Esimaje Awani attacks Itsekiri political leaders, ILOT

One of the arrowheads of Itsekiri Political Assembly and former President of Itsekiri National Youth Congress, INYC, Comrade Esimaje Awani, has attacked some prominent Itsekiri political leaders and members of the respected Itsekiri Leaders of Thought ILOT, over the perceived Itsekiri political retrogression since 1999.

Awani, who has been very offensive lately in the social media and political fora, organized by pro-Itsekiri groups, alleged that Warri South PDP Leader, Chief (Dr.) Joseph Otumara, “began the sale of Itsekiri”, accusing former Chairman of Warri South-West Local Government, Hon. David Tonwe, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli and Chief Ayirimi Emami, of trading Warri South-West politically to the Ijaws.

While saying he was among those used as tools for the perceived political trade-off, the former INYC President, also accused a former Chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC and ex-Warri North Local Government Boss, Hon. Godwin Ebosa, of giving Warri North Chairmanship to Egbema Ijaws.

Awani, who spoke Saturday June 12 in Warri, Delta State, during a forum organized by Itsekiri Political Assembly, lampooned the current leadership of Itsekiri Leaders of ILOT, saying members of the body, have become politically partisan.

He asked the members of ILOT, who are politically partisan, to quit their positions or bow out from partisan politics, so as to give ILOT a voice, going forward for Itsekiri Nation.

“Chief Thomas Ereyitomi will go only one tenure. Itsekiri will take 2023 Governorship in Delta State, Delta South Senatorial Seat and Warri South Constituency 2 seat in Delta State House of Assembly. We must return power back to the palace”, the self-style repentant ex-Itsekiri Youth President, declared.

Eloquent Warri Chief, Brown Mene, identified self and greed, as some of the issues bedeviling the political and infrastructural development of Itsekiri Nation, just as he recounted the rotational agreement between Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko ethnic leaders in Delta South, as it affects the senatorial seat of the constituency.

Chief Brown Mene, addressing the gathering

He advised on the need for conveners of the symposium to look beyond 2023 in their political calculations.

Speaking on the subject, “The Way Forward for Itsekiri Politically in 2023 and Beyond”, renowned academic, Prof. Lucky Akaruese stated that the size of population and blame game, are among challenges besetting Itsekiri Nation, saying Itsekiri was prioritized during the Warri crisis, but, “not sure if that is the case politically”.

Prof. Lucky Akaruese, speaking

He challenged conveners of the programme to get more involved in partisan politics, so as to reset the Itsekiri political course on a positive trajectory.

Secretary of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT, Sir A. S. Mene, opined that except the youths and educated Itsekiri elites come out to participate in politics, the narrative of political backwardness in Itsekiri Nation won’t change for good.

Fresh Angle International can report that the immediate past two-time President of National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG and Convener of the jaw-jaw, Mr. Timeyin Edema, explained that the purpose of the gathering, “is to fix the sinking political ship of Itsekiri Nation”, adding: “This is the beginning of many more meetings to come in the bid to fix the ship before 2023”.

L-R (Front row):  Godwin Utienyin, Comr. Monoyo Edon, Comrade Weyinmi Agbateyiniro & Hon. (Barr.) David Eyitemi Oki

Owner of Warri Community Radio, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpoto, who was chairman of the event, told the conveners to expect attack, police harassment and other forms of intimidation, asking them not to see the fight as their own alone.

He challenged members of the Assembly to engage in community development, while keeping the movement on.

L-R: Chief Brown Mene, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpoto & Pa. Egbe

Mr. Ekpoto, posited that character and competence, should be considered in giving power due to Itsekiri Nation to her indigenes.        

Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (Rtd.) in a message delivered through the President of Itsekiri National Youths Council, Comrade Weyinmi Agbateyiniro, enjoined Itsekiris to: “Understand the times and seasons and desire to know what to do like the sons of Issachar in the Bible”, urging them to pay attention to the principles that strengthen partnerships, between Itsekiris, God and their neighbours.

He prayed God to bless the Itsekiri Nation and help her with truthful leaders and followers that would jointly work out a defined political agenda, capable of enhancing the unity and development of the Itsekiris and their land.

Some attendees, consenting to Comr. Awani’s call for Itsekiri Nation to produce Delta State Governor & the Senator to represent Delta South at NASS come 2023

Hon. Daniel Reyenieju, in a message, stated: “At the end of December 2015, Itsekiri had only one political office holder at the national level - Hon. Daniel Reyenieju - in the House of Representatives. Two years before, we also had Tuoyo Omatsuli, serving as Executive Director of Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission. 

“State level politics had favored us more because we produced the Governor of the state Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Chairman of the state’s Civil Service Commission, Late Chief Tetsoma, several prominent members of the Delta State of Assembly members, state Chief Judge, commissioners saddled with important portfolios and other beneficiaries of the system.

“At the local level, we were holding forth in Warri North and Warri South. Implicitly, an average watcher of the political system in Nigeria, would then have concluded that 2007 - 2015, were the golden years of Itsekiri politics and century when we fortified our infrastructural, educational, social and economic fortresses. 

“Without mincing words, we held positions especially at the state level, were consumed in the comfort that this El Dorado offered, we forgot the whatever position no matter how important was tenured, politicking at the national level in our interest for our people was a pipe dream. When we became conscious of our stake and the need to hold what we have, our hands were too weak to keep the grip so, the rest are what we hold.

*Defining Itsekiri Interest*

“To understand the Itsekiri interest, you need to first understand you. Who are you? What do you represent? What things matter to you?what things do you abhor? How do you seek the things you value? How you form your alliances? How do you fight your battles? How do you seek to gain back things you have lost?

“Coherently, Itsekiri in context is not a living being with senses or a place one could explore. Itsekiri is an ideological creation that is encapsulated with three cardinal points -the People, the Crown, the Land - and are bounded in purpose. 

“Bobson Gbinije, while explaining the Itsekiri interest, came up with “Itsekirism” and defined it as “an all-embracing ideological format that has its fundamental fulcrum, the no-holds barred and total non-negotiable insulation of the political, socio-economic and cultural interest and rights of the Itsekiri people.” 

“At the time of his Bobson’s writing in 2016, he described his concept as the “...guiding light till today”. Political losses as well as the outride ceding of lands to other tribes and outright disregard for the “dictates” of the kingdom leaves Itsekirism hanging by the thread of noble ideals.

*Itsekiri Political Dwarfism*

“Prior to the comeback of democratic governance in 1999, Itsekiris had always played a prominent role in Nigeria. Where we were not in elected office, we were holding an appointment. 

“Festus Okotie-Eboh, understood the need to align strategically and he chose his tent carefully in a place that was beneficial to his home. He waltz his way in Northern circles, cognizant of the fact that he was from a minor minority entity. Emerging as the first Finance Minister of the country, he utilized his position to develop his immediate constituency, the Mid-west Region, through aggressive industrialization. 

“In the last 21 years, besides the statutory Federal House of Representatives seat that we possess, we have had only three other persons who that had federal appointments - one minister of state and two Executive directors in NDDC. 

“In Delta state, we have largely been playing personal and selfish politics based on how much fight the individual has within, than in the interest of Itsekiri. That has been understood by those who compete within the same space as us. While they have big masquerades playing the drums for their dances, we dance to the tune in our heads and so, they out-dance us, and their weight tramples those of the individual who has decided to stand alone. 

“The implication is such is far reaching. Itsekiri produces about 25 percent of the toots oil output in.”

A Cross Section of Itsekiris present, during the ceremony

×