The Ndokwa Nation has expressed their concerns about the alleged marginalisation and neglect of their people in Delta State,
Their message is contained in an open letter to Gôvernor Sheriff Oborevwori, signed by Chief Godwin Ossai on behalf of the Ndokwa Nation.
They appealed to the governor to use his office to address the long-standing inequities and ingrained discrimination that have continually placed the Ndokwa people at a disadvantage.
According to him, ”With all due respect and humility, we write to you as a collective voice of the Ndokwa Nation, a people long-enduring, peaceful, and loyal to successive governments of Delta State.
”First and foremost, we acknowledge Your Excellency as the duly elected Governor of Delta State, sanctioned and established by the divine will of God Almighty.
”We therefore approach you not in confrontation, but in faith and hope that under your leadership, justice and fairness will flow across the length and breadth of our dear state, ” the letter stated.
The Ndokwa Nation felt marginalised in terms of infrastructure development, economic opportunities, and access to social amenities.
His words: ”We cannot help but respectfully and pungently state that the Ndokwa Nation remains the most marginalized people in Delta State particularly within Delta North Senatorial District.
”We appeal to Your Excellency to use your church mind, guided by your deep sense of compassion, to address the long-standing inequities and ingrained discrimination that have continually placed our people at a disadvantage.
”Each time we raise our heads to demand our rights and fair share of our common patrimony, we are sadly blackmailed and misrepresented as troublemakers.
”Your Excellency, this false narrative that Ndokwa people are against your administration is an absolute falsehood. We bear no such sentiment.
”On the contrary, we are hopeful that under your tenure, the light of justice will finally shine on Ndokwa land. Those spreading such lies are merely hypocrites seeking political relevance and favour, ” the letter added.
The letter further highlighted the absence of a university or polytechnic in Ndokwa land, despite the region’s significant contribution to the state’s revenue through oil and gas production.
According to the letter, “The Ndokwa Nation is still waiting for electricity from the Okpai Independent Power Plant, which is located on their land.
”In terms of economic contribution, particularly in oil and gas production, no region in Delta North matches the Ndokwa Nation.
”Our resources have fueled the state’s growth and sustained her development for decades, yet our people remain in the dark — literally and figuratively.
”We have been crying for the stepping down of electricity from the Okpai Independent Power Plant (IPP), a facility sitting on Ndokwa soil and powered by Ndokwa resources.
”Yet our communities remain in darkness while others enjoy the light our land provides.
”Your Excellency, you of all people understand what it feels like to be overlooked and underappreciated.
”Our people are not violent. We have endured decades of deprivation with stoic patience, believing that someday, God will send a leader with both conscience and courage to right these wrongs. By divine ordination, we believe you are that leader.
”We are neither cursed nor undeserving — we are simply victims of neglect and systemic injustice.
”Your Excellency, we urge you:
This is your time to rise above the politics of exclusion and write your name in gold.
”Let it be said that Sheriff Oborevwori brought fairness to Ndokwa. Let the light that shines from Okpai also illuminate every corner of Ndokwa land.
”We speak not in bitterness but in faith. We speak for our people with a sense of responsibility, appealing to the divine grace of God upon your leadership”, Ossai added.
The letter mentioned previous approvals for institutions that never materialised, such as the College of Industrial Technology and Aboh Polytechnic.
The Ndokwa Nation appealed to Governor Oborevwori to use his office to bring justice and fairness to their people.
The letter urged the governor to ensure that the Ndokwa Nation received its fair share of the state’s resources and opportunities.
The Ndokwa Nation also believed that Governor Oborevwori has a divine mandate to right the wrongs of the past and bring development to their land.
Ndokwa Nation’s expressed hope that Governor Oborevwori would take their pleas seriously and work towards addressing their grievances.
The nation, however, warned that if their demands are not met, they would be forced to express their discontent at the ballot box.
