Alleged Marginalisation: Protest Rocks Ondo as Stakeholders Want Tinubu to Split Benin-Owena River Basin

•Back Adekanmbi’s appointment as MD

Fidelis David in Akure

Concerned stakeholders of the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) have called on President Bola Tinubu to split the authority over alleged marginalisation of Ondo, Ekiti and Delta states by Edo State.

This was as it hailed the appointment of Femi Adekanmbi as the Managing Director of BORBDA, dismissing recent protests at the headquarters of the Authority in Benin-City as unnecessary and politically motivated.

The aggrieved members under the auspices of the Concerned Stakeholders Forum of BORBDA stated this while protesting in Akure.

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions, chanting solidarity songs, expressed their displeasure over the development, wondering why some “miscreants” under the aegis of a purported coalition of host communities in Edo State protested against Adekambi’s appointment.

Addressing journalists, the National President, BORBDA Stakeholders Forum, John Kayode Ayeni and Ondo State representative of BORBDA stakeholders forum, Mr. Tokunbo Agbetuyi, said since its enactment in 1976, Ondo State had only produced one MD (Ebenezer O. Mafayeyomi), hence, the choice of  Adekanmbi was a round peg in a round hole.

Besides, the group said the MD’s antecedents as a resourceful, resilient, dogged, rugged, dedicated and results-oriented manager of human beings and materials that can salvage the authority from ruins. 

Specifically Ayeni, declared that Adekanmbi’s appointment was not only justified but also aligned with the principles of fairness and equity, saying four states involved must resist the temptation to divide itself along ethnic lines.

He emphasised that an Edo State indigene, Engr. Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed, had already served two consecutive terms of eight years, making it appropriate for another state—Ondo or Ekiti to take the mantle of leadership.

“We members of the Stakeholders Forum of Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority were suddenly alarmed by the activities of a group of Barbarian that went viral on the social media that barricaded and sealed off the Headquarters of the Authority at Obayantor a village 24 kms outside Benin-City metropolis along Benin-Sapele Express way. Their uncivilised actions imitable of the Early Man during the Stone Ages Era were not only condemnable but irrational, uncivilised, misinformed, and uncalled for.

“For the information of the world at large, Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, Benin-City was one of the Basin Authorities Statutorily enacted by law in 1976 under the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo the then military Head of State. Its operations cover the entire Edo State, Ondo State, Ekiti State and the Delta State Northern Senatorial District i.e. the Igbo speaking areas of Delta State. 

“By law, its headquarters was to be sited at the least developed of the two components that formed the Authority then. These were Bendel and Ondo States. So originally the Headquarters was supposed to be in Akure. Serious agitations in 1983 that the Headquarters was wickedly and unduly located in the den of armed robbers led to the split of the Authority into two autonomous entities in July 1984.”

According to him, “Through Concerted efforts of the pioneering founding members, the magnificent edifice you see at Alagbaka Estate in Akure was built through the sweat of the staff on the direct-labor programme. Unfortunately the inconsistent Government policies led to our “second slave trade mission” to the land of our captors at obayantor in July 1987.

“At the inception of the Authority in 1976 its first General Manager was a Binj Prince, J.A. Eweka (1977-1982) Another Bini was again the General Manager, Mr. A.A. Osula January 2011-June 2011) For the information of the miscreants under the aegis of the Host Communities, those from Edo State that have held sway as the General Manager/Managing Directors were namely(i) Mr. E.C. Olumese (1986-1989) (ii) Dr. G.E. Oteze (1990-1999) and (iii) Engr. Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed (2016-2024).”

He urged the alleged sponsored protesters at the headquarters of the Authority to reconsider their stance and recognise that Adekanmbi’s appointment does not undermine Edo State’s interests. Rather, it upholds a fair system where leadership opportunities are shared among states.

“These mischiefs calculation of 42yrs of marginalization could be arithmetically summed up as follows, Prince Eweka five years, Mr. C.C. Olumese three years, Professor Gabriel Oteze nine years three months, Mr. A.A. Osula 6months and Engr. Saliu 8yrs. Total 25 years nine months out of 42 years meaning that it was only 16 years that indigene was not the Managing Director. who then is marginalising who here?”

Besides, Ayeni noted that  the location of the Headquarters of the Authority in Obayantor was wrong, while armed banditry are notorious in the area, thus,  remains unsafe for those from Ondo and Ekiti states.

 “We therefore direct that all the staff from Ondo and Ekiti state should report at the Alagbaga GRA Office, Akure. In the interim, Dr. Adekanmbi and his team should operate from the Alagbaka edifice of the Authority.” 

He added that in the face of the threats and the danger posed by the sad development, the National Assembly should urgently consider the split of the Authority into two autonomous entities.