President, Esan Okpa Initiative, Rt Hon Mathew Egbadon with the Vice President, Engineer George Okoyo at the press conference.…Wants Concerted Efforts to Tackle Frightening Insecurity …Asks Government to Reintroduce Teaching of Esan Language …Laments Absence of Industrialization in EsanlandA newly floated socio-cultural, non partisan group, Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), has strongly decriedthe spate of marginalization of Esan people in federal and state appointments, demanding that Edo State which was founded on a tripod 30 years ago, should be run on the basis of equity, fairness and justice to all its component parts.The group which is irked by the frightening spate of insecurity in Edo State particularly along the busy Auchi-Benin road, dogged by kidnapping and other criminal activities, wants government and security agencies to brace up to tackle the menace which it says impede the movement of Esan people to Benin City and other parts of the country.Addressing a maiden press conference in Benin City to announce its birth, the group’s President, Rt Hon Mathew Egbadon, urged the state government to give armed herdsmen ravaging Edo forests and farmlands a timeline to exit or be forced out.The group also called on the state government to as a matter of exigency, enact the State Anti-Open Grazing Law, in line with the decision of the governors of the Southern States of Nigeria that such laws should be in place by the Southern States by September 2021.Lamenting the waning of Esan language, which he said it’s almost becoming extinct, Egbadon, a former Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, also called on the Edo State government to reintroduce the teaching of Esan language in primary and secondary schools in Esanland as a way of promoting the speaking and writing of the language. While revealing plans to set up mini Esan language clinics in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and in the Diaspora, it also called on the authorities of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma to include Esan and other Edo languages amongst courses in its Department of Languages.Also slamming the absence of industrialization in Esanland, leading to massive urban drift of its people, the group implored government to revive some of the now moribund industrial plants started by the administration of Mr Lucky Igbinedion, who was Governor between 1999 – 2007 and also considers establishing new ones.On the State government’s recent direct intervention in the running of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, the group appeals to the stakeholders of the University, that they must not, by acts of commissions or omissions, fritter away the solid achievements which the University has made since its inception, and which have brought glory and honour to Edo state.The ex-Speaker also noted that Esan People were currently marginalized in the scheme of things in the stateHe said; “It is by an act of providence that Edo State (a near-homogenous State) was created about 30 years ago. It was created on a tripod: namely Edo South, Edo North, and Edo Central senatorial districts respectively. The Esan ethnic nationality occupies the Edo Central district.“We are of the firm view that Edo Central senatorial district has been relegated to the background by successive governments, both at the State and Federal levels, since 2008 when Mr. Adams Oshiomhole became governor of Edo State and is yet to fair better under the government of Mr. Godwin Obaseki.“Many major political appointments to key State and Federal positions and establishments have been made by political leaders across the party lines, without taking the interest of Esan people into consideration.“Under the current political dispensation, only two Senatorial Districts, Edo South, and Edo North, have effectively occupied the following positions:* Governor of the State – Edo South* Deputy Governor of the State – Edo North.* Ambassadorial Position – Edo South & Edo North.* Hon. Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: Two from EdoState – One from Edo South and One from Edo North.* Secretary to the State Government- Edo South.* Chief of Staff to the Governor – Rotates between Edo North &South, to mention just a few.* Head of the State Civil Service.* Many appointees in Key Federal and State Government Agencies.“While we rejoice with our brothers and sisters of these senatorial Districts for these appointments, we implore all political leaders not to forget Edo Central Senatorial District made up of Esan people.“It is on record that the only office ceded to the Esan people – the office of the Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly – was until recently, a subject of musical chairs, intense political manipulations, and proxy war by the political leaders of the other two districts.“As it stands, Edo State political structure is standing essentially, on a bipod, instead of the tripod, which God, and even political expediency, originally designed it to be. Can anyone change the will or plan of God? On what it called the frightening Insecurity in Esanland the group said; “Our people can no longer travel to Benin City, the state capital, to transact business without the risk of falling into the hands of kidnappers and bandits,” and warned that “Famine is imminent, as farmers have abandoned their farms, as the bandits have laid siege to all farmlands and major roads in Esanland.“While we commend the efforts of the State government, Security Agencies and Vigilante groups in trying to combat the menacing wave of banditry, kidnapping and other activities in the State, we implore the authorities to regard the Benin-Ekpoma road and Esanland in particular, as areas of “special interest or flash points” because these two areas are major gateways to the Northern and Eastern parts of Nigeria, with streams of regular heavy human and vehicular traffic on the roads.The group appealed to Governor Obaseki to set up agro-based industries in Esanland, which has a comparative advantage in various agricultural resources that would feed such enterprises.“We will never be tired of talking about the abandoned Cassava Processing Factory at Uromi, which was started during the regime of Chief Lucky Igbinedion but later abandoned.“It is our view that if rehabilitated, the factory, which is a potential goldmine, that has been allowed to rot by successive governments, would provide both direct and indirect employment for our people. EOI is ready to partner with the State government to reactivate this factory or any other agro based industry in Esanland.The Objectives of forming EOI, as stated in its Constitution, include, “to have a one-stop shop, pan-Esan Organization, which will act as a Think Tank, and serve as a platform to address issues affecting Esan,Conceived by three Esan Associations, namely, Ikolo Esan, based in Benin City, Esan Club 30 based in Port Harcourt and Association of Esan Professionals worldwide, with headquarters, it has since been joined by other groups, associations and individuals since its formation.“Esan Okpa” connotes “Esan is one”. It means the “Esan People Are One,” Egbadon, also a lawyer explains.The Esan ethnic nationality occupies five local government areas in Edo State.