-By Zik Gbemre
OLU OF WARRI PROCLAMATIONS TO HIS SUBJECTS: THE RENEWAL OF COMMITMENT BEGINS WITH ATUWATSE III
I commend the Olu of Warri for recent proclamation directing his subjects to locate their roots, their place of birth and invest in developing them.
Atuwatse III, has indeed taken a bold step his grandfather, father and uncle couldn't find the will to take as Olu. It is an adoption of my long standing advocacy on the need for Itsekiris to identify with their roots which they had abandoned for Warri urban where every Itsekiri claim false indigeneship.
The Olu of Warri's proclamation is in order. Itsekiris towns and villages, even by their own history, predominantly line the Benin Rivers, Ode-Itsekiri remaining their ancestral headquarters founded by their forebear.
Over the desperation to lay false ownership claims to Warri and neighboring townships, Itsekiri abandoned their home villages in the creeks with every Itsekiri man claiming to come from or belong to a family in modern day Warri.
The harshest consequence on such desperation has been their gradual lost of some of their home villages on the coastline to their Ijaw neighbors as other of their abandoned villages faded into extinction.
One have not forgotten a typical case that came up at the siting of the Federal Maritime University on Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu of Warri South West LGA of Delta. Iteskiris cried profusely in the media, claiming how Okerenkoko of Gbaramatu Ijaw was founded as Okerenghigho by Itsekiris.
Due to their negligence, while they all crowded in Warri to drag ownership, they alleged Ijaws occupied and renamed supposed Okerenghigho to Okerenkoko as an Ijaw settlement among other communities.
Urhobo people live in their towns and villages no matter how remote. Urhobos are proud of their roots. I live in my native town of Iwhrekan in Ughievwen Clan in Ughelli South LGA of Delta.
Gov Sheriff Oborevwori lives in Osubi town, Okpe LGA. His stay in Asaba as governor is temporary. He spends most of his weekends in Osubi. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo lives in his home town of Okpare in Ughelli South LGA.
James Ibori lives in his home town of Oghara in Ethiope West LGA and does all his social and political gatherings/events in Oghara Town and not even in more urban Sapele that is nearer to Oghara.
Rather than to live in Benin or Sapele as most Itsekiris in that area do, Ibori ensured he developed Oghara, lives there and consequently encouraged other Oghara sons and daughters to live in their home town, fast tracking the development of Oghara. He even established his private university there.
Ovie Omo-Agege lives in Orogun his home town in Ughelli North LGA and relates with his people in his roots and does all his political and social gatherings/events in Orogun his native home town.
Alex Ibru lived in his home town of Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North LGA for many years before he died. Kenneth Gbagi lived in his Oginibo town in Ughelli South before he died recently. He didn't live in Warri/Ekpan/Effurun.
James Ogboko Edewor and J.E. Ukueku lived in their Eku town of Ethiope East when they were alive. Great Ogboru lives in his home town of Abraka in Ethiope East LGA of Delta and does all his political and social gatherings/events in Abraka.
No matter how successful, Urhobo people establish loud presence in their towns and villages. It's not the same for Itsekiri politicians/elites. Many who live in the opulence and wealth in their Warri City mansions have no hut to live when they visit their hometowns and villages.
They had long abandoned their towns and villages to claim false ownership of Warri City which is not their home town. Ironically, most of these politicians/elites and wealthy Itsekiris made their wealth by hijacking their communities' commonwealth through oil companies, NDDC and DESOPADEC, as host communities.
They stay in Warri as defacto leaders to hijack the oil companies, NDDC and DESOPADEC benefits to their coastal towns and villages, build mansions and drive luxury cars about in Warri while their brothers and sisters in their home towns/villages live in shanties and misery, no potable water, no school for children, no health facility and the basic necessities of life.
Every time the Itsekiris talk about marginalization when they are the ones marginalising selves. The Itsekiri politicians/elites only visit their home towns and villages on election days to rig elections. Immediately after casting votes they abscond to major cities and towns of Delta.
According to Urhobo Voice Newspaper slogan, "If you don't fight your fight who will fight it for you". It behoves every Itsekiri son and daughter to heed their king's proclamation and begin to turn new leaf.
However, for the proclamation to be effectively obeyed, it must begin with the Olu leading by example as he too is affected. It must not be a case of "do as I say, not as I do".
