Your Royal Highness,

THE HON. MR. JUSTICE R. A. I. OGBOBINE

TELEPHONE: (053) 231735

8, Wilkie Street,

P. O. Box 20,

Warri,

Nigeria.

10th July, 1992  

His Royal Highness,

Ogiame Atuwatse II,

Olu of Warri,

Olu's Palace,

P. O. Box 1,

Warri.

Your Royal Highness,

Although rather belated I would wish to congratulate you on your Fifth Anniversary on the Throne of Warri Kingdom. I was away from the Country during the Anniversary Celebration and had no doubt that the events were carried out successfully. What I am, however, not certain about was whether the organisers of and participants at the Anniversary were mentally conscious of the enormous problems which are taxing the existence of Itsekiri people as an identifiable ethnic community in Nigeria.   

I am aware of the fact that some of the problems had existed in the past but they did not take the magnitude, dimension and velocity with which they are now challenging us within the last five years of your reign. Where they, even, occurred in the past the people who surrounded the Olu and who were his advisers were men of foresight and ability, and most importantly, they were men and women whose National and International connections and reputation could help to defend the identity and existence of Itsekiri people. They were also men who were principally concerned with the survival of Itsekiri people in all aspects and were not doing so for their selfish purposes. That is not the position today.   

Although those of us who were supporters of late Chief F.S. Okotie-Eboh in the banned National Council of Nigerian Citizen (N.C.N.C) opposed them in the banned Action Group we were sufficiently convinced that (i) their main concern was the survival of the people, (ii) they were hard-working and competent enough to protect and safeguard Itsekiri interest,   

(iii) they were not selfish nor were they mentally and intellectually bankrupt, (iv) there were really no fundamental differences between us in our concept of what the Itsekiri Nation should be, (v) they were leaders of high repute and integrity; they had followers because the people rightly found and believed that it was natural that they should be followed, and (vi) the masses had faith in them and they produced results which enhanced the pride of Itsekiri people in contemporary Nigerian affairs and politics.   

We were in the N.C.N.C, not because we believed that the policy and attitude of that party to Itsekiri people was superior to that of the Action Group, but because of our personal loyalty to Chief F.S. Okotie-Eboh and a very strong sense of gratitude to him for past favours. We had to oppose the leaders of those days for no other better reason than we shared different political views.   

When he died about ten of us who were his trusted followers and were in a position to raise a voice in Itsekiri affairs at that time formed a group and I was made the leader of the group. We later decided to disband the Group and took a Resolution to work with the then leaders of the banned Action Group.   

The result was the formation of the body now known as Itsekiri Leaders of Thought in 1967 and I was appointed the Secretary, while Chief E.N.A. Begho was made the leader with Mr. (later Chief) O.N. Rewane as the Adviser. Our first assignment was to lead a powerful delegation to Col. S.O. Ogbemudia (Military Governor of Mid-West Region) to protest against the inclusion of Warri Division in the then proposed Midwest Development and Property Authority in 1968. I faded out of their activities when I was appointed a High Court Judge in 1969; although I was always delighted to know that the body existed as the watch dog of Itsekiri affairs.   

It is now a recognised fact that some of your advisers are men of light weight who cannot lead Itsekiri to safety. They are only concerned with the contracts you can procure for them from the Oil Companies and the Scholarships for their children and members of their family; together with other benefits they can derive from the two Local Government Councils under the control of the N.R.C. These are men whose influence does not go beyond their wives kitchens and are not known outside the Palace, no matter their fanciful wealth which means nothing to anyone.   

The result of all this is that Itsekiri Nation is now suffering from painful humiliation and the pride which used to follow an Itsekiri man everywhere he went has vanished. We have now become a laughing stock to the World, and that this should happen within a few years of your reign is lamentable. The Itsekiri people are now experiencing what one would have considered an abomination only a few years ago; and these are the fall-outs from (i) the publicly acknowledged disunity among Itsekiri people (ii) allowing the Palace to be infested by praise singers, Palace jesters and incompetent advisers. And in many ways and things we took the wrong step forward, and because this is unnatural, the consequences are distasteful to Itsekiri interests as they offend the spirits of our departed ancestors.   

How have we gone astray so soon? Let us take a few instances which may be sufficient to prove the points now in issue, although I would not concern myself with others at issue.   

First, soon after the coronation there was strong determination by the Palace to get rid of Chiefs E.N.A. Begho, O.P. Edodo, I.O. Jemide and others from the legally constituted Traditional Council, but the Military Governor (Col. John Inienger) resisted the pressure. When he left and Col. Ogbeha became the Military Governor of the defunct Bendel State an approach was made to him for the same purpose, and he also refused to dissolve the Traditional Council. But when Col. Yeri (an Ijaw Man) became the Military Governor and he was approached to dissolve the council, he welcomed the idea, provided Ijaw Chiefs in the then Warri Local Government Area would be substituted for the Itsekiri chiefs who were to be removed. The Palace accepted the condition and we found traditional and experienced Itsekiri Chiefs being removed and replaced by unclassified Ijaw men in Warri Local Government Traditional Council.   

Second, Mr. Godwin Omamuli had the opportunity of being nominated by National Republican Convention (NRC) to contest the governorship election for Delta State.   

