BVAS result of the last elections, corroborates Itsekiri majority status in Warri Fed Constituency – WIPM

The Warri Indigenous People’s Movement, WIPM, says the BVAS result of the last general elections corroborates Itsekiri majority status in Warri Federal Constituency.

Our Managing Editor/Co-Publisher, reports that the General Secretary of Warri Indigenous People’s Movement, WIPM, Comr. Monoyo Edon, made the declaration in Warri, Delta State, Monday May 19, during a rally staged across major roads and streets in Warri.

Comrade Edon, whilst stating: “It is laughable that the Ijaws claim that the Itsekiris are not more than 10,000”, asserted: “In reality the Ijaws in Warri Federal constituency are less than 10% of the Itsekiris.”  

Below is full text of Comr. Edon’s statement: “Response to the Joint Reaction of the Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri Federal Constituency on Recent Developments Relating to the Supreme Court Ordered Fresh Delineation of Electoral Wards and Polling Units

“Originally, it is not in the character of Itsekiris to join issues with people who are ill-informed about Warri Federal constituency or dissipate energy in responding to other ethnic groups celebrating one of their own but the tissues of lies and salvos fired against the Olu of Warri and the Itsekiri people during the celebration of one of their own in Warri can not go unreplied. It behoves on us to set the records straight and properly situate the Ijaws who have suddenly become strange bed fellows with the Agbassa people on this ward delineation.

Member of Warri Indigenous People’s Movement, WIPM, during the rally

“In stack contrast to the accusation of the Ijaws, Itsekiri are not opposed to the delineation of wards in Warri federal constituency. In fact, Warri federal constituency and the rest 359 federal constituencies of Nigeria are more than due for Delineation.

“For context, delineation is the process of defining or redrawing the boundaries of electoral areas such as polling units, wards, constituencies, and electoral districts. It is a key administrative and logistical step that helps ensure fair, efficient and accessible elections.

“When INEC embarked on the field work, our expectation was that it will follow its criteria/guideline for the Supreme Court ordered fresh delineation in the Warri Federal Constituency, but to our utmost shock and dismay, INEC abandoned the guidelines.

“This is not new to us, having regard to the antecedent of INEC in the Warri Federal Constituency.

“We recall with trauma how INEC in 1997 illegally created 12 wards in Warri South Local Government Area, which was a clear issue of gerrymandering against the Itsekiri people in Warri Federal Constituency. The said action which was nullified by the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/B/109/97 and INEC is yet to comply with the judgment of the Court.

“The Ijaw and Urhobo stakeholders should not misinform the public with their deliberate misinterpretation of the Supreme Court judgement.

“They claim to be law-abiding and peaceful in the wake of the 2022 Supreme Court judgement. So, we advise them to also abide by all court judgements in Warri Federal Constituency, particularly the 10/12 ward judgement in Warri South, the Supreme Court judgement affirming Okerenghigho as the correct name of the Nigerian Maritime University; not Okerenkoko, the High Court judgement barring the Ogbe-Ijoh and Agbarha people from contesting land ownership with Itsekiris in Warri South. 

“When the law clearly stated that the headquarters of Warri South-West is Ogidigben, they shouted Asawana, when the law said the correct location of the Nigerian Maritime University is Okerenghigho, they shouted Asawana. When the law banned the Amakosun of Ogbe-Ijoh and his people from contesting land with the Itsekiris, they shouted Asawana. But when they “dollarised” INEC to give them wards from Okere and Pessu communities in Warri South, they are shouting rule of law. The Ijaws cannot choose which court judgement to obey and not to obey. This is clear hypocrisy and speaking from two sides of the mouth.

“It is laughable that the Ijaws who have already benefitted the most from the President Tinubu-led Administration are the ones turning around to blackmail his wife, Sen (Mrs) Oluremi Tinubu, because of her maternal affiliation to the Itsekiris. We are not surprised because this is their usual stock-in-trade. Pitiably, it is irresponsibly unfortunate that the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Dennis Otuaro, a staff and beneficiary of the President was the main protagonist in this campaign of blackmail against the First Lady.