The Olu himself is living in Warri City outside his ancestral home town of Ode-Itsekiri. Despite the rationalisation to obfuscate the facts, the Olu is not a native of Warri Urban City. He and his throne belong to Ode-Itsekiri, their well documented homeland where their forebear, from Benin or Yorubaland, whichever they find convenient, established his throne when he sojourned from his own forebear.
To justify the false claim to Warri in the failure to deny their roots, Istekiris alternatively named Ode-Itsekiri 'Big Warri'. What a paradox. A hamlet copy of Warri, not up to a street in Warri City is named 'Big Warri', giving false impression of the original Warri as an annex to Ode-Itsekiri. 'Itsekiri brothers and sisters, una baaaad sha.'
So leading by example, Atuwatse III, a super wealthy monarch by inheritance, must shake off the garb of a monarch living outside his ancestral home soil his forefathers lived. He must return to Ode-Itseiri, the original seat of his throne, turn it into a modern day city. Then, his subjects follow suit, each Iteskiri retracing his roots to stay and make it habitable.
Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his kith and kin must stop circling around Warri GRA. He belongs to Abigborodo. Having been able to construct land road to the community hitherto accessible only by water, he should now move home and live permanently with his people.
Reps member, Thomas Ereyitomi, Chief Ayiri Emami and co do not belong to Ubeji where they own mansions. They must emulate Tompolo who in all his enormous wealth lives in his native Okerenkoko town. Eriyitomi, Ayiri and the gang must begin to relocate to the Ugborodo, their homeland they have abandoned whereas they are making so much from there.
Every Itsekiri person should go back to their home towns and villages to live. Only a very few can lay claim to family roots in Warri. If the Itsekiri people don't live in their home towns and villages who will develop it for them, question the Olu in harping in his go to your hometown proclamation.
There should be no complaint of difficult terrain. London is surrounded by River Thames and the British are proud of London, same way the natives of Venice in Italy are proud of their riverine city built on top of water.
Venice City in Italy is built on top of river and the city is there for everyone to see. It has become a global tourist centre. The Itsekiri people should not be shy to go back to their roots rather than hanging out around the major land cities of Delta state.
The Warri City of Warri South LGA is the home town of the Agbarha-Ame (Agbassa) and Okere-Urhobo people. I repeatedly emphasise that the Gbemres as popular in Warri City are not natives of the Warri South LGA. The Gbemres are from Iwhrekan Town of Ughievwen Clan in Ughelli South LGA of Delta.
The Olu has directed the Itsekiri people to do their marriages and burials in their home towns and villages of Itsekiri. Olu of Warri should live by example by relocating his Palace to his ancestral hometown of Ode-Itsekiri, rather than sitting tight in Warri City.
He should live by example. Why should a monarch aquire a parcel of land on lease from Olodi, Oki and Ighogbaudu families of Okere-Urhobo to build a townhall if really Warri City is the native town of the Itsekiri monarch?
Olu should live by example and relocate to live permanently in Ode-Iteskiri,his ancestral domain like the Gbaramatu king lives permanently in Gbaramatu where he receives visitors and holds every function. A king should live in his ancestral home town. The Olu of Warri's proclamation should start from him and not his subjects.
The Olu can't dish out orders and still remains in Warri when himself has refused to live permanently in Ode-Itsekiri. He and his people should trace their roots and return to them if not their towns and villages will continue to go into extinction.
If the Olu of Warri claims Warri City is owned by Itsekiri how come they bought land from Olodi, Oki and Ighogbaudu Families of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom in the heart of Warri? It shows Olu of Warri and Itsekiri people have abandoned their native towns and villages for urban cities of Delta.
The Olu leased Lands from the Olodi, Oki and Ighogbaudu Families of Okere Urhobo to build a Town Hall for the Itsekiri people. This was named Itsekiri Socio-Cultural Cooperative Building as it happened in 1961. This leasing of a land by the Itsekiri Monarch and his palace chiefs from the Okere Urhobo people was one of the evidences used to flaw his claims of Overlordship over Warri at the Supreme Court in 1976.
Olu and his chiefs lost that case which was won by the Olodi, Oki and Ighogbaudu Families of Okere- Urhobo in Warri Urban City.
'Make everybody begin find their level'.
Zik Gbemre
September 12, 2024
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