Chief Ayiri Emami’s tales by moonlight

All well-meaning Itsekiri sons and daughters have been urged to call the Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom (prime minister) chief Ayiri Emami to order before he does the unthinkable of bringing the hallowed itsekiri traditional institution into disrepute

Chief Ayiri Emami’s

This was contained in a press statement issued by Jackson Ekwugum, manager, communication, Government House Asaba in response to chief Ayiri Emami’s interview published in the Vanguard Newspaper of 13 January 2018 where chief Emami discredited the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa with falsehood, innuendoes, unsubstantiated allegations and hopeless-attempt by a political huckster desperate for relevance and quest for political patronage from his APC benefactors.

The press statement allegedly indicted chief Emami of receiving N800m from the previous administration for a contract to tackle the coastal erosion ravaging the entire shorelines of Aruton, an Itsekiri community in Warri west local government area, five years gone, chief Emami has not done anything which prompted this current administration of Okowa to ask for refund.

On February 11, 2013, the Delta State Government (STB/10/T/60) awarded  the contract for the construction of Shoreline Protection Measures (Phase 1) at Aruoton community to  Emami’s company, EasyQuest Nigeria Limited at a total sum of N1,694,211,750.00 (one billion, six hundred and ninety-four million, two hundred and eleven thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira). The company was mobilised with the sum of N800m (eight hundred million naira) as per the terms of the contract. But despite repeated appeals, Chief Emami’s company has not done a single work at the site, five years after the contract was awarded. 

Not surprisingly, Chief Emami sought, again unsuccessfully, to make political capital out of the Trans Warri-Ode Itsekiri Bridge and Access Roads project. The fact is that there is an outstanding liability of N8.066b due to the contractor inherited by the Okowa administration for 68% of work executed under the previous administration. The contractor, Setraco, is insisting that this debt be settled before they continue work. Given the challenging economic environment since 2015, it has not been easy for the Government to cough out N8.8b at a go, but arrangements have reached advanced stage to offset some of this liability and get the contractor back on site. 

Chief Emamis claim that the administration of Governor Okowa has not executed any project in Itsekiri areas of Delta State is as laughable as it is fraudulent. It is either the Ologbotsere does not reside in Warri (which will be a huge disservice to his people) or he is a victim of horrific hallucinations. Otherwise, how can he not be aware of the 15 internal roads in Ode Itsekiri that were executed before the coronation of HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli as Olu of Warri Kingdom? Besides these, the Okowa administration has completed the construction of the Access road to Awaritse Industrial Park, Obitugbo (Phase 1) in Warri North Local Government Area as well as rehabilitated the NPA Bye Pass Road (from New Port Gate to Old Port Gate), Warri South Local Government Area.

It is highly delusional for Chief Emami to say that “all schools in our areas are being abandoned by the current Delta State Government.” For the avoidance of doubt, the Okowa administration has completed infrastructural work at Egbema Primary School, Ogbimbri in Warri North Local Government Area, while extensive infrastructural upgrade is currently on-going at Agbeje Primary School, Ugbuwangue, Warri South Local Government Area, Egharegbemi Primary School, Ubeji, Ojomba Primary School, Koko, Dore-Numa College and Ubeji Grammar School both in Warri. 

The Okowa administration has also completed the following inherited projects:

- Construction, furnishing and equipping of Atuwatse II Model Primary School, Warri

- Construction, furnishing and equipping of Alema Model College, Abigborodo

In addition, the State Government supplied 2,315 students and 386 teachers’ furniture to selected schools in Warri North Local Government Area. Another 1,300 students’ furniture and 152 teachers’ furniture were supplied to selected schools in Warri South-West Local Government Area. 

It is crystal clear from the foregoing that Chief Emami’s moonlight tales are only fit for a village fireside chit chat. It is all sound and fury, signifying nothing. But then we do not expect anything better from a man who wears his badge of notoriety with disgusting pride.