Groups slam Itsekiri over claim on New Warri

By Emma Amaize

WARRI—THE Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, and Niger Delta Scholars, NDS, Warri, Delta State, have expressed concern over the recent claim by the Alpha-May Club, an Itsekiri organization, that the Itsekiri ethnic nationality owns New Warri, also known as Ogbe-Ijoh.

National Coordinator of NDS, Chief Monday Keme, said, yesterday: “We are not surprised at this claim because it is the internal desire of Itsekiri to wipe away Ogbe-Ijoh from Warri leading to the famous Warri crises.

“We do not want to be reminded of our unpleasant past. The three ethnic groups, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo, all know their boundaries in Warri South Local Government Area. We, therefore, call on men of conscience to rise and condemn comments capable of causing ethnic crisis in Warri and its environs.

“For the records, ‘New Warri or Ogbe-Ijoh’ comprises two leases: B2 Volume one, dated 30/7/1906 (360 acres) and lease B5 Volume one, dated 15/7/1908 (180 acres) making a total of 540 acres and not 350 acres as claimed by the Itsekiri.

“It must be added here for the course of subsequent history, that New Warri, known as Ogbe-Ijoh, belongs to the Ogbe-Ijoh people and the past and present leaders of Ogbe-Ijoh have exercised considerable rights over these parcels of land. The Warri Assessment report, 1927, Nigerian Civil Service List and Handbook of 1910 (page 27), land leased all confirmed Ogbe-Ijoh ownership of new Warri or Ogbe-Ijoh, including Chief Dore Numa’s letter to Ogbe-Ijoh people dated 1923,” the group said.

Similarly, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, in a statement by its National President, Austin Ozobo, said: “It is pertinent to note that the Itsekeri were visitors to Ijawland. This is a fact you cannot put under the carpet.

“They were nursed and were given Adirimo, an Ijaw woman, from Ogulagha to raise the purported Itsekiri Kingdom. It will interest the public to note that Itsekiri did not own any area in Ogbe-Ijoh, Forcados and Escravos. The aforesaid places are ancient Ijaw settlements. No Itsekiri settlement is found in Forcados, Ogbe-Ijoh and Escravos in Delta State.

“The era of parading with pirated or falsified document is over. How can a man who visited Ijaw at Amatu and Orueselemo and squatted for several decades turn to own such lands?.”

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