By 
By Usman Aliyu
The Civil Society Coalition in Edo has condemned the protest over the appointment of a new managing director at the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORDA) in Benin City.
Addressing a news conference on Monday in Benin City, the coalition, represented by Comrade King David, said the protest was a “misguided protest”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters, under the aegis of the Indigenous People of Host Communities, on Feb. 11 demonstrated at the headquarters of the authority.
They were drawn from Obayantor II, Ekosa, Agbomwoba and Awaboba communities, demanding that the Managing Director position of BORDA be given to a Benin indigene as compensation for hosting the agency.
David, however, argued that this demand ignored historical facts and the broader mandate of the agency.
“It’s essential to set the record straight. BORDA represents four states: Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Delta.
“It is very important to educate the misdirected protesters and members of the public, who they wish to mislead, that Edo has occupied the position of Managing Director on five occasions since the inception of the authority, more times than any other state the authority represents.
“It is also important to note that some of these managing directors have been of Benin extraction.
“Furthermore, it is also a fact that the immediate past Managing Director who completed an 8-year tenure, was of Edo origin,” David said.
He observed that attempting to monopolise leadership based on ethnic considerations contradicted the Federal Character Commission’s mandate.
According to him, the demands are not representative of the interests of the Benin people, as falsely proclaimed by the unauthorised protesters.
“Benin is a people with integrity and highly regarded leaders to speak on behalf of their collective interests.
“Benin for centuries has had and continues to have a well structured legacy of traditional institutions that has had the authority to voice its interests.
“Benin also currently has in place political authorities that are coherent with the traditional institutions.
“These institutions are currently in harmony. Therefore, it is certainly clear that the protesters have embarked on a misguided lonely voyage,” he said
David urged the protesters to do research before coming to misinform the public in trying to push their likely self-serving political agenda.
He urged the protesters to desist from further disruptive actions, emphasising that stability was crucial for the agency’s operations and regional development.
“We call on all individuals hiding under the guise of a legitimate protest to halt such actions immediately.
“The newly appointed Managing Director, Dr Femi Adekanbi, and his team must be allowed to assume office without delay,” he said.
The coalition leader appealed to security agencies, particularly the Commissioner of Police in Edo, to ensure adequate protection for BORDA’s facilities and personnel.
Raising concerns about the potential consequences of the protest, David warned that continued agitation could threaten BORDA’s presence in Edo State.
“Let us encourage development and growth in Edo State rather than pursuing self-serving ethnic protests with uninformed agendas.
“We must avoid any actions that may lead to the relocation of BORDA from Edo State, which would exacerbate the state’s industrial deficiencies,” he said. (NAN)
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