Esan youths want pardon for Ambrose Alli; Demand resignation of Speaker in petition to Governor.

The Coalition of Esan Youth Leaders, have asked the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Kabiru Adjoto, twenty one days  to resign the seat of Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly citing a breach of the federal character principle.

The youths also said another reason is the need for political balancing among the 3 senatorial district in the state and justice and equity for the Esan or Edo Central people whom they argue had been systematically marginalised in Edo State for ten years, since 2008.

The Coalition of Esan Youth Leaders comprises of most of the social, cultural, students and political associations in Edo Central District of Edo State – which is one of the three federating constituencies of the state.

In a two page Petition tagged “The Esan Declaration” signed by the Leader of the Coalition, Mr Odion Ekeoba, the Secretary General of the Coalition  Saintmoses Eromosele, Esq and the Public Relations Manager of the Coalition, Mr Kingsley Ohens, made available to reporters in Benin City Edo State, the Coalition asked the state government to grant their eight demands.

The following are the demands:

“1. We demand the resignation of Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto and reinstatement of Dr Justin Okonoboh – or any legislator from Edo Central District of Edo State – as Hon Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly within 21 days.

2. We demand that the ratio of employment and appointments in the Edo State civil service be investigated for failure to meet quota system or principle of federal character and let any anomaly be reviewed to reflect proportional representation of Esan people in the Edo State civil service, both in the lower and higher cadres.

3. We appeal that the Edo State Government should urgently consider developing the Ilushi River Port at Esan South East, even as the Niger River is currently undergoing dredging by the federal government, which project holds enormous economic potentials for Edo State and also for the District.

4. We demand greater attention of the Edo State Government for roads in Edo Central District. We desire and deserve more construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of roads in Edo Central most of which are economic roads in various stages of disrepair, suffering from unreasonable neglect.

5. We demand your intervention in the high handedness of the electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) in Esanland.

6. We demand a posthumous Pardon or review  and nullification of the criminal conviction that was slammed on Prof. Ambrose Alli by the military. The Ambrose Alli family particularly desire this over the years and we lend our voice to theirs by this Petition. There is precedence for this, Your Excellency. The posthumus recognition given to MKO Abiola for wrongs done by previous military government is only very recent and instructive, Your Excellency.

7. We demand a special Edo Central District Agriculture Development Fund, targeted at encouraging the young people and older people to work the arable lands and gainfully employ many and generate positive economic activity that could also indirectly combat the twin problem of rural urban migration and illegal emigration.

8. On our part, in courtesy exchange for your gracious intervention, we will demand of all groups, associations and individuals in Esanland, including all Esan politicians on all political platforms and divides, to bury the hatchet to work concertedly with the government of the day without acrimony, and to play politics only during the periods that the law and regulations stipulate for politicking.”

Further investigations reveal that as at the time of filing  this report, copies of the Petition had been received by the Governor of Edo State, the Chief Judge of Edo State, the Clerk of the Edo  State House of Assembly and the leadership of the two main political parties.