Otuaro panel visits Ogiame Ikenwoli 1

·         Olu of Warri pledges support for advocacy against oil pipe vandalism

A committee of the Delta State Government has visited  the Olu of Warri calling on him and
other traditional rulers in the state to use their vantage positions to support the advocacy
campaign and sensitization against vandalism of oil facilities.

HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, Olu of Warri

The State Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro made the
call when he led members of the Government Advocacy Committee set up by
the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, on a courtesy visit to the palace of the Olu of
Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, in Warri South Local
Government Area, Delta State.
Otuaro noted that the committee was put in place by
the State Governor following the spate of bombing of critical oil
infrastructure in the riverine area of Delta State, adding that in
recent past, there has been increase in the destruction of critical
oil facilities in the riverine area.

Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, Deputy Governor of
 Delta State.

He told His Royal Majesty that the committee is billed to go into the riverine area to

advocate, and engage cross section of the people especially the youths, to make them
realize that destruction of critical oil facilities under any guise
or reason is not the way out to addressing any problem.

 He posited that the committee had come to solicit the
monarch’s usual solidarity and support for government in appealing to
the people to refrain from the acts of vandalism.

“YourRoyal Majesty, we have come in recognition of the fact that you
are by virtue of your throne, a custodian of culture, the people and
land. We deemed it fit to pay this courtesy visit on you to solicit for
your usual solidarity and support before proceeding to the riverine
area to embark on this engagement commission that the government has
set out to achieve."

“It is our prayer that you use your exalted throne to add extra value
to the purpose for which the committee is put in place," Barr. Otuaro
said.

Barr. Otuaro, who noted that the Delta State Government,
had a few months back, organised a One-Day Summit geared towards
preventing the vandalization of oil facilities in the state, stated that one
of the highpoints of that summit was to ensure that a committee was put
in place to gather intelligence reports on the reasons or causes for
which there has been this incessant destruction of critical oil
installations in the riverine area.

The Deputy Governor expressed government's worries
over the incessant bombing of oil facilities, saying, "There is no gain
saying the fact that as a country and as a state we are in deep
economic crisis, and anything that happens in form of destruction
to the oil facilities will undoubtedly harden the economic situation we
are already boxed into."

Responding the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, expressed
dismay over the recent act of vandalism and bombing of oil facilities
in the riverine area of the state.

“I feel more pained each time I hear all this act of vandalism going on
in the state, we are making headlines for all the bad reasons, which
should not be", the Olu said.

The monarch, who posited that all the good policies of
government for the people cannot be achieved due to the current oil
price lamented that the spate of bombings of oil facilities will
further cripple the economy, saying, “this is very sad to me and every
other person that has good intentions for this state, local
government and the nation."

Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, the Olu of Warri, pledged his kingdom’s support in
joining hands with government in its advocacy drive and pleaded with
the people, especially the youths, to stop this act. "What are we
avenging?  Vengeance belongs to God. It is only God who can
avenge anything bad. Man's vengeance is limited with time and
resources, but God’s vengeance lasts forever", the Olu posited.

 While expressing his support for government’s advocacy
mission, he appealed to those involved in this act to
stop vandalizing oil facilities, saying  it is affecting everybody
negatively. “My Council of Chiefs, the kingdom and I join government to
appeal to the people, talk to our youths and tell them to stop this act
of vandalism; we say enough is enough," Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, the Olu of
Warri declared.