Vehicular movement along the Ozoro-Asaba expressway were Wednesday, grounded as youths from Isoko nation protested over the alleged relocation of the faculty of Management and Administration from the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro in Isoko North local government to Orerokpe community in Okpe local government area.
Armed with fresh leaves, the protesters mainly youths who barricaded the Ozoro axis of Ughelli-Asaba expressway and were burning motor tyres accused the Delta State governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of stabbing them from behind after voting for him as governor.
Speaking to newsmen at Ozoro a protester who identified himself as Emmanuel said, “We are angry that Governor Sheriff stabbed us, he removed the department of Management and Administration from the University that is here in Ozoro and I will not agree to the relocation.
“We want the government to leave that department because it is the department that has population in the school.
“Governor Sheriff should know that it was the Isoko votes that made him who he is today and he cannot pay us this way unless he do not want to go for second tenure.”
Also speaking, chairman of Isoko North, Hon. Christian Iteireh said, “I think the people were misinformed, agreed there were such moves by the school board or whatever.
But the Isoko leadership made up of the Traditional ruler and others, had a meeting with the state governor and the issue presently is being and I don’t think, it has been finalized.
What the governor told us was just the approval we got from NUC which has to do with three department that would come to the school and he equally assured us of the take off of the project.
We are sure that he is going to correct whatever wrong that is perceived though we are still discussing and it is not a close issue yet.
“The institution was established by law and you cannot relocate it with verbal statement because there are procedures and process that must be followed and I am sure it cannot take place because we only held it on social media that the school board met and such a thing was tabled.
“A lot of us that went to meet with the governor were aggrieved that such a place is leaving here and we mentioned it to him”.
On his part, the traditional ruler of Ozoro kingdom, HRM Uvietobore Anthony Ogbogbo said, “The information came as a rumor and when we met with the state Governor, he agreed that rumours are making around he was not too happy that we could not reach out to him initially.
“But now that we have reach out to him, he is going to look into the policies of the government and see whether he can make the people of Isoko and Ozoro in particular to be happy.
“He promised other package and we said whatever package that is going to come will be well received but the ones that is here should not be taken and we agreed.
“He told us that before the final decision is taken, he as accepted that we should meet to finalize the process.
“I feel the pain of my people and their peaceful agitations, we know the tension is high, anger is very high and we know the people are not happy and we will addressed the situation.”
