Why Itsekiris should not fall for Esimaje Awani’s distractive diatribe against me – Emiko Oghomienor

Omiwere Dede mo kiaghan!!!!!!!

I listened to WarriCom Radio (often called Itsekiri Radio) Wednesday November 19, 2025, with heavy heart, hearing how Barr. Esimaje Vincent Awani, demonstrated his usual maverick personality.

He tried to portray a picture of someone, who is deeply patriotic to Itsekiri course and attempted in futility to paint me as somebody, who has no regard for the pristine throne of Warri kingdom and Iwere Nation at large.

Barr. Esimaje, went on an emotional voyage to mislead unsuspecting members of the public, especially Itsekiris, that he was President of Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC. I must put it on good record that Barr. Awani, was never a President of Itsekiri National Youth Council, rather, he was picked by Chief Ayirimi Emami to function as President of Itsekiri National Youth Congress, INYC. Since Esimaje Awani’s inglorious tenure as President of Itsekiri National Youth Congress, elapsed and he subsequently collapsed his leadership into Itsekiri National Youth Council, led by Comr. Agbateyiniro Weyinmi Isaac, there has been no other President of Itsekiri National Youth Congress.

Let it be known that the pioneer President of Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, was Hon. Daniel Reyenieju, who later handed over the leadership to Hon. David Tonwe. At the expiration of his tenure, Hon. David Tonwe, handed over the mantle of Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC to Comr. Agbateyiniro Weyinmi Isaac. When Comr. Agbateyiniro Weyinmi Isaac, was appointed as member of Delta State Executive Council by Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Comr. Agbateyiniro’s then First Vice President, Comrade Godwin Utieyin (may his soul continue to rest in peace) took over in Acting capacity. Suffice to say that, the now transited Godwin Utieyin, was the last leader of Itsekiri National Youth Council, hence there is no legal or historical record, linking Esimaje Awani with the leadership of Itsekiri National Youth Council.

ESIMAJE AWANI’S ATTEMPT TO BLACKMAIL ME BEFORE ITSEKIRI NATION

Esimaje Awani, in the WarriCom Radio programme of Wednesday November 19, 2025, insinuated that I disrespected the throne of Warri kingdom, as regards the reported dissolution of INYC leadership by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III vis-a-vis the constitution of a five-man inauguration committee, by Chairman, Board of Trustees of Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, Hon. Michael Diden (Ejele).

Permit me to recall aspects of the publication, wherein Esimaje Awani, claimed his holier than thou attitude and attempted to tarnish my hard-earned reputation and sacrifices for the protection of Itsekiri territorial integrity.

Here are excerpts of the report ascribed to me in the Fresh Angle International Newspaper of 29/10/2024. Note, I take full responsibility for the text hereunder, I am not like my traducer, who pretends to protect the king he joined to install when it comes to Chieftaincy controversy, leadership of Ugbarojo Itsekiri Youth, UIY and fight openly against the same Monarch, by defending Tantita Security Services Limited, when it affects the interest of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL (a company where the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has vested interest). Close followers of the oil and gas industry, as it relates to pipeline surveillance contracts awarded by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, know the rivalry between Tantita Security Services Limited (a firm owned by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, which Esimaje Awani, has vehemently and consistently defended) and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL. This piece, is not to dwell on the rivalry between the two indigenous companies, let me take us back to excerpts of the publication in question:   

I said in the report that the power to dissolve INYC, rest constitutionally on the Council's Board of Trustees, not the Olu of Warri. I also noted in the same publication: “Even the Board of Trustees of INYC, which is constitutional empowered to dissolve exco of the body, has laid down procedures that must be followed, whenever the necessity arises.                               

" The issue that was on ground for days, was exploring ways to amend the existing constitution of INYC, not drafting a new constitution as being insinuated.                                   

 " The Olu of Warri, right from the inception of INYC, is only presented with leadership of the body for royal blessing, not determining the process of electing INYC executive. For the records, INYC was birthed as a result of critical circumstances, by very mature, patriotic and forward thinking Itsekiris, it's not a body for children or inexperienced youths."                                 

