Hundreds of Benin youths took to the streets on Monday, February 10, 2025, to stage a peaceful protest against the alleged marginalization of the Edo South Senatorial zone from the Board of Management of the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA).
The protesters, who obstructed vehicular movements to the BORBDA headquarters in Obayantor, Edo State, expressed their grievances over the lack of representation from the Edo South Senatorial zone in the position of Managing Director of the Authority for the past 42 years.
Their concerns were further heightened by the recent completion of the two-term tenure of Engineer Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed, an Auchi man from the Edo North Senatorial zone, who served as Managing Director from January 2017 to January 2025.
Despite the rotational basis of the position among the catchment states of Edo, Ekiti, Delta North Senatorial Zone, and Ondo States, the Benin youths, women, and elders feel marginalized as host communities.
The protest aimed to draw attention to the alleged marginalization and to have their voices heard and recognized at the federal level. The BORBDA is under the direct supervision of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
