The Federal Government has been advised to be cautious of those parading themselves as Niger Delta stakeholders pressuring it to dialogue with them and those stoking the insurgency in the region.
The Warri Study Group (WSG), an Itsekiri think-tank, in a position paper made available to the media in Warri yesterday, also urged the government to treat the rising insurgency as criminality, adding that the problem facing the region is purely of bad management of resources.
The advice came against the backdrop of the deployment of heavy military hardware and personnel to Warri and other towns in the Niger Delta region last weekend.
The paper, signed by the group’s chairman, Edward Ekpoko, and secretary, Tony Ede, which largely reacted to the Chief Edwin Clark-convened regional stakeholders’ meeting in Effurun, Delta State, alleged that those coming out now as leaders of the region, seeking dialogue to end the festering crisis, were the people who initiated the idea to set the region on fire, using the insurgents.
It, however, discredited the conference as not, in any way, representative of the six coastal Niger Delta states it claimed to have drawn participants from, noting that more than 80% of those present were Ijaw. The visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, by some traditional rulers from the region, was strictly an Ijaw affair, WSG said.
The paper, which lamented the damage done to the economy by the activities of insurgents and the insecurity it has gradually foisted on the region, expressed surprise that the Clark-led conference failed to denounce the main insurgent group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) for bringing the situation about.
‘’It is an open fact that some of these elders and traditional rulers are acting the script of the militants and have only recruited and/or assembled some few innocent ones and/or those willing to be bought outside their ethnic nationalities to give it a semblance of a Niger Delta struggle for better life, conditions and infrastructure.
‘’We have sadly observed that the communiqué issued at the end of the stakeholders meeting by the so-called six Niger Delta coastal states, which was neither read nor generally agreed on at the meeting, raises more questions than answers, namely: It was signed by only Chief E. K. Clark and Prof. G. G. Darah – both of Delta State out of the so-called six Niger Delta coastal states.
‘’We condemn the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups in the Niger Delta. We call on the Federal Government to bring all perpetrators of the criminal activities to justice.
‘’Federal Government must separate acts of criminality from genuine efforts to develop the region. The problem of the Niger Delta is more of management of the resources allocated than anything else. Evidence abound. Inspite of the trillions of naira that have been provided to the Niger Delta Intervention agencies and ministries over the years, there is nothing on ground to show for it.
‘’Both the consultative meeting of the stakeholders of the six Niger Delta coastal states held on 19 August, 2016 and the Niger Delta monarchs group that met with the Minister of Petroleum Resources are all Ijaw-driven and not pan-Niger Delta. The rest of the Niger Delta, which is made up of the Ibibio, Edo, Urhobo, Ikwerre, Ogoni, Efik, Isoko, Ndokwa, Itsekiri, etc, should not be made to learn and discover that problem solving in the Region can only be through violence and aggression. Violence and aggression should be discouraged by every means.
‘’We encourage the Federal Government and the various states to indeed dialogue for a lasting solution to the Niger Delta problems, but with the right stakeholders, not those that are seeing the struggle as a money-making venture’’, the paper said.
Prince IsholaEkwejunor-Etchie is the founder of Itsekiri People’s Congress a.k.a.Agbukumasa. The group came into existence as a result of some problems that confronted the Itsekiriethnic nationality between 1997 and 2003. Ekwejunor-Etchie bares his mind on the alleged neglect of Itsekiriland by the governments at federal and state levels, but he says his group will never be part of the destructive campaigns of the Niger Delta Avengers. He spoke with HANNAH OJO
What was the motivation for the establishment ofItsekiri People’s Congress?
The Itsekiri People’s Congress came into existence as a result of the problems that confronted the Itsekiri nation between 1997 and 2003. The problem then was the issue of the headquarters of Warri South Local Government, which degenerated into a suicidal war between us and our Ijaw brothers. It got to a crescendo in 2003 where virtually all Itsekiri villages were burnt.
It suffices to say at this point that the Nigerian state forsook the Itsekiri nation. They could not provide security for us at that time and even up till now. The Ijaw, then led by Tompolo, killed and maimed Itsekiri sons and daughters, so we resorted to self-help. That self-help gave birth to Itsekiri People’s Congress a.k.a. Agbukumasa. The average Itsekiri man knows the meaning of Agbukumasa. It means we don’t run away from death.
What has been your approach in agitating for the rights of the Itsekiri nation? Do you resort to militancy or dialogue?
