…alleges repression of Itsekiri
A coalition of 130 pan-Yoruba groups, under the aegis of the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent steps to prevent looming crises in the Niger Delta, saying that the present repression of Itsekiri people had the potential of leading to a fresh outbreak of hostilities that may affect oil production and flare armed conflict in the region.
AYDM made the call at a press conference, which took place on Tuesday in Lagos and was addressed by its General Secretary, Comrade Popoola Ajayi, calling on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to also do the same to stem the tide.
Addressing newsmen at Onigbongbo area of the state, Popoola, flanked by leader of Yoruba Assembly and Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group, Hon. Wale Osun; President General of Agbekoya, Chief Kunle Oshodi; official of Oodua Peoples Congress, Mr Thompson and leaders of Itsekiri Community in Lagos, including Edgar Oritsemeyin, Hon. Kingsley Tenumah, Monoyo Edon, Jemine Agberen and Jolomi E. Pemu, listed causes of the present crises rocking the region, warning that should the presidency fail to intervene and ensure justice, the country may witness a return to the 1990s when Delta State was a theatre of war between Itsekiri and other ethnic groups in the oil producing area.
According to Popoola, the primary causes of the crisis are the proposed Ward Delineation Exercise in Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the alleged string of political and economic exclusion imposed on Itsekiri people, the award of oil pipeline protection of oil facilities in Itsekiriland and the proliferation of small arms suspectedly being acquired to settle scores with Itsekiri people, reiterating that it was never too late to prevent a major crisis in the Niger Delta that may drag the entire Yoruba Nation into same.
“We are compelled to call this conference due to the emerging crisis in the Niger Delta and the far reaching implication for democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.
“We recall that for about 6 years, the Niger Delta was thrown into armed ethnic conflict which threatened the stability of Nigeria. We do not want to see this happen again. That conflict brought tears and blood in the Niger Delta.
“It’s never too late to prevent a major crisis in the Niger Delta that may drag the entire Yoruba Nation into the crisis. We believe this can be avoided and should be avoided by all means, hence our decision to speak out,” AYDM chieftain cautioned.
Speaking further, Popoola, while calling for immediately intervention without further delay in order to avert history of violence repeating itself, quickly recalled that the Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Tiv, like every other ethnic nationality in Nigeria, had their traditional homeland with their various administrative structures with which they entered into the marriage of the 1914 amalgamation, wondering how any of these ethnic groups would feel if wards were being created in their ancestral land in the name of people who came to settle on their land.
He noted that for administrative convenience, the various Yoruba subgroups such as the Itsekiri, Ilaje, Ikale, Owu, Egba, Ijumu, Ondo, Oworro, Ibilo, Igbomina Okun, Ijebu, Ekiti, among others, though scattered in different parts of the country, yet still maintained their historical, linguistic, cultural affinity and solidarity.
“How responsible would it be to have Oyo Ward in Sokoto or Ibadan Ward in Enugu or Zamfara ward in Enugu just because there are a few indigenes of Zamfara in Enugu city?” he queried.
“Prior to the 1914 amalgamation, the Itsekiri people of Warri kingdom, like their Yoruba brothers, already have a well-established administrative structure, headed by the Olu of Warri with which they conveniently conduct their judicial, legislative and executive functions.
“The defunct Warri Local Government, nay Itsekiri homeland, was what gave birth to the three Warris of today, viz, Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West. Another way of saying this is that in the evolutionary account of time, what was not there in the Warri kingdom (Itsekiri homeland) before and post the 1914 amalgamation cannot now be reckoned with,” Popoola stated.
The AYDM Secretary-General, while insisting that the Warri homeland is entirely Itsekiri’s, said INEC, before this alleged move to alienate the Itsekiri from their homeland, was aware of the electoral facts in their archive that of the 13 wards in the defunct Warri LGA/Itsekiri homeland, Itsekiri were having 10 wards, Ijaws, two wards and the Urhobos, one ward.
According to him, what the electoral commission has successfully shown to the whole world is their conspiracy theory that while the polling units, voting strength and population in the other 359 Federal Constituencies of Nigeria continue to grow, the one Urhobo ward and the two Ijaw wards in the defunct Warri Local Government continue to grow, while the 10 Itsekiri wards of the same defunct Warri Local Government continue to diminish.
Besides, Popoola equally drew attention to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), another agency of government, saying that the body had also not helped matters when it awarded the surveillance and security contract of protection of oil pipelines in Itsekiriland, against the spirit and letters of the Petroleum Industrial Act (PIA).
He, therefore, on behalf of AYDM called on President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Ribadu to immediately intervene in order to ensure justice and fairplay for the Itsekiri people, saying that the president should invite the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, who might not be aware of the alleged act perpetrated by the commission under him against the Itsekiri people.
“Let him explain to Nigerians why the Itsekiri areas have been shrinking, while the Ijaw and Urhobo areas are increasing astronomically.
“We are calling on Mr. President to direct INEC to return to the Original 13 wards defunct Warri Local Government Area and use the same as the basis upon which delineation can be carried out in Warri Federal Constituency,” he said.
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