Oil Resumption: FG Tasked on Equitable Distribution of Appointments in Ogoni

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A prominent son of Ogoni in Rivers State, Joe Korka-Waadah, has called for equal distribution of federal government appointments among the four local government areas (Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme) in Ogoniland.

Korka-Waadah, who appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the appointments of some of the Ogoni indigenes in strategic positions of his government, said subsequently that the appointments should be evenly distributed among the four LGAs.

Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, Korka-Waadah, the executive director of Compassionate Heart Foundation of Canada, disclosed that every federal government appointment to Ogoni has been one-sided, with Gokana people taking all slots.

He accused a prominent politician in the State of nominating his alleged cronies for the appointed position.

The Ogoni leader said, although he is not opposed to those appointees following the fact that they are all qualified, he,e however, urged the government to ensure equitable distribution of appointments to the four Ogoni LGAs for the sake of equity, fairness, and justice.

“We are here today because something has happened that has never happened before in the history of this country and the history of this state. Ogoni consists of four local government areas: Khana, Gokana, Tai, and Eleme. But all appointments from Ogoniares are being given to one particular LGA, and that is Gokana.

“I am calling for an even distribution of federal appointments among the Ogonis because the federal government is not even aware of this. Someone must have submitted those names to the presidency, and so the understanding of the federal government, I should believe, is that these positions are evenly distributed among the Ogoni people as a way of soft landing for their resumption of oil exploration.

The ttruthis that we have four LGAs and nobody from the other three LGAs has been given these appointments. The appointments, as I said has to do with petroleum exploration. I am not calling for the appointed to be removed since they are Ogonis, they are my brothers. But what I am saying is that the way the positions are distributed is uneven, and people from Khana, Tai, Elem,  and nothing, everything is right there is Gokana.

“We know this is coming from the former governor of the state and all his cronies. Senator Magnus Abe is qualified for the position he is appointed to; Prof Innocent Bariko is absolutely qualified; Kenneth Kobani, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, and others are all qualified. But the point is that these positions should be evenly distributed, and we call for more if there are so that the other three LGAs can also benefit. This cannot happen in a democracy,” he stated.

Responding to questions from journalists, the political consultant called for a total exoneration of an environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, eight others, and other Ogonis, who he said were unjustly executed rather than granting them pardon for a crime they never committed, which he said is unacceptable.

Korka-Waadah said the people have accepted the resumption of oil exploration, but the government should ensure the implementation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights, which he said isae major condition for the resumption of oil exploration in the area.

According to him, “The people are not saying that the federal government shouldn’t come, but the condition is simple; exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa and nine others, and all the Ogonis that were brutally killed and hanged by the Nigerian State. It should also implement the Ogoni Bill of Rights.”