The Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) has rescheduled it planned Mother of All Protest over the deplorable state of the East West road which was schedule to hold today 29th June, 2021 in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State jointly with other groups.
It said the postponement was due to the intervention by the State Police Command.
OYF in a statement recalled that it had alongside her affiliate organizations, with solidarity from the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) carried out a warning protest on Aleto bridge, Ogoni section of the East West road on the 15th of June, 2021, where a 14-day ultimatum was handed down to the Federal Government to mobilise contractors to immediately commence the construction of the entire stretch of the road along with a model bridge at Aleto river and two flyovers at Akpajo and Onne junction respectively.
It had also demanded for the constitution of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission and 14-days ultimatum was given to the management of Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) and Maire Tecnimont SpA to adhere to local content laws in the Port Harcourt Refining Company rehabilitation project or face a mother of all protests from Ogoni youths and friends of Ogoni, such that all economic activities in the area will be shut down.
However, two days after the warning protest on the Aleto Bridge Ogoni, a section of the bridge collapsed which prompted critical stakeholders in Ogoniland and in the Niger Delta region to react.
Sadly, the statement added, “till this very moment, the collapsed section of the bridge linking: Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) and Federal Light Terminal (FLT); the big fertilizer plant, Indorama Petrochemical, Notore Onne, Port Harcourt Refinery, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Oil and Gas Free Zone together with about 300 companies has not been done properly but rather, mud and sand was used to cover it. This is unacceptable!
“Consequently, following the quick intervention of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police and other critical stakeholders, we have decided to reschedule the protest for just two days, if the government fails to implement our legitimate demands between today 29th June, 2021 and Friday 2nd July, 2021, we make no further resort as we shall be left with no option but to mobilize Ogoni men, women, children and friends of Ogoni across and embark on mother of all protests, such that all economic activities in the area that generates taxes and revenues to the government will be shut down. Our resolve for this advocacy remains unchanging and nothing can deter us”, it said.
