*Insists Ibori can’t stop Okowa’s successor
SOUTH-SOUTH leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has said the oil city of Warri has been abandoned with no development, just as leaders feared before Delta State was created from the defunct Bendel State in 1991.
Clark, in an interview with Vanguard, also opined that former governor of the state, James Ibori, has no justification to interfere with who the incumbent governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, nominates as his successor.
He explained that at a meeting presided over by former military Vice President, late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, in Benin City, Edo State, in 1991, leaders of the old Bendel State had agreed that the capital of new Delta State without Asaba division would have its capital at Warri, but the then Olu of Warri and his people protested against the decision, making the government to go back on Warri.
According to him, “The fear the old Warri province had with the none execution of the plan of making Warri the state capital, was that Warri will eventually become a desolate and abandoned township, with no development and employment because the oil companies will move out of Warri, in addition to the fact that no tertiary institution will remain in the city.”
“The situation in Warri today, has justified the fears expressed in 1991, the city is abandoned,” he added.
Clark, who shed light on the intrigues surrounding creation of the state, asserted: “When Gen. Ibrahim Babangida became military President, he decided to create two states out of the old Bendel State, namely Edo and Delta states in 1991. Edo State was to comprise the old Benin province, which included old Benin division, old Asaba division, Ishan division and Afemai division.”
“While the old Warri province, now Delta province comprising East and Western Urhobo divisions, Western Ijaw division, Warri division, Aboh division. Later, Isoko division was created out of Eastern Urhobo division.
“The two states were created based on the two old provinces. Edo State was to have Benin as its capital, while Delta State was to have Warri Township as his capital.
“This was an official decision taken at a meeting held at the residence of the vice military President, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu.
“Sadly, and regrettably, His Royal Majesty, the Olu of Warri, Atuwatse II and Mr. Allison Ayida, the former Secretary to the Federal Government with other Itsekiri leaders, protested to the Federal Military Government, that they did not want Warri township to be capital of Delta State because the Urhobos and the Ijaws will dominate the state.
“Hence, Asaba, which was the headquarters of the old Asaba division in Benin province, eventually became the capital of Delta State.
Ibori can’t stop Okowa’s successor
On supposed face-up between Ibori and Okowa over the latter’s successor, he said: “I repeat here again that Chief James Onanefe Ibori, former governor of Delta State, has no moral justification to interfere with whatever arrangement Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa may wish to make as regards his successor and the threat to go your own way and face the consequences does not arise because Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is the elected governor of Delta State and he is only responsible to the electorate and not to an individual