It was as a result of failure on the part of the Nigerian state that we went into getting arms to defend ourselves. But after the resolution of the crisis in 2004, we dropped our arms because the Itsekiri man is not known for violence. If you go into history, you will discover that the typical Itsekiri man has no penchant for violence. We believe in dialogue.
When the issue of amnesty came up, we returned all our arms to the federal government. But suffice to say that the federal government did not give the Itsekiri any amnesty slot.
The reason was that the amnesty was politicised. The government of the day at that time was skewed to the Ijaw nation so the Itsekiri nation was marginalised. It took a lot of pressure before they were able to give the Itsekiri nation some slots of the amnesty, which does not conform to the reason for the amnesty. Up till today, the Itsekiri man languishes in abject poverty in the midst of plenty.
The general impression is that poverty is something that is peculiar that applies to the whole of Niger Delta. Why make a case solely for the Itsekiri?
It looks as if it is just only the Ijaw that are in the Niger Delta. No! The Itsekiri are also prominent in the region. I want to make it clear to you that Itsekiri land produces more than 30 per cent of the oil revenue of this country. And the Itsekiri nation also has gas reserve. The contribution of the Itsekiri nation to the economy of this country, compared to what theItsekiriget in return, is nothing to write home about. The fact is that we don’t have a pedigree for violence. That is the reason why we are coming out now. We are coming out to make the government know that our silence does not mean that we don’t know our rights.
The Itsekiri nation has no electricity, no schools, no potable water and no health facilities. I make bold to ask anybody to go and visit Itsekiri land. I visited recently and I have a video clip to show to the whole world. We cannot continue like this. The government does not think about us, not to talk of the oil industry.
What was the relationship between the region and government during the dispensation of former President Goodluck Jonathan?
The typical Itsekiri man has a lot of pride in him because of his upbringing. When Jonathan was there as president, he was skewed more to the Ijaw people and he abandoned the Itsekiri people. You can see how long it took Jonathan to come and commission the EPZ project in Ugborodo and you can see the political undertone that took place in that time. But where is the EPZ today? It is a white elephant project that has not seen the light of day.
Since 1965 when Gulf Oil came intoItsekiri land to explore oil, they have been contributing steadily to the economyof this country. But the Nigerian government, I make bold to say, has not taken care of us. The places where the oil comes from are not even protected.
What has been the contribution of prominent Itsekiri sons and daughters to the agitation of the Itsekiri nation?
The only nationally acclaimed Itsekiri man which this country recognised was the late Chief Festus Sam Okoti-Eboh. Obasanjo gave the minister of state for defence portfolio to DrOritsejafor for just two days. For a land that produces 30 percent of the economic stay of this country, as I speak with you, there is no minister, no special adviser or assistant to the president from the Itsekiri nation. There are no ambassadorial appointments given to an Itsekiri man. Are you trying to tell me that we are not educated but our land is good enough to extract economic stay? It is not done anywhere in the world.
What is your relationship with some other militant groups in the Niger Delta, particularly the Niger Delta Avengers?
I told you originally that the Itsekiri man has no penchant forviolence. So we don’t apply ourselves to violent approach to agitation. We do our things genuinely, with intelligence. We don’t destroy our ecosystem or our property in the name of agitation. Agitation is done all over the world, but not through violence.
Not that the Itsekiri man cannot give violence. The ijaw man is a good witness to the kind of violence the Itsekiri can give. Me speaking to you, Tompolo knows me. I fought him to a standstill and drove him out of the Niger Delta. I am the founder of Agbukumasa and it came into existence as a result of the self-help we resorted to. I don’t have a pedigree for anything violence, I came from a very strong family. My father was a minister under Chief ObafemiAwolowo.
My father, Chief G.E Ekpejunor-Etchie was a royal.He was the chief-priest of the Warri kingdom. I have taken after him. I cannot sit down and allow my people to be marginalised to this great extent. If you go to the armed forces, hardly will you see an Itsekiri man. When an Itsekiri man wants to go to the armed forces, they skew him out of the system. Is it wrong to be a minority? We are being oppressed by other minorities like the Ijaw, the Urhobo and so on. The big brother up there who is supposed to give us cover is not doing anything. That is why we are calling on the federal government of Nigeria not to undermine our being quiet.
The immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, is an Itsekiri man and some people believe that some of his projects were done to favour of Itsekiri people. What is your reaction to this?
Uduaghan claims he is an Itsekiri man. But if he is really Itsekiri thick in the blood, he will be more of Itsekiri than any other person. He was governor for eight years. I challenge you to go ask him what he did for Itsekiri land in the last eight years. Uduaghan was operating with a cabal.
