BORBDA: Edo communities protest 43-year marginalisation 

Host communities to the Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) in Edo state have decried the non appointment of an indeginous managing director for the agency, 43 years after it was established by the federal government.

The indigenous people of the communities said they have been further angered by the recent appointment of Femi Adekanbi, who they described as a non native as managing director of the agency.

They demanded the immediate sacking of the new MD and the appointment of qualified Benin person.

The indigenes made the demand during a protest at the headquarters of the agency. 

The protesters drawn from Obayantor 11, Ekosa, Agbomwoba and Awanoba communities barricaded the entrance gate to the agency, preventing workers and visitors from accessing its premises.

Spokesperson for the protesters, Mr  Nosa Aigbogho stated: “The host communities have been marginalised for 43 years in the appointment to the board of BORBDA, and promotion of indigenous people to positions of senior managerial cadre.

“This peaceful protest was to drive home our demands in respect of the appointments made into the management of the agency whereby no single host community person was considered even when they were eminently qualified.

“Our protest at the BORBDA headquarters was also to demand that the Oba’s recommendations for the appointment of someone from the host communities be respected by the appointing authorities,” he said.

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to put an end to what he described as many years of marginalisation in fulfillment of the federal character principles and in line with the recommendation of the Benin Monarch, Oba Eware II.

Aigbogho added that the protest would continue  until the president look into their demands for the appointment of a Benin man as managing director.