Okotomu is autonomous from Ode-Itsekiri Olu, no person has unfettered right to dispose off our land – Okotomu Elders’ Council

Okotomu-Irigbo Community Elders’ Council and the Executive Committee of Okotomu Community, have declared that Okotomu is autonomous from Ode-Itsekiri Olu and no person has unfettered right to dispose off Okotomu land, “without the consent, approval and/or authority first being sought and obtained from the people of Okotomu.”

Fresh Angle International, can report that this declaration, was contained in a public notice made available to the media this week.

In the statement which was signed by the Olare-Aja (Onukuteh) Chairman of Okotomu-Irigbo Community Elders’ Council; Pa (Lawyer) D. S. I. O. Pessu, Secretary, Okotomu-Irigbo Community Elders’ Council; Mr. Douglas Akambe, Spokesman, Okotomu-Irigbo Community Elders’ Council; Pastor Solomon Bibi, the Chairman, Okotomu - Irigbo Community Executive Committee; Mr. Luck Ekpedure, Pa Samuel Bibi (Member) Elders’ Council and Pa Bernard Tetsuwa (Member) Elders’ Council, they asserted: “Okotomu is a distinct and autonomous entity in Ode -Itsekiri (Big Warri): Okotomu and Ode-Itsekiri-Olu are not one and the same community.”

The notice, further noted: “The Elders’ Council and the Okotomu-Irigbo Community Executive Committee, are the bodies charged with managing the affairs of the Okotomu Community.

“To this end, it behoves on us, being representatives of the Elders’ Council and the Executive Committee of Okotomu Community to protect our aged long history, and stand against all forms of perversions against our history, targeted at oppressing our Okotomu people. This has become expedient in order to clear some grey areas in the narrative of the history of Okotomu people put out there by some talebearers, who out of sheer greed and animosity towards our people, are championing a cause to re-write the history of the Okotomu-Irigbo people.

“The misrepresentation in the history of the Okotomu people has beclouded the minds of some members of the general public into believing that the "existence "of Okotomu as a "distinct an autonomous entity "is a hoax.

“We the indigenous people of Okotomu Community refute this false allegation and by the publication, we are bringing it to the attention of the general public and indeed the entire world that under Ode-Itsekiri, we have Okotomu Community and Ode - Itsekiri-Olu Community, among other communities which is not our focus here. Okotomu community is a distinct and autonomous community from Ode-Itsekiri Olu community.

“In recent times, there has been a perversion regarding the history of the Okotomu people from certain surrounding quarters /communities, all in a bid to ignore our existence as a Community and a distinct entity. One of such perversions in the history of our people, is the general and erroneous conception that Okotomu is a community submerged under Ode -Itsekiri- Olu Community. We categorically state that it is false and unfounded. Okotomu is a distinct and autonomous entity in Ode -Itsekiri (Big Warri): Okotomu and Ode-Itsekiri-Olu are not one and the same community.

“To show the dichotomy between the two communities, Ode-Itsekiri-Olu Community just like Okotomu Community, has her own Management Committee charged with managing the affairs of Ode-Itsekiri-Olu. We refer to letter dated 30/1/2002 written by Ode-Itsekiri-Olu Management Committee. But only recently, the adage "OLU** was surreptitiously edited and /or removed from * Ode - Itsekiri". An attempt to mislead the general public to believe that Ode- Itsekiri is one whole community.

“We the people of Okotomu community are the originals and descendants of Itsekiri (Onukuteh) and we are sufficiently abreast with the true facts relating to the history of our people. We refuse to allow any other version which pollutes our history as the same is an attempt to erode the existence of Okotomu as a distinct entity.

“Prior to the advent of the Royals led by Prince GINUWA from the ancient Benin Kingdom in about 1480 A. D to the area now known as the Warri Kingdom, there were five indigenous communities in existence. These were, OKOTOMU, Inorin, Ureju, Omadino and Ugborodo. On arrival of Prince Ijijen, the man called ITSEKIRI, who was then the head (Onukuteh) the OKOTOMU people asked him of his mission to the Okotomu land. Prince Ijijen replied to him that he and his men had come to settle on the Okotomu land. Itsekiri was rather accommodating, but told Ijijen that he had a deity called Okpotu, which forbade many things and that these things should be observed scrupulously by the Royals like borning of twin children, having Still Birth, women who died during child labour, menstruation, e.t.c. Should any of these items be contravened, then the land would have to be sanctified.

“Before Itsekiri finally gave his permission for the Royals to settle on the Okotomu land, he demanded that if the OLU slaughtered any cow, he, the OLU should send him all the feet (Utiale) for sacrifice. The OLU agreed to all these conditions laid down by the man, Itsekiri, and this has been followed religiously by all subsequent Olus (Kings) till date.

