….Applaud Adekanmbi’s appointment as MD
By: Oluwatosin Adesola
Workers, Retirees and other Concerned Stakeholders of the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA), today staged a peaceful protest in Akure, the Ondo State capital to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to split the agency over long time marginalization of Ondo, Ekiti and Delta States by Edo State.
The Stakeholders who are from Ondo and Ekiti, however applauded Tinubu for the recent appointment of a former Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Femi Adekanmbi as the Managing Director of BORBDA,
The aggrieved stakeholders under the auspices of Concerned stakeholders Forum of BORBDA who stated these while protesting in Akure on Friday, dismissed the recent protests at the Headquarters of the Authority in Benin-City as unnecessary, ill-concieved and politically motivated.
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 the Ondo state representative of BORBDA stakeholders forum, Mr Tokunbo Agbetuyi said since its establishment 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.
The Concerned Stakeholders said Adekanmbi’s antecedents as a resourceful, resilient, dogged, rugged, dedicated and results oriented Manager of human being 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 emphasized that an Edo State indigene, Engr. Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed, had just completed 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 uncivilized action imitable of the Early Man during the Stone Ages Era were not only Condemnable but irrational, uncivilized 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 Adminisration 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 developmed 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 on 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 sweats 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 Genaral 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 heldsway as the Genaral Maneger/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).”
Ayeni 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 arithematically summed up as follows (i) Prince Eweka 5yrs (ii) Mr. C.C. Olumese 3yrs (iii) Proffessor Gabriel Oteze 9yrs 3months (iv) Mr. A.A. Osula 6months and (iv) Engr. Saliu 8yrs. Total=25yrs 9months out of 42 years meaning that it was only 16 years that Indigen was not the Managing Director. who then is margilizlizing who here?”
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 pose by the sad development, the National Assembly should urgently consider the split of the Authority into two autonomous entities.