The Palace placed every obstacle in his way, because the choice of the Palace was Dr. Leigh as Deputy Governor. Mr. Omamuli became persona non grata at the Palace and despite several efforts by well meaning Itsekiri men and women to get the Palace to change its attitude to Mr. Omamuli it maintained its recalcitrant stand, with the result that we lost the only opportunity the Itsekiris would have had to produce a governor in this state.   

Third, before the creation of new States in 1991 the Palace had several meetings with Urhobo leaders in Dr. F.O. Esiri's house and Chief Mabiaku's place. There were some meetings at which definite promises were made to your Royal Highness that you would be the President of the State Council of chiefs and you believed. Some of us felt that the time had come for us to have a complete break with the Urhobos, either by joining Ondo State or Edo State.   

It was common knowledge that leading chiefs in Benin, including the Iyase, Chief S.O. Ighodaro, made public statements that the proposed Edo State should include the Itsekiris who are their Kith and Kin but your Royal Highness would not want to be under the most Eminent and Distinguished Royal Father, Omo N'Oba N'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa. But today your Royal Highness is lamentably under the Orodje of Okpe, what a big fun. What right have we now to shout that the Urhobos want to exterminate the Itsekiri people when we foresaw the dead evil in your meetings with Urhobo leaders? What was more humiliating to you and most embarrassing to Itsekiri people was that after the election of the Orodje of Okpe as the President of the State Council of Chiefs your Royal Highness stood up to move a vote of thanks. To whom was the vote of thanks raised? I shrinked and wept when I saw the show on the Television. It was most disappointing to all Itsekiri people.   

Fourth, the Urhobos at Okere and Agbassa now want their respective clan Head in Warri Township to be recognised by the State Government and Chief Okumagba has been so gazetted. When your Royal Highness was holding meeting with Chief Obioma of Agbassa (my cousin), and other Urhobo leaders on equal level what else do you want them to do?   

Your Royal Highness was doing all that to spite Chief E.N.A. Begho, Mr. A.O. Rewane and other members of Itsekiri Leaders of thought but hardly did we realise the great harm that was being done to the entirety of Itsekiri.   

Fifth, Ajagbodudu and the environs which were in Warri Local Government have gone to Ethiope Local Government. All Itsekiri Institutions and properties at Agbodudu have gone to Urhobo and Ajagbodudu has become an Itsekiri enclave in Ethiope Local Government Area.   

We should not be surprised if there are strong moves by the same Urhobo people for Ethiope Local Government Area to include Koko township.   

What are your Advisers doing? No matter how bitter it may sound to your Royal Highness you know that these things could not happen when the Rewanes, Chiefs Begho, Ekwejunor-Etchie, Jemide and others were advising Olu Erejuwa II. They could not, and did not, happen in 1962 after the trouble in the Western House of Assembly when Chief F.S. Okotie-Eboh and people like us were in charge of Itsekiri affairs. We spared no quarters for nonsense and had no scope for compromise on anything that affected the supremacy of Itsekiri interests in Warri Division or Local Government Area.   

When we see what is now happening to Itsekiri people we weep for the death of Chief O.N. Rewane, the Ologbotsere of Warri and cannot withhold our tears. We can only bend our knees everytime to pray for his great soul to rest in perfect peace in the bosom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.   

What then is our way out? Your Royal Highness, I beg to submit that yourself, self-acclaimed advisers and self imposed Itsekiri Leaders, whether from Sapele or Gborodo or Warri who are political misfits should feel ashamed to show up their faces at Itsekiri functions and they should caution themselves and withdraw from the Palace. As our spiritual leader and Father you should have the courage to invite Chief E.N.A. Begho, Mr. Alfred O. Rewane, other members of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Uncommitted Itsekiri men and women in different spheres of life to a National Assembly to discuss current Itsekiri National affairs. The matter has gone beyond your Palace men.   

You did so soon after the coronation in 1987 when you appointed five of us to submit an opinion to you on the proposed Delta State. You would remember that other members of the Ad Hoc Committee were Mr. Alison Ayida, Deacon Walter Anukpe, Professor (Mrs) Grace Alele-Williams, and Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe. We submitted an opinion to you but you never used it because some non-starters who had a grudge that they were not appointed advised you against it. The conference is very vital and urgent, and you should most kindly not brush aside this humble suggestion.   

It would be sad if the Itsekiri tribe should disintegrate in your time. History has shown that kingdoms which fell were those in which the Kings failed to receive wise counsel from their subjects and proceeded to rule on the advice of flatterers and other Palace jesters and drummers. You have many of such men around you and we cannot sit idle and allow them to mislead your Highness by asking you to ban certain people like me from coming to the palace. At the moment, Chief Begho, Mr. A.O. Rewane and their Associates are relevant and indispensable in Itsekiri affairs and politics.   

As a great descendant of Olu Akengbuwa, a retired High Court Judge and a non-time leading figure in Itsekiri social and political affairs I cannot sit idle while the tribe is crumbling and losing its sense of direction. We are not asking those who are sitting on Itsekiri National funds since 1987 and without producing any result not to do so we are only concerned with the survival of the tribe. I do not expect your Advisers who may read this letter not to call me names, but in Itsekiri affairs they cannot claim to have done more for Itsekiri than I, nor can they claim better birth rights than the family from which I came. My family needs no explanation and description.   

Your Royal Highness, kindly think on these suggestions and see what action you can take on them.   

OGIAME SUOOO!   

Yours most Respectfully,

R. A. I. OGBOBINE.

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