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Expert Advocates More States for Ijaw, Urhobo A conflict management expert, Prince Clement Bebenimibo, says the Niger-Delta region is not likely to enjoy the desired peace and development without the creation of two additional states for the Ijaw, autonomous state for the Urhobo in Delta State and rotation of position of the President of the Federation to the South-South.
"Furthermore", he said, "the clamor and yearning of the South-South zone to produce the President of the country is long overdue if political reasoning is anything to be reckoned with. All the rest five geo-political zones have at one time or the other produced the President of the country". "So what is the modality behind denying the South-South the position of President? Is it because they are minorities or what? For peace to prevail in a democracy such as ours there must be a proportional participatory system so as to create a sense of belonging", he said. "In the absence of this, peace may elude the region. History has it that the Sir Henry Wilkins Commission of Enquiry in 1957 did recommend fair and better treatment for the minority ethnic nationalities in the South-South zone (Niger-Delta region). It is, therefore, a matter of regret that the three major ethnic groups (colonial creation) are depriving, marginalizing and neglecting the Ijaws and other minority ethnic nationalities in the Niger-Delta region.
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Prince
Bebenimibo argued in an interview with Vanguard that the Ijaw ethnic group,
which he claims is the fourth largest in the country, as well as the
economic livewire of the nation deserved without negotiation, two additional
states of theirs so as to get the desired peace and development.