One therefore wonders where in the above extracts, that I denigrated the respected throne of the Olu of Warri. His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, would remember my private conversation with him on the subject matter above, same way I recall vividly the scathing comments Esimaje Awani made about the king to me, when he failed in his desperate bid to become Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area. His pain of losing the Warri South Chairmanship to the very humble and hardworking Comr. Agbateyiniro Weyinmi Isaac, is akin to his aborted dream of becoming the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.

While myself, Ofoyeju Izuagie, Appearance Afejuku, Samuel Meyiwa Khalil, Ejeh Wilson and David Mamah, under the auspices of Iwere Indigenous Peoples' Movement, IIPM, strongly fought against attempts by the Gbaramatu Ijaws and a few Urhobos in Warri to authenticate the fraudulent ward/unit delineation report released for Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Barr. Esimaje Awani, sat on the fence and spoke only when the interest of Tantita Security Service Limited was affected.

I will not want to delve into Esimaje Awani’s apparent frustration, regarding the responsibilities Ogiame Atuwatse III entrusted on Prince Edema Collins Oritsetimeyin, but I crave your indulgence to reference sections of a publication (source: freshangleng.com) ascribed to the maverick Esimaje Awani: “Former President of Itsekiri National Youths Congress, INYC, Barr. Esimaje Awani, has dismissed insinuations that Tantita Security Services Limited, was invading Itsekiri communities, saying the company is only chasing crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals. 

“He noted that it was not out of place for Tantita Security Services Limited, saddled with the responsibility to protect pipelines, to provide the necessary intelligence that would enhance ongoing investigation by security agencies, to unravel those responsible for the recent pipeline blast, along Olero -Dibi - Abiteye Field.

“Barr. Awani, made the clarification at GT. Event Centre, Warri, Delta State, Wednesday December 18, during a summit organised by his company, Nepal Logistics and Consultancy Services Limited, in Conjunction with Tantita Security Services Limited.

“According to Awani, some of the Itsekiri community leaders benefitting from the engagement by Tantita Security Services Limited, are the ones sponsoring boys to say “nasty things about the security company.”

The incident at Geneva, Switzerland, where The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, was disparaged, via a sponsored protest by persons believed to have competing interests in Pipeline Surveillance Contract awarded by NNPCL, remains fresh in our memory. Image laundry publications by Barr. Esimaje Awani to extricate himself from the shameful episode, remains a heavy burden on him. We know the company that rivals Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, so let’s leave it at that.

In all this, until recently when Awani tried to adopt the leadership of Ugbarojo Itsekiri Youths, UIY, he said nothing about the controversial ward/unit delineation report released by INEC and I am not aware of any role he is playing in the ongoing INEC voter registration, particularly as regards mobilizing Itsekiris to register.

While some of us are working day and night for Itsekiri Nation as per the CVR (Continuous Voter Registration) Esimaje, is busy cooking distractive narratives, capable of further dividing Itsekiri Nation and make us political slaves to our ethnic neighbours, if his unpatriotic antics, go unchecked.  

Barr. Esimaje Awani, was also quoted to have said that Appearance Afejuku, is an Urhobo and not Itsekiri. But Esimaje Awani, didn’t say so during the succession controversy, when he, Appearance Afejuku, who was then Secretary of Itsekiri National Youth Council, INYC, worked vigorously for the installation of The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.

I trust in the capacity of Appearance Afejuku, to define his ethnic identity, even though I know of his 100% loyalty to the Itsekiri Nation.

Let’s be sensitive to the actions of Iwere sons and daughters, who are ready to sell Itsekiri Nation for any amount. These category of persons, have sold their properties in Warri kingdom, bought properties in Lagos, Abuja and Diaspora. They have also relocated their families from Warri Kingdom, because they would not mind Itsekiri Nation go into slavery.

Aja moki-aghan !!!!!!

Signed

Comr. Emiko Oghomienor

Dated: Thursday November 20, 2025.

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