–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –From Michael EKOKORUWE:
THE planned protest by the women of Oleh community in Isoko South local government area of Delta State, has been averted by the representatives of Isoko South local government council.
Speaking to Journalists at Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South local government area, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Vantus Ogboghro, secretary designate of Isoko South Council area said, he has appealed to Oleh community women to suspend the planned protest as issues surrounding the new consultant of Oleh market will be resolved within five days.
Ogboghro noted that the imposition of a new consultant sparked outrage as Oleh community rejected the award of the market revenue collection to a none indigene, adding that the issues of disagreement were unacceptable to the women who had planned to protest to the Council Secretariat.
He reiterated that all the issues surounding the award of Oleh market to a consultant will be resolved within the specified date, saying “we have promised the women and it is our duty to work harder within the 5 days to ensure that the issues are resolved”.
Also speaking, the President General of Oleh community, Chief Believe Alakri, appealed to the women to sustain the peace as Oleh community has vehemently kicked against the choice of none indigene as consultant of Oleh market, adding that the issues will be resolved amicably.
He emphasized that Oleh community has no parallel government and urged any group of persons parading as leaders of Oleh community to desist from creating uneccessary tension in the area, noting that his emergence as the president general of Oleh community was supervised by the local government Council.
Alakri stated that he was aware that some people from the community are behind the purported consultant which according to him is unacceptable to Oleh community, and urged those imposing illegal consultant on the market revenue collection to stop causing crisis in the area.
He noted that Isoko South Council has waded into the issues surounding the planned protest and assured the women of peaceful resolution, saying “As a government, we need to heed to the appeal of the council representatives because we are under the local government area”.
“As Oleh community under the umbrella of Isoko South Council, we must listen and I have appealed to the woman to suspend the planned protest and urged them to go about thier businesses and they have accepted, I am waiting for the government to give us a date for dialogue”, he said.
On her part, the leader of Oleh community women, Mrs. Juliana Itewor stated that, the women were informed that Oleh market has been given to a none indigene and is unacceptable to them, adding that Oleh women are the traders and nobody can force alien consultant on them to collect the market revenue.
According to Mrs. Itewor, “Oleh community women are ready to manage the market and pay the revenue to the Council, whatever belongs to Isoko South local government council will be remitted accordingly”.
