Chief Ayiri Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri has revealed that the original owner of the land where Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) is located is Itsekiri…

Chief Ayiri Emami

“I do not see any tension over the name of the site of the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU. What the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, did is not new to me; it is what is supposed to be done in any civilized society.”

“They are saying go there, go there, the place is developed, they should show me the picture of 1996 before the crisis when Itsekiri villages were burnt and the illegal bunkering,    kidnapping and government fund that were stolen have not been used overnight in developing their area.”

“Those places have their traditional names; it does not mean for example that the Hausa cattle men that stay at Ugbuwangue Market, Warri, own market because they are more there. People gave it to them, the Itsekiris are not saying they should leave, we are brothers, we inter-marry, but the institution and culture should remain like that. Not that when you now have high population in the areas you now say you are the owner of the place.”

“Going to court was because there was dispute over the areas and judgment was given based on evidence and until we respect the rule of law, we are going to continue having restiveness. But we believe in this administration, my position is that give what belongs to them and give Itsekiri what belongs to them.”

“I want to emphasize that Itsekiri is not against the university, some of these things we are seeing happening now were among the reasons it looked as if I was kicking against the university because I know that there was ulterior motives in some of the things despite that the outlook appear genuine.”

 “If you look at the map, we have been naming communities and it does not apply to them alone, even the Urhobos in Warri. They have been trying to rename some places that have their original name from onset. In Okere, we used to have Idimu Usobo. Idimu Usobo means that this is where the Urhobos are staying, these are parts of the quarters in Okere, but today it is a kingdom.”

“However, we are brothers and sisters. When I want to call them, I call them Idimu Usobo, but they call themselves Okere-Urhobo, you understand.”

“So, Okerenghigho issue is not a new issue. If you go to the map, those areas are called Okerenghigho owned by Omadino people. You are fishermen and these places were given to you to fish and it should not mean that you own the place.”

“Why Ijaw has not created crisis in Edo that is exactly what is happening in Benin now, but because the government of Edo state is firm and they see that the government is firm, that is why they have not created any crisis in Edo. However, once they find a weak state government or federal government that is weak in terms of security, you will see that Gelegele will be a problem.”

“Immediately Governor Godwin Obaseki suggested there was going to be Deep Sea Port to develop the area, you begin to see crisis and that was exactly what happened in Ugborodo when they came up with the issue of the Deep Sea Port and some of us went to court. We do not need to take laws into our hands, but nobody has monopoly of violence, everybody knows his capacity, but that does not mean we should encourage lawlessness.”

“The AGF has advised the National Assembly, if the National Assembly does the wrong thing, we will go to court. But one day, all these injustices will be corrected because in Nigeria, the rule of law must come to play. Nobody is asking Ijaw to leave. Did the Itsekiri reside in these areas before and sacked by Ijaw people during the crisis or what are you saying?”

“No, these places were allocated to Ijaw people and at a time before 1996, rent was being paid and there is evidence, if you come to my place and say you want to farm in my yard, that does not mean that I will come to stay with you in the yard. I do not know if you understand, these are people who were moving from one spot to another, but any camp you go to, you pay rent to your landlord and that was exactly what they were doing until the crisis.”

“Like now, we are saying Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, is our tenant, are we saying that we own the infrastructures that the oil companies have built or are building there, we have allowed it for them to stay, but because they built massive facilities, including air strip, do we say it is Chevron community, that they own the place? So, some kind of examples they give, that an Anglican Church there was named after Okerenkoko are childish. That they have these houses and all that is not the issue, the issue is that the law must be respected.”

“Nobody is asking Ijaw to pack, we even want you to develop more, but you must be doing the needful to the owners. For instance, we know Gbaramatu clan, you see the Pere of Gbaramatu and you know his area, but as at today, the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh will say he is Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri Kingdom, which is lawlessness. There is an institution known to law created by government – Olu of Warri, but when they are doing all these things, nobody is talking and tomorrow; somebody can say that you cannot answer that name; you will start to say oh, this is what we have been answering.”

“You see they see themselves as above the law, but I think that a time will come in this country, where the law will count and it is going to come gradually. Things that you use to do before now, you cannot execute them again. So violence cannot be the order of the day. Talk genuinely, send teams, make your claim and do not make threat that the AGF is trying to cause crisis between the Itsekiri and Ijaw.”

– Culled from Vanguard