Ijaws Indigens Officially Reject Adoption Of Odua Anthem In Ondo State

Residents of Ondo State of the Ijaw extraction have kicked against the state government adoption of the Odua anthem

The Ijaws urged the state government to immediately put on hold the Odua anthem adoption and conferred with Ijaw leaders to come up with the Ijaw version of the anthem if it must be sung in public places.

It would be recalled that the dissolved State Executive Council last week approved the adoption of the Odua anthem to be sung after the National Anthem at official and public functions.

It said the Odua anthem become meant to task the culture and way of life of the Yoruba tribe.

But the Ijaws described the motion as fairly provocative and really disturbing, saying it portends a deliberate affront to the peace loving Ijaws of Ondo State.

The Ijaws accused Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of strolling Info with out recourse to the pluralistic nature of the State.

Representatives of the Ijaws in the Ondo House of Assembly, Hon. Success Torhukerhijo representing Ese-Odo Constituency, stated it became preposterous to undertake an anthem for the kingdom in Yoruba language without deliberating the concerns of the Ijaws where the country has  ethnic nationalities- the majority Yoruba and the minority Ijaw.

Hon Torhukerhijo in a announcement issued in Akure said it become a ploy to obliterate the Ijaws from the records of Ondo State.

Torhukerhijo entreated Governor Akeredolu to tow the course of his predecessors who he stated created a Subordinate Area Council which enjoyed almost same repute with other Local Governments within the state in 1981.

He said the action has put a median proper questioning Ijaw man into mental trauma pronouncing it smacked of lack of social equality and an antithesis to a united, just and unfastened society.

According to him: “It is difficult that the Governor notwithstanding his pedigree does no longer own the political will for an all-inclusive government and the Ijaws of Ondo State had been continuously subjected to forget and abandonment on issues of country by way of his government and administrative moves.

“It is pitiable that the Ijaws with loads of qualified manpower do not have a Permanent Secretary, no Judge in the State High Court and we're quick-modified in each facet of the State public carrier by way of Governor Akeredolu’s govt and administrative movements. It is pathetic that we've only one Magistrate Court inside the entire of the over 250 groups in Ijaw land and no Magistrate is posted to the vicinity.

Interest of the Ijaws in Ondo state in his administrative and government moves and in all factors of governance.

“This is intolerable and is outrightly rejected by means of the Ijaw ethnic nationality.”