Maritime University’s Site at Okerenkoko Belongs to Us,

Ijaws Tells Olu of Warri,

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group (WIPMG) yesterday frowned at claims
by Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli 1 that the site for the Maritime
University at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Kingdom belongs to Itsekiris,
insisting that the land is owned by the Ijaws.

The group, the intellectual body for the Ijaws, in a statement signed
by its Chairman, Chief Patrick Bigha, wondered why the Itsekiris were
always opposed to development that is attracted to the region and
Delta State in particular.

WIPMG was reacting to the claim by the Itsekiri monarch, during last
Monday’s fact-finding visit to Delta State by the Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo, that the site of the university, which has been one of the
core demands of Ijaws is Itsekiri land.

The Ijaw group, in the statement titled “Itsekiris and Ownership of
Warri: This is the Truth” however maintained that Itsekiris have no
land in Warri as being claimed insisting that they were known for land
grabbing at every slight opportunity.

“We wish to react to the shameful claim of the Itsekiri monarch to the
ownership of the site of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko.
Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with the baseless,
frivolous and shameful presentation made to the Vice President during
his visit to Delta State, because almost everyone in this country,
including the Vice President of the country, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo knows
the troublesomeness of the Itsekiris when it comes to the ownership of
land in Delta State.

“But for the records, we wish to state as follows: Okerenkoko
Community is the largest in terms of land mass and population as well
as the third community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, which is the cradle of
Ijaw origin historically.

“The Itsekiris has no land in Delta State as attested to by an
Itsekiri son in early 20th century as contained in a certified true
copy of intelligent report of Warri obtained at the National archives
(Chief Dore Numa reply to the Warri Province Resident, upon a petition
written by the Ogbe-Ijoh People, pages 1-4).

“Chief Numa Said in his letter that the Itsekiris have no land where
they are occupying now, and that it was the colonial masters that
forcefully took land from the Ijaws and the Urhobos and gave to them.

“The land in which the Itsekiri palace is built in Warri town belongs
to the Okere Urhobos, and they cannot deny this fact”, the group said.

WIPMG claimed that Itsekiris have not participated in any agitation
for a better living for the people of the Niger delta region but that
they always benefit whenever the government pays attention to issues
of development and participation in governance and oil business.

It declared: “They only know how to criticise and condemn processes
that leads to negotiation and recognition by government. The
Presidential Amnesty Programme and the recent visit by the vice
president are points in case.

“It is worthy of note that the demands presented to the Vice President
by the Itsekiri monarch were selfish ones unlike the ones presented by
the Ijaws in Oporoza. For instance the Export Processing Zone (EPZ)
project has two components; the gas city at Ogidigben and the deep sea
port at Gbaramatu. The Ijaws mentioned both, but the Itsekiris
mentioned only the gas city.

“This is evidence of selfishness and self-centredness. Secondly, the
demand for the establishment of a Naval base in escravos is a ploy to
use the Navy to invade the people of Gbaramatu kingdom, in their move
to continue to lay claims to Gbaramatu lands.

“As the Itsekiris lay claim to Gbaramatu kingdom and other Ijaw
communities’ within Warri and environs, so also they lay claims to
Urhobo lands in Warri and Okpe lands in Sapele and environs. So this
land grabbing attitude of the Itsekiris is not only directed towards
the Ijaws”, it added.