Who are the cabal?
The Itsekiri people will identify them when the time is right.
Are the cabal’s members alsoItsekiri?
It is the Itsekri people who at the appropriate timewill determine whether they are Itsekiri or not. I won’t mention names but the cabal in question, only very few of them are Itsekiri by gene. The others are Okpe, Igbo and Ijaw.
And you believe these cabal stopped the former governor from executing a concrete development work in Itsekiri land?
They didn’t stop him from doing it. I think a righteous leader must create wealth for his people. So you must have a vision. If he had a vision for the Itsekiri nation, the Itsekiri would not have remained in squalor after eight years of an acclaimed Itsekiri man as governor. These cabals are the ones given contracts to build the health centres. They will build it half way and leave it, and the government will not check them. If a project is not completed and I certify it okay, I’m I not an accomplice?
You see abandoned projects in Itsekiri lands and the government did not ensure to see that these projects are completed.
There are no impacts of the development funds given to the Niger Delta region. Are you saying government alone should be held responsible or some people in the communities who divert project funds through corrupt practices also?
From 1999 when the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established for the development of the Niger Delta region, have you ever seen an audited account or an audited report of NDDC? Is it not a government commission? From 1999 till date, NDDC has never been audited. We don’t know the contracts that are given to anybody. We don’t know the contractors that are doing the job. We don’t know jobs that have been completed. Are you going to hold the community leader for that or you are holding the government whose role is to supervise and ensure completion of projects?
But if the agents of the NDDC connive with the people to do something with the community leaders or heads, who suffers it? It is the people that suffer. But because the people do not have the voice to speak, they keep quiet and languish in penury. So it is the government that is failing in their role of monitoring, supervision and ensuring completion and commissioning of projects in the region.
So you are saying the community people are not liable for corrupt practices?
I wouldn’t say that they are not liable. But who is going to prove their innocence or their guilt? It is the government. Chevron Nigeria Limited, in connivance with the cabal,set up what they call Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC). Chevron should please tell us Itsekiri people how much they have given to that council and the jobs they have issued. One of the major characteristics of leadership is accountability. Government is supposed to be accountable to the people. Is that not why the Buhari government is fighting corruption? I am now saying that corruption has eaten deep into the oil companies at the detriment of the people. The government should help us.
What is the position of your group on the demands and operations of the militant groups in the Niger Delta?
I speak for my nationality, the Itskekiri nation. I cannot speak for the Ijaw nationality and I do not expect the Ijaw nationality to speak for my own nationality. They should speak for themselves. They should not speak for us Itsekiri people because we are not from the same race. The fact that nature tries to put us together does not mean that we all have the same characteristics.
Itsekiri people came into contact with civilization in 1484 with the Portuguese merchants. We are not a people that do our thing without decorum. I am making the call on the government to come our rescue.
What are the demands of the Itsekiri People’s Congress, which you want government to address?
We want government to look at the activities of the oil companies in Itsekiri land, especially the aspect of failing to provide infrastructure in the host communities. The issue of the oil companies in our locality is a topic that we should take separately because it is a pain in our heart. You cannot milk oil in our place and go and build your administrative headquarters in Lagos. That is Chevron for you. You cannot be taking oil from my land and I have only two per cent of the employees in your place. Let chevron tell us the list of all the people in their employment and how many Itsekiri are there? That is another height of oppression.
Is your coming out at this time based on the need to rival the attention the Niger Delta Avengers group is getting from the federal government?
There is no need to rival them. We are not the owner of time. Circumstances determine time. If I must let you know something, the Niger Delta Avengers are on their own.But we must clear ourselves before the government because I read in the papers the Niger Delta Avengers are saying the Itsekiri are part of them. We were never part of them. No Itsekiri man is part of the Avengers, because no Itsekiri man is a destroyer. But we are pained also. We are suffering too. We should now talk to government. Let government talk to us and let us see how we can synergize and work together to bring out peace in the Niger Delta and bring on meaningful development to the region.
Protesting Itsekiri youths yesterday attacked the home of Justin Rewane, son of the late activist, Pa Alfred Rewane, over his job at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Rewane, a lawyer and Itsekiri, was said to have approved the Federal Government’s choice of members from Delta in NDDC board.
Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), opposed the two representatives – Samuel Ajenakevwe Adjogbe (Executive Director, Projects – nominee), an Urhobo, and Dr Ogaga Ifowodo (Delta State representative – nominee), an Isoko.