“At this point, Itsekiri asked Prince Ijijen to choose any convenient spot on the land to settle. This settlement which is today, the ODE ITSEKIRI-OLU, was determined by a magic Spear (IGAN) thrown by one of Prince Ijijen’s entourage, Priest Idibie.

“After the Royal Party was accepted and accommodated by Itsekiri, the Head of the Okotomu Community, Itsekiri administered the oath on Okpotu Deity on the new Olu Ijijen, and the man, Itsekiri proclaimed him, Olu OGBOWURU. Ever since, it had been the tradition to swear in the Olu on Okpotu by an Elder from Okotomu-Irigbo for the maintenance of moral order.

“To perpetuate the name of Itsekiri for the acceptance and accommodation of the Royals, Olu Ijijen proclaimed his people to be called ITSEKIRI and the language of the people, shall be ITSEKIRI, and the capital of his Kingdom shall be called ODE- ITSEKIRI-Olu.

“Ode-Itsekiri-Olu is divided into three quarters, namely Irigbo, Ogbe and Oroke accordingly. It is important to re-emphasize here that it is only a part of Irigbo that is inclusive in Ode-Itsekiri-Olu, the remaining part is in Okotomu. For more enlightenment about IRIGBO, we were told by the Elders that after the founding fathers had moved from Igala and established themselves at Okotomu centuries ago, the management of the affairs of the Community was carried out under different leaders. One of such prominent leaders was IGBOR, who wielded much influence and gained popularity as a good leader. He had large followers and his family became known as IRA-IGBOR (The people of IGBOR) shortened to IRIGBO.

“It is a common knowledge that even after ITSEKIRI and the Okotomu people have accepted the overlordship of Prince Ijijen, the Okotomu people still exercised their allodial rights over their farmlands and carried out several acts of ownership exclusively, to the knowledge of Ode-Itsekiri Olu people. The Royals did not at any time, delve into this arena, which they know was solely reserved for and exercised by the Okotomu people.

“It is also interesting to note that the Royals were not given unlimited access into the Okotomu land, hence they acknowledged the existence of the traditional ownership right of the Okotomu people over their land by agreeing to deliver the feet (Utiale) of any big animal slaughtered by the Olu for any rites or rituals to the Elders of Okotomu for sacrifice.

“There is now also known in Itsekiri, a right known as OWNERSHIP and another one known as OVERLORDSHIP. These two rights have been defined in the celebrated case known as DORE VS OLUE (1921) presided over by Justice A. Webber in respect of family land in the area known as Warri Kingdom. In that case, it was clearly stated in a Consent Judgement (based on Terms of Settlement by the Parties: DORE for and on behalf of the OLU of Warri and OLUE for and on behalf of the Ugborodo people), that apart from certain restrictions which the Olu can exercise over family land in Warri Kingdom, OWNERSHIP of family land VESTS in the family. This is the Itsekiri Customary Land Law.

“Just after the 1987 Coronation of Olu Atuwatse II, some members of the Ejo Family attempted to claim ownership of part of Okotomu-Irigbo land in the Law Court vide Warri Area Court Case NO. WACC1264/87. The ugly situation was arrested by the Elders of Okotomu-Irigbo and with the support of the generality of the people appropriate measures were taken, which saw the defeat of the Ejo Family Legal action vide Appeal NO. DCCA/13A/04, wherein the Court ruled that the land belongs to the Okotomu people.

“The allodial rights of the Okotomu people was some time ago, contested in Appeal No: SC/134/71, wherein the Supreme Court gave a resounding victory to the Okotomu people which still echoes in Ode-Itsekiri to date. The judgment which was delivered on the 4th day of October, 1974, affirmed that Okotomu land is the bonafide property of the Okotomu people.

“As the sole owners of the land, the Okotomu people enjoy possession and proprietary rights over their land, and are the only persons entitled to solely administer the rights over their lands. As customary with the Okotomu tradition, no person has the unfettered right to dispose -off Okomu lands, without the consent, approval and or authority first being sought and obtained from the people of Okotomu. Flowing from the above, the following points are summarized and highlighted for the attention of members of the general public as follows:

“1. Okotomu land belongs to the Okotomu people as declared by the Supreme Court in Appeal No: SC/134/71.

“2. The control and /or administration of the allodial rights are vested solely on the Okotomu people who are the aborigines of Okotomu land before the advent of Prince in Okotomu.

“3.The Okotomu people recognize the overlordship of the Olu.

“4. Okotomu Community is a distinct and autonomous Community from Ode-Itsekiri Olu Community. These two communities are separate and autonomous indivisible entities both submerged in Ode-Itsekiri (Big Warri).

“We therefore make bold to say that any contrary opposition and for unauthorized actions against our position with be strongly resisted and met by attendant legal consequences.”

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