Akeredolu’s order: Ondo forcing us to sing Oduduwa anthem – Ijaws

The Arogbo Ijaw Patriots (AIP) have condemned the “imposition” of the Oduduwa anthem by Ondo Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

The group talked about the state authorities pressured Ijaws to recite the anthem all through the conduct of a promotion examination for senior civil servants.

An announcement by the Coordinator and Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei and Bibisa Kekemeke well-known that Akeredolu’s order was a flagrant violation of the rights of the Ijaw ethnic minority.

Akeredolu, via a memo signed by the Eternal Secretary, Ondo State Educating Service Price, Tolu Adeyemi, made it compulsory for the anthem to be sung in all secondary schools.

AIP talked about the occasion was absurd and disturbing, insisting that the Ijaws talk their very personal language in consonance with their distinct ethnicity and need to protect that identification.

They want Akeredolu to “respect the rights of the marginalized Arogbo Ijaws to a dignified existence in Ondo as equipped for by the construction”.

The group talked about the state consists of two ethnicities – the Yoruba occupying 17 Native Authorities Areas and the Ijaws who occupy 1 LGA.

AIP lamented that Ondo State Civil Service “took further steps in the abuse of the regulation to ask people along with Arogbo Ijaws to sing the anthem in a promotion interview on the Governor’s Office Civil Service Points”.

The assertion urged Akeredolu to “present the anticipated consciousness on the need for fairness to note the reality that Ondo State won’t be similar to the homogenous South-West State the place every citizen is Yoruba”.

Stressing that the Ijaws won’t be towards agitations of irrespective of sort, the group condemned “the brazen unfair, irresponsible expansionist try to make them assimilated Yoruba people”.

AIP talked about the Ijaw territory which turned part of Ondo State in 1976 won’t be a vassal territory and should not be dealt with as such.

They urged the Ijaw Nationwide Congress, the Authorized skilled Regular of the Federation, and Nigerians to prevail on Akeredolu to stop “his disdainful remedy of the Ijaw minority”.