PERSPECTIVES ON JUNE 16, 2025 KWALE PROTEST?

1) PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY INTERVENTION PROJECT (PSIP): The STATUS of the TCN Substations and Lines project at Kwale is ‘PSIP’ meaning that it was awarded using emergency procurement in order to avert the threat of destruction of the Federal Government’s critical economic assets in response to the significant roles ignited by “OZ” with his 2-ic “Odanike” in 2015, and finishing was right inside the office of the AIG of the FCID HQ, Abuja, when one of our representatives engaged the then GM of the Power unit Engr. Ndukwe of the NNPC in a physical bout for over 40 minutes. A passionate Ndokwa development chieftain, HC Toni Ezeukwu flew into Abuja and attended the meeting. All the various Ndokwa Youth organizations attended. Recall how the rest of us were fearless, bold and courageous in the presence of the Chairman of ONE, except our then bulky Federal Rep who was visibly afraid, so jittery and shaking like a battery powered vibrator when he was hinted of the intention to harass the GM to reflect the sad mood of Ndokwa people who they have deprived of the IPP power. We also remember our vibrant M. Enudi, and the effective Chocky with his very active Pages group present at the meeting. As at then, the leadership of the NNU was always a very influential senior partner.

2) FROM 2015 TO 2025: That phase of struggle started when Comrade HC Okolo declared a 21 Day ultimatum to the FG in Umutu Town Hall in 2015 during a meeting of the Ndokwa Youth Leaders. Ten whole years later, the focus on the matters arisen from the on-going 2025 Protest should not deviate from sustaining the status of the project as a ‘PSIP’, thus, this should not be about who is right or wrong between the State Government and the Protesters. The fact that a batch of tested equipment has arrived Nigeria is not yet an achievement until all the remaining batches arrive. That does not also erase several more years of bureaucracy or administrative protocols in the process of completing the construction and installation of the Substations from its present zero level. The 2025 protest was intended at addressing the avoidable delays, by keeping them alert on their toes and reminding the TCN that this Presidential Security Intervention Project is an EMERGENCY project that deserves URGENCY.  

3) ARISE TV INTERVIEW: The State Deputy Governor (SDG) has a very bright personality that cannot be easily dimed or dented. In whatever circumstance, he is our own, and Ndokwa must make every effort to positively project his image. Whoever does not love him or intended to damage his personality must have ill-advised him to be interviewed on Arise TV on an issue that seem to have publicly pitched him against a popular cause of his very own ethnic people. Political hawks who mean Ndokwa no good are hovering over us eager to snatch what we are having, at any slightest opportunity. The TV interview became like a free gift for enhancing the protest, putting the protest in international limelight because it helped bring the protest beyond the national stage to a global stage. The SDG’s mentioning that participation of “non-indigenes” who identified with the protest, may have weighed more on his thought that the protest should be a closed family affair. However, the protesters are like a drowning man who is desperate for a savior and does not choose or care about the race or religion of who saves him. If a savior is not found among our indigenes serving in Government, the protesters will gladly see any non-indigene, visitor or stranger, like the Biblical “good Samaritan” who is sympathetic to the sorry plight of our people and environment.

4) FOCUS ON A COMPLETE SYSTEM. About our very own State Deputy Governor, he really does have great plans far beyond our expectations from Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). DISTRIBUTION and the other aspects that are not covered by the TCN have been carefully planned out and accommodated within the new Electricity Act domiciled in Delta State. Kwale is not his enemy because he has considered a major investment facility to even be hosted there to engage the women and youths. The TRANSMISSION Power Step Down will not bring light into our homes without the distribution component to complement it.

5) WALKING ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’. After the APC merger, The tensive atmosphere between the old and new blocs within the merger has established counter-suspicions; such that the legitimate Ndokwa boys simply participating in the just protest are identified to contending blocs. Henryland who is the initiator and principal leader of the protest has proven to walk where eagles dare, but within the limits of building a massive mobilization for a ‘Light Up Ndokwa Protest’. Along with his team, they were unable to adopt the peaceful “Ijaw model”, leaving the event organizing and coordination poorly managed; especially with the absence of far-reaching consultations and sensitization with Ndokwa stakeholders, movers or backers both within and outside the State Government, in order to ‘school and intimate every one of them’ thereby carry them along on the need for an organized PEACEFUL protest with a back-up plan.

6) REASONS FOR MAN HUNT OF THE PROTEST LEADERS? Fortunately, the peaceful protest was fantastic and largely a peaceful, except that the initiator, who is very rich in mobilization, may have exhibited his lack of sufficient coordination skills or organizational capability by not ably controlling all the hot and dark spots on the protest ground which may have led to the less than 5% of the protest being infiltrated and abused by miscreants. However, no Protest leader ordered the attack of any person or damage of any property. This unfortunate but unintended scenario may have led to the manhandling of the Commissioner of Youths (with video evidence posted on Delta State Ministry of Youth page). Also, the family of the Chairman Isoko North LGA was severely harassed, and an SA to the Governor was injured; with their cars damaged. The protesters, who were genuinely fighting an Ndokwa cause, regret the unintended harm and plead for mercy. Please forgive every one of them.

7) NDOKWA NEEDS RECONCILIATION & HEALING: Our people are known for enduring peace that has yielded no returns. Majority of our young and old people are very bitter with the failure to step down power from the IPP on time. We need not further provoke our youths. The protest succeeded in producing very great gain, but there were also casualties of injured victims, burning of motor bikes, burning eyes from tear gas, damage of government vehicles and arrest of protesters. However, our youths are indeed peaceful, but never powerless. Delay in the release of the peaceful protesters may provoke others to take to violence as an alternative option. The demands in the Protest letter are not offensive against the State Government. It even recognized them for funding the Right of Way compensations. Thus, let’s all seek a political solution by appealing to His Excellency, the State Deputy Governor for the arrested protesters, like his sons, to be quickly, but CONDITIONALLY released from the State CID, Asaba. We all need to take the right steps in ensuring that our youths don’t indulge in any violence in order to avert any collateral damage of FG’s critical economic assets lying on the earth surface across our land areas. 

Svt/ONE (June 19, 2025