The Itsekiri noted that since one of theirs, Tuoyor Omatsuli (the sacked NDDC executive director, Projects), was executive director in the dissolved board, another Itsekiri ought to have been nominated.
The Ilaje (Ugbo) oil producing areas of Ondo State yesterday rejected the nomination of Mr Olatokunbo Ajasin as the member representing the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Ilaje disavowal of Ajasin, son of late governor of old Ondo State, Chief Michael Ajasin, followed a similar protest by the Itsekiri and the Oron of Delta and Akwa Ibom states against the nominations in both states.
It was gathered that the perceived wrong nomination into the NDDC board was generating ethnic and tribal tension across the Niger Delta region.
The Ilaje, under the auspices of Ilaje Oil and Gas Host Communities (AICECUM), described the nomination of Ajasin, from Owo, Ondo North Senatorial District, as null and void.
They said he is not from an oil producing area envisaged in the Commission’s Act.
In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the nomination, AICECUM said: “It came as surprise to the people of Ugbo, which is the sole oil producing community in Ondo State, when the news of the nomination of Ajasin, from far away Owo, which is not an oil producing area, was announced.
“The news has aroused negative sentiments, consternation and shock in Ugbo communities, which presently strongly believe that the nomination will amount to divesting the people of Ugbo communities in the NDDC, as spelt out and guaranteed in the NDDC Act 2000.”
The letter was signed by AICECUM Chairman Otunba Sam Kokor Obazuaye, with Kunle Alli and Rev Jethro Ayemobuwa, the group’s chairman, secretary and PRO, as well as High Chief Adeboye Omoderun, who is the Liha of Ugbo land.
Quoting copiously from the NDDC Establishment Act, the group noted that only indigenes of the communities, comprising Ugbo land, were eligible to be appointed, in line with the prevailing practices in both the NDDC and the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
“The NDDC Act does not provide for oil prospecting but for oil producing areas, where production has and is still being carried out and which production is contributing to the sovereign wealth of the nation.”
The letter urged the President to reverse the appointment of Ajasin and for his replacement with a qualified Ugbo indigene, in line with the commission’s establishing law.
“We, therefore, urge Mr. President, who has been an advocate of the rule of law, to reverse the nomination, which is not backed by the extant laws of the land and appoint/nominate a suitable person from Ugbo communities in Ilaje Local Government of Ondo Stat as the member representing Ondo State on the governing board as envisaged and contemplated by the NDDC Act 2000.”
Also, the Oron Union, the umbrella union of the Oro ethnic nationality, urged President Buhari to address the alleged injustice against them on the NDDC board appointment.
A statement by its President General, Dr Effion Edunam, appealed to President Buhari to “break the chain” of the alleged neglect by appointing a qualified Oron indigene to the “thoroughly merited office of MD of NDDC”.
They urged the APC-led Federal Government to be “sensitive and responsive to genuine grievance”, stressing that “it was not too long ago that the party was often accused of drilling for, inventing and discovering grievances”.
On Monday, APC loyalists among the Itsekiri condemned the nomination of an Urhobo, from Delta Central, as the Executive Director, Project, which their kinsman, Mr Tuoyo Omatsuli, held before the last board was dissolved last December.
Messrs Robinson Ariyo, Ighonmieyetan and David Odeli, in a letter to the President, said: “The Itsekiri will not be swayed by the argument of a few selfish elements that this is a new government and things have changed when it comes to the existing working principles between ethnic nationalities in Delta as it affects appointments in the NDDC board.”
The Itsekiri nation yesterday joined the extended Nanna Olomu family and the Federal Government to celebrate the 100th year of the death as well as the life and reign of Chief Nanna Olomu of Koko.
Olomu, an iconic Itsekiri leader, was born about 1840.
He became an influential merchant, who was later made the governor (gofune) of the Benin River area, (Itsekiri land) by the then colonial administration.
His a reign lasted about 10 years (1885 to 1894).
But it was cut short by a cocktail of conspiracies and political manoeuvrings, which culminated in the British-Ebrohimi war in 1894, the eventual collapse of Nanna’s political and commercial empire, his escape to Lagos, his eventual surrender, trial in Calabar between 1894 and 1895 and his deportation to Accra in Ghana, where he stayed for another 10 years (1896 to 1906).
Olomu returned to Koko in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, a distance of about 45 minutes by speedboat ride to his fallen Ebrohimi homestead.
The Itsekiri leader built a new palace and lived for another 10 years, until July 3, 1916, when he passed on.
