Niger Delta born environmentalist, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, has expressed disappointment at some Ijaw political office holders from Delta State over what he described as a docile attitude, poor and unproductive representation and selfish politics of amassing wealth to keep recycling themselves and family members in political offices without attracting development to their communities.
Comrade Mulade in a statement on Sunday challenged Ijaw politicians especially the lawmakers to take a cue from the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who is standing firm for Delta Central and the rest parts of the state.
The Ijaw activist from Gbaramatu Kingdom particularly acknowledged the recent Senate approval and endorsement for Abraka as a constituency as a further demonstration of the dogged, proactive and result-oriented representation of Omo-Agege of his Urhobo people.
Comrade Mulade, who is also a peace advocate challenged Ijaw politicians/lawmakers to lobby the Senate and House of Representatives to site a Federal Polytechnic at the Bomadi/Patani axis and persuade relevant institutions and bodies to attract development and growth to the area.
He further called on Ijaw political leaders to be more proactive in order to attract legacy projects that will stand the test of time adding that such projects would help to immortalize them.
He noted that Hight Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, aka Tompolo, who is not even a lawmaker and neither a public office holder could influence the most prestigious Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko in Delta State and commended former Governor James Onanife Ibori for constructing the Bomadi bridge that has opened up the area, connecting over ten Ijaw riverine communities today.
The developmental advocate, therefore, appealed to lawmakers of Ijaw extraction in Delta State to intensify lobbying and work harder to gain approval for the separation of the Warri North and Warri South-West constituencies to enable the Ijaws and Itsekiris have independent representatives at the State House of Assembly, and equally engage and lobby critical stakeholders for the splitting of Warri Federal Constituency for the benefit of all in Warri area.
This he said, would help to reduce ethnic tension characteristic of Delta state elections noting that Ijaw areas are large enough to have more wards and Local Government Areas instead of fusing them with other ethnic groups.
He also advised Ijaw politicians to desist from politicising the development of the Ijaw areas, noting that there is no other better time than now for the Ijaw ethnic nationality to move forward.
