0
The Warri National Congress, WNC, led by Prince Collins Eselemo says the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was right in creating electoral wards for the Ijaw/Ogbe-Ijoh people of Warri South in Delta State.
Eselemo spoke Monday in Warri at a world press/peace conference by his group comprising Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri people who staged cultural and masquerade dances. The WNC responded to an earlier press conference by some dissident Itsekiri and Agbarha (Urhobo)-Warri people who insisted that Ijaw do not exist in Warri South to qualify for electoral wards. The dissidents had called for independent inquiry to ascertain any Ijaw village in Warri South characterised by markets, cemetery, schools, and other features.
Arc-Bishop Dr Sodje Wilfred, who spoke on behalf of the Urhobo in the WNC press briefing said “INEC has done the right thing. It was up to the ethnic groups of Warri to embrace peace and live as one to attract development”.
“Years back, Warri did not teach us tribe, it taught us brotherhood. I was surprised to watch a press conference saying Ijaw no dey Warri. That word no be Warri talk”, George Abbe who represented Itsekiri said in pidgin to applause, adding: “After President Tinubu’s intervention, such a press conference and talk do not make sense”, Abbe lamented.
But Eselemo, an Ijaw, who spoke as President of WNC said those escalating …-ward delineation crisis were sponsored trouble dealers who know the fact of Ijaw/Ogbe-Ijoh presence and ownership of their lands in Warri metropolis and Warri South. He tasked Itsekiri and others to emulate the Olu of Warri in believed peace shuttles to the Ogbe-Ijoh King and other places.
Eselemo said the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijoh were sacked from their Warri metropolis for Colonial structures and convenience. Alders Town was part of the Ogbe-Ijoh clan lease that has since expired in 2005, with Ogbe-Ijoh now enjoying reversion rights. The lease tagged Ogbe-Ijoh Clan land was also signed by Youwuren, product of union between Bini man and an Ijaw woman of Ofonibeingjan in Burutu LGA, not an Itsekiri man as erroneously touted.
Eselemo asserted that before their sack, “Ogbe-Ijoh was an established community, with the Ogbe-Ijoh Market standing to date as a bold relic. The present King George Hall was its customary court and the place behind Ojojo Primary School was Ogbe-Ijoh cemetery”.
“Over the years, however, a sufficient number of prominent Ijaw people also bought these vacated lands from the government, not from the Itsekiri. These prominent Ijaws were in large numbers to found Ijaw-named Torufa Primary School in Warri for education of their children”, Eselemo recounted.
“Among Ijaws like Eselemo, Agidee, Akebofa, Bozimo, Clark, there was also Egbuson, an Ijaw man whose property was bought over for the proposed palace of the present King of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom. So it is insulting, despotic, excruciating for anybody to say the Ijaws are not in Warri South. Over the years, the Ogbe-Ijoh people, in pride, thought it unthinkable to buy their own land for building which is understandable. They bought elsewhere in areas outside their land”, Eselemo said.
“Across the Warri river, there is the Ewein ward that is part of Warri South. That is my property that the Delta State Government paid me compensation for and built a school. You can see the documents here (displays documents). So why would anybody say Ijaw are not in Warri South?”, Eselemo queried.
He advised the Itsekiri to present their best as voice box instead of Ayiri and Ejele who he said were trouble dealers using the concluded INEC ward delineation exercise.
“I advise all those behind Ayiri in importing social vices to desist forthwith. Whatever you have spent is infinitesimal to the price of peace”, Eselemo warned.