“It is unfortunate that the same Dennis Otuaro, the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Program can drag the Prestigious office of the President into petty tribal differences and openly make an ethnically combustive statement capable of rocking the peace in Warri by declaring that Okere land is Ijaw land. We are not surprised that an Ijaw serving public office holder could make such inciting statement. After all, he had publicly boasted that he bought the Amnesty seat for N4bn and recently. We are using this medium to call for the sack of Mr. Dennis Otuaro.  He broke the oath of allegiance by sponsoring such campaign against the First Lady. In other climes, Dennis Otuaro would have been sacked, effective today. 

“Interestingly, the Ijaw ethnic nationality, has taken almost all Federal Government appointments in the South-South in President Tinubu government such as MD NDDC, Coordinator, Presidential Amnesty Program, ED, NUPRC, MD River Basin Development Authority, ED SSDC, DG, Security and Exchange Commission etc. Yet it is convenient for them to blackmail the First Lady just because she is an Itsekiri.

“Even when they had their son Goodluck Jonathan as President, it didn’t stop them from blackmailing Itsekiri or anyone related to Itsekiri in government. Dr. Uduaghan, as Governor, suffered ferocious blackmail from the Ijaws. The former DG NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, former EDP of the NDDC Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli and the immediate past Executive Vice President, NNPCL (Upstream), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan all suffered blackmail from the Ijaws and were eventually removed. The current Executive Secretary, NCDMB Engr. Felix Ogbe is suffering torrential blackmail from the Ijaws so that the “President will remove him from office. Ironically, their son Engr. Sim Wobote had a peaceful and undisturbed tenure in office. 

“It beats our imagination that the First Lady and Sen. Daisy Danjuma, a private Individual who currently is not occupying any government office would be dragged into this issue. Are the Ijaws telling us that the office of the First Lady is now an extension of INEC or is it because of their Itsekiri ties? 

“It is laughable that the Ijaws claim that the Itsekiris are not more than 10,000. In reality the Ijaws in Warri Federal constituency are less than 10% of the Itsekiris. The BVAS result of the last general elections corroborate this fact. The Itsekiris are in clear majority in Warri Federal constituency. Apart from Warri South where there is Okere-Urhobo, there are no Ijaws in Warri South. Only Itsekiris are in all three Warri LGAs with overwhelming majority.

“Let us remind the Ijaws that the Itsekiri ethnic nationality has the highest quantum of crude oil and gas in Delta State and all relevant agencies know that over 70% of oil installations in Warri Federal Constituency are in Itsekiri area.

“The unholy obsession with the name of the Olu of Warri by every dick and Harry from the Ijaws and their ally is strange to us. Every time these characters make public statement, they must mention the Olu. This fixation is not only disrespectful but smacks of deep-rooted jealousy and inferiority complex.

“We make bold to state that if the Ijaw leaders and their allies can insinuate that the Olu could be involved in such pettiness, then they are invariably exposing their own kings and leaders as gun runners and complicit in all the cases of gun running, illegal bunkering, kidnapping of multinationals and men of the armed forces recorded in the Niger Delta.

“Mr. President, as we speak, there is large scale illegal oil bunkering activities going on in Gbaramatu, the home of the ex-militant leader, Tompolo who currently has the contract to safeguard oil facilities in Delta. There are two caravan-load of sophisticated small arms and light weapons in Kurutie which there are indications, were smuggled into the country through the office of the Presidential Amnesty Program. Tompolo and his Tantita company has been using the surveillance contract as a cover to pillage Itsekiri communities, adduct and torture innocent Itsekiris in his private cell in Oporaza.

“We are using this medium to call on the National Security Adviser, the DSS, the NIA and the IGP to move into Oporaza, especially the shrine of their deity where the two caravans full of arms are hidden and mop up the entire area of weapons.

“Finally, we restate that we are not against the Supreme Court judgement on the ward delineation but we maintain our stance that INEC must follow its own guidelines. No amount of blackmail or intimidation will make the Itsekiris cede any inch of Warri kingdom to any of our customary tenants.

“It is important for all of us to live in peace as neighbours in the Niger Delta but such peace must not be on the altar of deceit, injustice, ingratitude, oppression, blackmail and land grabbing.”

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