from Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th across the three senatorial zones. He intends to appoint central coordinators who do not represent the interests of our artisans,” Azanor warned.
He also appealed to Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to intervene. “Artisans are a skilled and critical workforce. Their contributions are vital to the overall development of the state, and their welfare must be safeguarded, so that there will be no breakdown of law and order,” Azanor added.
In separate interviews, the Chairman of the Udu Chapter, Comrade Moses Onajighofia; Sapele Chapter Chairman, Comrade Odafe Omerhi; and the State Secretary of the Delta State Photographers Association, Mr. Dafe Bobolo, advised members to attend the scheduled inauguration but stage a walkout if the agenda deviates from issues directly concerning the Delta State Artisans Association.
The meeting concluded with a formal vote of no confidence in Chief Ifeanyi Abanum’s leadership and deliberations on strategies to reposition the Delta Central Senatorial District Artisans Association for greater growth, unity, and effectiveness.
