UDU youths threaten to shut oil wells

ANGRY youths of Udu, Udu Local Government Area in Delta State, have given the state government a seven-day ultimatum to address alleged marginalization of the area in the reconstituted board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, or they will shut down all the oil wells in their location.

Ukoko R’Okugbe R’ Ighee R’ Udu (the union of Udu youths) in a letter to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, by its chairman, Sunday Subi, said the state government had not appointed any Udu indigene as commissioner or head of department in the oil commission since it was established, whereas Ughelli South and Uvwie in the same bloc had served on the board with Ughelli South re-appointed, while Udu had not taken a bite.

He said: “We hereby issue a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to address this matter and reverse this ugly trend in the interest of equity, peace and justice. The hallmark of the current administration is prosperity for all Deltans and not prosperity for a section of the state.

“In the face of the unprovoked marginalization of the Udu people in matters relating to DESOPADEC, we the Udu people, particularly the youths who, hitherto, have conducted ourselves in the most dignifying and law abiding manner have clearly realised that our simplicity is being mistaken for cowardice. We may have to pick up the gauntlet to prove to all and sundry that we are no fools, to rescue Udu from this wantonly wicked marginalization.”

“We, therefore, call on your good self to reverse this trend, otherwise, we the good people of Udu and indeed the youths shall resort to self help by shutting down all oil wells and installations in Udu