This centenary celebration, inspired by foremost Itsekiri history writer and administrator, Pa J. O. S. Ayomike, was capped yesterday at Koko town with series of presentations, including a visit to the head of Nanna family and Olare-Aja (traditional head) of Koko, Chief Victor Nanna, dances and visit to the Nanna Living History Museum.
At Nanna’s home, the Curator of the Nanna Living History Museum, Wilson Onime, presented the goodwill message from the Director-General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Yusuf Usman, to the community head.
At the museum, which used to be Chief Nanna’s palace and acquired by the Federal Government as one of Nigeria’s monuments and sites in 1979 and inaugurated as a museum in 1996 by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Pa Ayomike, who is married to one of Nanna Olomu’s granddaughters, Mrs Utsaghan Ayomike, gave a brief speech on the significance of the celebration.
He said: “Nana was buried with a giant diamond ring and he lays in death on a regal catafalque fabricated by his children who learnt the sophistry of carpentry and other vocations while studying in Ghana, where their father was deported.
“In Accra, he became a Christian.
“Today, we are celebrating his 100 years in death. But Ralph Moore, the Consul General, who signed the charges against him, seized his properties, placed a £500 reward for his arrest, tried and pronounced life sentence on him. But when he went back to Britain, he lost his mind and took his own life.”
The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT) has formally handed over some historical artefacts and books relating to Nanna Olomu to the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in Abuja for the conservation and promotion of the country’s heritage.
The leaders showered praises on Nanna Olomu, who was the last Governor of the Benin River (Itsekiri Country), described him as a true symbol of African resistance against British imperialism.
The artefacts, procured from a London Museum and donated by ILoT Chairman, Mr Johnson Ayomike, related to the Famous Nanna Olomu, as the great merchant of the Niger Delta, the last Governor of the Benin River (Itsekiri Country). According to the group, Nanna vehemently resisted British Imperialism and the military expedition which was carried out by the British on Ebrohimi, his hometown in 1894, which is in the present day Delta State.
Nanna Olomu they say, later surrendered in Lagos, was tried and found guilty in their Kangaroo Court of Enquiry in Calabar and sent on exile to Accra, Ghana in 1890s. He was allowed to return to Nigeria in 1906, ten years later, Nanna died peacefully in Koko on the 3rd of July 1916.
To commemorate the 100 years of the death of Nanna Olomu, Ayomike in collaboration with ILoT prepared some historical artefacts; Two large framed photographs of; (a) Nanna Palatial Residence; out-house and Stores in Ebrohimi before the expedition of 1894, and (b) four British Warships booming canon-fire on Ebrohimi (air Filled with heavy smoke) about a week before the fall of Ebrohimi.
Copies of books relating to Nanna Olomu, and other historical books on Warri and ethnography in the Niger Delta Region were also presented.
Presenting the items to the Director General of NCMM on behalf of Ayomike, in Abuja, the Secretary of ILoT, Bar. Edward Ekpoko described Nanna Olomu as a true symbol of African resistance to British Imperialism imposed on the African continent.
He reminded the NCMM Boss, the role of Ayomike in the establishment of the Nanna Living History Museum in Koko similar to the Mandela House in South Africa, adding that “he (Ayomike) also donated other nanna artiffacts to the University of Benin in 1988. This is also in further pursuit of Mr Ayomike’s position that knowledge of history brings a feeling that we are part of a fellowship that runs through the ages from long before our birth to long after our death.”
Quoting Awake Magazine “To live without history is to live without a form of memory. Without history you, your family, your tribe or even your nation would seem to be without roots, without a past.”
Responding, NCMM Boss, Mallam Yusuf Usman said the presentation would help the government to ensure proper conservation and promotion of the country’s heritage. He emphasised the need for the private sector partnership in the preservation of the museum, calling for ethical rebirth among Nigerians to appreciate the country’s past.
Usman noted that the artefacts presented would be placed in National Museum to further expose the heroic deeds of Nanna Olomu to the younger generation to promote African culture with aim of improving the country’s economy.
“We hope to receive the similar support from other Nigerians to be able to adequately promote our culture with the aim of improving our economy,” said the DG.
Itsekiri high chief Rita lori-Ogbebor, in this interview with reporters in Lagos, calls for the transparent management of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC). Musa Odoshimokhe was there.
You have always agitated for transparent management of the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC). what informed this position?
