Warri: Itsekiri Progress Club Replies Urhobo Renaissance Society

THE ITSEKIRI PROGRESS CLUB (IPC) ON THE APPEAL BY URHOBO RENAISSANCE SOCIETY, (URS) FOR A BROKERED PEACE AMONG ETHNIC TRADITIONAL RULERS IN WARRI.

A REASONED REJOINDER

We appreciate the Urhobo Renaissance Society’s (URS) recent appeal for peace among traditional rulers in Warri by way of a request to his Excellency, the Governor of Delta State and also to the Chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, to initiate an interface and conversation with Traditional Rulers laying claim to various territories/kingdoms within the larger Warri territory.

Ordinarily, we of the Itsekiri Progress Club ought to have embraced the peace overture with all intent and purpose. It is however, a general norm that peace can only be achieved on the platform of equity and justice. While the appeal is right and proper on the surface, it begs the bigger question of defining peace.

It is in this regard that the Itsekiri Progress Club, wishes to state her position that the elusive peace within the larger Warri territory can only be attained when the intertwining tribes are ready to accept the truth and return to the original template of territorial boundary delineation as ably and proactively captured by the Delta State Government and the Nigerian Boundary Commission. Brokering peace over a dinner table of injustice will be worse than the intended purpose. Peace without justice means ignoring or glossing over important issues, which can lead to future conflicts.

The Ethnic map of Delta State clearly defines the boundaries of each ethnic group, including Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, Isoko, Ndokwa, Ika, Anioma, and Oshimili. We urge all parties to respect these boundaries and work towards peaceful coexistence. In the Ethnic map of Delta State, we have clearly delineated 3 Council Areas exclusively for the Ijaws (Burutu, Bomadi and Patani), 8 Council Areas exclusively for the Urhobos (Uvwie, Udu, Sapele, Okpe, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Ughelli North and Ughelli South LGAs) and 3 Council Areas for the Itsekiris – Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West LGAs) respectively.

In addition, there are various judgments at the highest cadre of justice that have been delivered ad infinitum regarding the ownership and overlordship of Warri Kingdom and the Itsekiri homelands comprising Warri South, Warri North and Warri Southwest LGAs.
Before some emerged from the rough corners of consciousness, the entire landscape known and called Warri had a customary overlord and customary tenant system, with each one living in mutual coexistence and the later paying its dues as provided by the law. This was how justice and equity laid the template until Satan became a politician.
It is not at noon that a man will discover if he is a woman!

It is essential to respect these decisions and avoid attempts to annex or claim territories that don’t belong to you. The various attempts to annex Itsekiri lands is the major threat to peace in the Warri Federal Constituency today.

The situation in the territory is getting worse with the brazen acts of impunity being perpetuated by those who should supposedly enforce compliance and a pack of belligerent centrifugal forces attempting daylight defiance and threatening peace-loving owners of their territory while playing the victim game. We call to mind, the recent attempt and temerity of the Amakosu of Ogbe Ijoh to forcefully and unlawfully extend his territory to Warri South LGA from across the river, notwithstanding a clear and final estoppel by a competent court of jurisdiction barring him from such misadventure.. Another is the Okere-Urhobo Kingdom created from an aboriginal Itsekiri community in Warri metropolis – Okere Community, the issue is, are we doing unto others what we want them to do unto us?

Itsekiris are peace loving people. Even with a huge presence in some Urhobo Council areas like Ethiope West, Sapele, Uvwie, etc, they have lived peacefully with their neighbours without any threat to peaceful coexistence over the centuries. . On the contrary, it has become customary for some of our belligerent and ravenous neighbours who benefited from Itsekiri benevolence in the past, to pursue spurious and outlandish claims to Itsekiri territories, including brazenly renaming them to suit their implacable hubris. The Urhobos in Uvwie LGA will definitely not accept their Ijaw neighbours, in their current quest for territorial expansion, to invade their council and rename areas within their council for the mere fact that they have a heavy population presence in that locality.

Another issue is the attempt by some clowns with little or corrupt knowledge and understanding of the entire traditional system in Delta state, to denigrate the exalted throne of our revered monarch. They are at ease to address the first-class Monarch of Warri as Olu of Itsekiri when they can’t designate others with same impunity. We know that there is no Ovie of Urhobo, Pere of Ijaw, Obi of Ndokwa, Asagba of Oshimili but it is okay to say Olu of Itsekiri. That’s the mischief card that inferior minds like to play. What they fail to realise is that the name Warri has never been associated with any other tribe in Nigeria, pre and post- independence, except the Itsekiri people.

When there is justice, people are more likely to feel a sense of fairness and stability, which can contribute to lasting peace. These facts are well known to the Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS) and its leadership, led by a highly revered Senior Advocate of the Supreme court of Nigeria (SAN). Peace can sometimes be an illusion or a facade that hides underlying issues or injustices, when people prioritize avoiding conflict over addressing real problems.; How do you define peace where glaring injustice sticks out its mangled fingers to continually unsettle an otherwise well-defined territory? .
Until URS answers these burning questions, the issue of petitioning for peace remains illusive. Peace and justice are both valuable, but they’re not always the same thing.

The Warri Progressive club believes that the pursuit of peace can demand some compromises that sacrifice justice, equality, or human rights but it leaves underlying tensions and injustices that remain unaddressed. Let us therefore address the real issues, some of which we have enumerated above; Warri is by no means a no man’s land, the same way Uvwie, Ughelli, Ozoro, Burutu, Sapele, Oghara, Lagos are not no man’s lands.

As a club, we are committed to promoting peace and understanding in our community. We’re open to dialogue and collaboration with all stakeholders to achieve this goal but we still believe that the fastest way to build, maintain and sustain peace in the territory, is for everyone to stay in their realm of influence in accordance with the Ethnic map of the Delta State Government. If this is adhered to, peace will be the easiest commodity that unites all in the area, nay Delta State.

Itsekiris will not cede an inch of our land ever again to any tribe in the name of peace. Let’s work together to build a harmonious and prosperous Warri, where justice reigns, where no tribe is oppressed and everyone can thrive and live in peace and harmony.

Dr. Tosan Popo
Chairman
Itsekiri Progress Club

Mr. Godwin Oris Okotie
Secretary