By George OPARA
The Supreme Egbesu Assembly, SEA, the apex socio-cultural organisation in the Niger Delta region, has taken legal actions against the federal government over alleged political marginalization and economic injustices against the oil-bearing Ijaw ethnic nationalities, states and communities in the region.
The legal action, Spear News Nigeria gathered that it seeks an immediate redress of the alleged collosal socio-political and economic harms to the Ijaw ethnic nationalities and Niger Delta region as a whole.
Dr. Felix Tuodolo, spokesman of the group highlighted that the suits are challenging alleged political marginalisation, economic exploitation and continued neglect of oil-producing communities by the Nigerian state.
Spear News Nigeria learned the suits demand mainly a creation of additional 24 local government areas in Bayelsa State to homogenize the Ijaw ethnic extraction.
Also, the group seeks full resource control for the Ijaw people and the wider Niger Delta region, insisting that oil-bearing communities deserve greater authority and benefits from the resources extracted from their lands.
Thirdly, is the contentious Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline, MNGP, a multibillion-dollar transnational energy project designed to transport Nigerian gas through several West African countries to Morocco and eventually Europe.
Tuodolo, disclosed that the suit about the gas pipeline project has already been filed before the ECOWAS Court but the federal government, hitherto, has not made any responses.
He also flayed the Federal Government for prioritising the export of gas resources to foreign countries while communities in the Niger Delta still grapple with poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation and poor infrastructure.
He said, โThe Federal Government cannot continue to pipe our gas to faraway Morocco and create employment, electricity, industries and funds for them while we suffer unemployment, darkness and environmental perils”.
He argued that the Niger Delta remains the economic backbone of Nigeria but continues to suffer negligence amid decades of oil and gas exploitation.
As for the suit demanding additional local governments and resource control, the group said, recently they came up before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, without the federal government’s legal representation during the proceedings, upon which the court adjourned to June 1, 2026.
However, Tuodolo said lawyers representing the federal government have since written to the court, showing their intention to appear in further hearings.
It would be recalled that the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline project has generated considerable debate within policy, economic and environmental circles since inception.
Though top authorities told Spear News Nigeria that the project is a strategic initiative capable of deepening regional integration and expanding gas exports to Europe but critics questioned its economic viability and benefits to oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta.
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