Ilaje Women Decry Decades of Neglect, Demand President Tinubu’s Intervention in Niger Delta Resource Allocation and Amnesty Programme
Women from the oil-rich Ilaje region of Ondo State, under the Niger Delta Network for Ondo Indigenous Women, have urged President Bola Tinubu to address the persistent marginalization of their community.
In a statement signed by the group’s President, Chief (Mrs.) Otunba Funmileyi Omogbemi, and Secretary, Adetoke Owoyemi, the women decried the lack of development in Ilaje despite its significant oil contributions. They highlighted the stark contrast between their community’s neglect and the infrastructural advancements in other Niger Delta regions.
The group also accused the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), led by Dr. Dennis Otuaro, of sidelining Ilaje communities, citing his failure to engage with them. Despite Ilaje’s production of approximately 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily and an estimated 4 billion barrels in reserves, the region remains underdeveloped and excluded from key benefits.
Calling the situation a “grave injustice,” the women recalled how Ilaje youths were disarmed under the 2017 Amnesty Programme but have since been abandoned, unlike their counterparts in other Niger Delta states.
The group urged President Tinubu to:
- Ensure fair administration of the Amnesty Programme.
- Implement equitable distribution of benefits.
- Hold Dr. Otuaro accountable for Ilaje’s exclusion.
- End the administrative favoritism in resource allocation.
Warning of growing agitation among Ilaje youths, they stressed the urgent need for government intervention. “Our people deserve justice, and we demand immediate action,” they concluded.
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