The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG wish to thank the Vice President Professor Yemi Osibanjo for the visit to the Olu of Warri, His majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli Paramount Ruler of the Pristine and ancient Warri Kingdom, and the only first Class ruler in Delta State in his recent visit to Delta State.
We thank the Federal Government for their commitment towards the ongoing peace process in pursuant of the development of the Niger delta region.
The Itsekiri People are one of the very few unique tribes in the Niger Delta, and this can be attributed to the fact that our Monarchy are amongst the few that signed the Nigeria Amalgamation Treaty in 1914.
The Itsekiri Nation was an established country of her own with vast economic and material resources prior to the amalgamation of Nigeria.
Painfully, since the amalgamation of Nigeria, and consequently our signing of the treaty, the Itsekiri Nation has been oppressed and marginalized economically and politically both by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and our very hostile neighbours.
This hostility became so worrisome that on February 10, and 1976, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thoughts (ILOT) wrote a letter to the then Military Head of State General Muritala Muhammed titled- "WARRI DIVISION BELONGS TO THE ITSEKIRIS - A REFUTAL OF CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY BY CUSTOMARY TENANTS"
We are appalled that over 30 years after the letter, the fears of our forefathers that necessitated the said letter has not been dealt with by the Federal Government.
This fears manifested in form of the Warri Crisis between 1997 - 2003 under the guise of a purported “Relocation of a Local Government Headquarters".
Today the same people that carried out a genocidal attack on the Itsekiri people are threatening war over a genuine call by our revered Monarch Ogiame Ikenwoli, Olu of Warri concerning lands under his over-lordship.
It will interest the general public to know that The First Class Warri Monarch amongst others made the following demands;
1. Security of the lives of the Itsekiri people and their homeland.
2. Establishment of a Nigeria Naval Based to be sited in the Escravos and Ogheye water ways.
The Naval Base will secure the Nation coast, reduce militancy in the area, help the IOCs especially Shell, and Chevron to have a secured environment to work, protect their facilities without much cost to them and in return protect the lives and properties of workers.
The establishment of the Naval Base is long overdue as the Federal Government should not allow some people to continually carry out nefarious acts in guise of agitation.
3. Dredging of Escravos Bar, and Koko River.
4. The federal government should reopen the Warri Port.
This is to boost economic activity in the Niger Delta, and create new job opportunities for the youths. We believe if the Warri Port is upgraded it will help Business men in the East to cut cost of transporting goods from Lagos to Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri etc, and help ease the transportation of some goods and services to the middle belt of the country. The port which have the potential of creating over 200,000 jobs for youths in the Niger Delta which will further check youth restiveness in the region.
5. The commencement of Construction of The Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at Ogidigben.
Apart from industrializing the area it will create employment opportunities for youths in the region. It should be worthy to note that the EPZ can engage over 100,000 youths in the construction phase alone. This project has been moribund for too long.
6. The Koko-Ogheye-Lekki Road and the Omadino-Escravos highway.
These projects are dear to the heart of the Itsekiri people. These projects though awarded have been abandoned over the years. We urge the federal government to start construction of these road projects because it has the potentials of transforming the Benin River and Escravos area of the Niger Delta.
THE NIGERIA MARITIME UNIVERSITY (NMU)
The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates Association (NAIG) welcome the sitting of the Nigeria Maritime University on our land at Omadino “Okenrenghigho” wrongly named Okerenkoko which we believe will foster rapid development of the Niger Delta.
We want the world to know that our concern is the illegal acquisition of our land belonging to the people of Omadino (Itsekiri) by the Federal Government from our Gbaramatu Ijaw tenants which is in total disregard of the rule of law and against judgments by courts of competent jurisdiction as listed below.
CASE 1:
In Suit No.w/20/46, Adurumokumor (Ijaw) acting for himself and on behalf of Bakokodia Ijaw Community took action against Kponu (Itsekiri) of Omadino for a declaration of title to the land described as Bakokodia. The true Position is that the Ijaw inhabitants of Bakokodia and its environs came from Western Ijaw and were permitted by Chanomi Iye on the authority of Omadino people to settle there. Ademola J. dismissed Adurumokumors’ action on the ground that the people of Bakododia had failed to prove their title to the land claimed by them.
As the Ijaws persisted in demanding tributes and rents from those using the land and fishing in the rivers, Omadino people, represented by Chief Sillo and Edremoda Golly, sued Adurumokumor on behalf of Bakokodia people in Warri High Court and successfully obtained a declaration of title over Bakokodia and the surrounding lands and rivers (Okenrenghigho inclusive). The court awarded damages for trespass against the Ijaws who, according to the Judge, were put on the land by Omadino people who acknowledge the over-lordship rights of the Olu of Warri. The Ijaws went to the West African Court of Appeal and lost.
CASE 2
After this, the Ijaws continued to disregard the above judgments, and Omadino people sued them for an order of forfeiture at the Warri High Court. Ultimately at the Supreme Court, the Ijaws accepted a compromise judgment in which they clearly acknowledged Omadino’s ownership of the land. See Suits Nos. W/29/51, WACA No. 3707, W/37/61 and SC/393/64.
CASE 3
Okenrenghigho, another Ijaw settlement in Gbaramatu also fell under the axe of the Omadino people. In Suit 30/62 Chief Sillo (Itsekiri) versus James Uluba (Ijaw), Justice Obaseki held that the Ijaws of Okerenghigho are tenants of Omadino. The Ijaws then appealed to the Supreme Court presided over by Elias, C.J., Sowewimo and Ibekwe S.C.JJ. in Suit No. SC.37/1973. They lost. The effect of these judgments is that the whole of Gbaramatu area is peopled by Ijaws who are customary tenants on lands owned by Omadino people under the over Lordship of the Olu of Warri.
Secondly, the original map of Bendel State shows clearly these lands with these names as Okerenghigho and Bakokodia as against the political name Okerenkoko and Kokodiagbene
These Judgments justify that our Ijaw neighbour of Gbaramatu are customary tenant to the Iteskiris however we agree to live together but this peaceful coexistence should not be an avenue to disregard the rule of law.
The right of Omadino people should not be denied because of their magnanimity of not suing for forfeiture of the said land when the Ijaws of Gbaramatu staged a commando like War on the Itsekiri people on a land they gave them as customary tenants.
As we seek justice for our people of Omadino in respect to land acquisition for the Maritime University to be sited at Okereghigho (wrongly named Okerenkoko), we hope that the FG will take serious our concern on the continuous annexing and decimation of our homeland.
Peace in the absence of justice is not sustainable anywhere in the world.
We want sustenance peace in the Niger Delta as this will help allays the fears of multinationals that have refused to relocate their corporate headquarters to their area of operation despite the call by the Federal Government under the Goodluck Jonathan administration for them to relocate.
We want the International Oil Companies (IOC) especially Chevron Nigeria Limited to relocate her corporate headquarters to Warri but the Federal Government has to create an enabling environment of "sustainable peace" for us to achieve this lofty dream.
SOLOMON SHOLUWA
DEDE SHUWA
TOJU APOH
FOR:
PUBLICITY COMMITTEE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ITSEKIRI GRADUATES (NAIG)
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