The DESOPADEC issue is important to me because I am from the Niger Delta, I live in Lagos and I have seen how Lagos has transformed through the years. I agree that it is people like us who have helped to transform Lagos but the politicians too have played their part very well. I have been in Lagos for over 50 years; the people have not come to harass me because Lagos is safe. This is not the case with the Niger Delta, where I come from. It pains me to see so much poverty in Warri, an oil producing city. Things have degenerated to a level where there are no roads. All the recreational centres have all degenerated and it pains me because I am from there. I cannot brag to be successful in another man’s place, when people suffer in the place I come from. That is why I am constantly looking inwards into how DESOPADEC performs its duties. When we got 13 per cent derivation from the Federal Government, it was a thing of joy because we thought all our riverine areas will be developed, but it is a shame today, when you look at the situation there. Where are the billions that are derived from this place? Then you find our boys who are shamelessly riding Rolls-Royce on bad roads. They do not bother about the hunger and joblessness in the area. These people are the ones who have put us in this dilemma.
Whatever happens in DESOPADEC, it is always supported in the budget…
On the budget being presented to the governor, there is need to properly screen it.
This budget, I learnt, is ready to go before the governor and then it will go to the House of Assembly. But, let me talk about the Itsekiri nation: Who are our representatives at DESOPADEC? Who did they talk to before presenting our position in the budget? I am a chief and know everything about Itsekiri land. I know the people, I know the areas and who did they talk to before submitting this budget? What have they submitted? About three months ago, the Olu formed a council called the Olu-in-Council which is the highest body in Itsekiri land. We did not hear anything from our representatives. These boys just rushed and put things together to benefit themselves. And they are now taking it to the governor before it will go to the House of Assembly. The House will take their cut, and then the remaining one will go into their pockets because nobody knew what they put in the budget. When that is done, they cannot be challenged because they never told anyone what the budget contains.
What is the implication of not following due process?
Today, the situation in the riverine areas is getting worse. The thought of it makes me sad. These people have no conscience and that is why I am constantly reminding them that there is God. If you take, you must give. How can you see your own human being suffering in the midst of plenty?
We the Itsekiri want to see the budget which the so-called representatives prepared. We didn’t choose them. I am now asking the governor, who chose them to return this budget to the people. Let there be a town hall meeting where, all the communities will sit and decide what they want to do in line with the immediate needs in the communities.
I have been on this advocacy since the days of James Ibori. I took him to court and the matter went up to the Supreme Court. Now another governor is there, I don’t want to battle him. I am calling on him to do good things for us. He asked for our votes and we gave him, now we want him to use the money accruable to us and develop our areas. If the budget is not returned, I will go to court because our people are suffering.
Can you justify your claim that the representatives of the Itsekiri on the board of the DESOPADEC never interface with the people?
There was nothing of such because they believe they were appointed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, so they have nothing to do with the Itsekiri people. They even said that the Itsekiri did not appoint them to the board. There was a case of money that was taken during Christmas. The money was allocated to the ethnic group but they said it was PDP money. I don’t know whether the PDP produces anything. That was how the money vanished.
There are claims that some chiefs in the region also short-change their subjects in terms of the funds accruable to the oil communities. Is the Itsekiri ethnic group also affected by this?
It is good to ask if the chiefs are not collaborating with these people. The answer is no. I am a chief and we work together. Most of these chiefs travel to Warri from their various places of destination. There is the Warri Council of Chiefs which I am a member. There is no chief collaborating with them. It is important to state that the chiefs don’t receive anything from these people because our service is selfless. We are only concerned about how to better the lives of our people. My service to my people is free and all the chiefs too.
Can you point at the areas that the agency has not attended to over the years that actually need attention?
It is better to reverse the question. It should have been that I should point at one thing they have done that have been of benefit to the people. They should come and show us. That is why I am asking the governor not to honour the budget by our representatives. I want the governor to come and look at these areas that we are talking about.
There was exhilaration in several Itsekiri communities in Warri area of Delta state as a board member of the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Mr Victor Oritsetimeyin Woods resuscitates moribund amenities in Itsekiri communities..
The benefiting communities include Ode-Itsekiri (Big Warri), the ancestral home of the Itsekiri people, Orugbo, Ajigba and Inorin among others, some of which have been in darkness for over eight years when the power plants broke down.
Ode-Itsekiri and others have been without portable water due to the failure of the water plants in the communities and breakdown of three power generating plants in other communities due to lack of maintenance.
Specifically, it was gathered that Orugbo and Ode-Itsekiri were grappling with lack of portable water due to the breakdown of the water facilities, until the intervention of Woods, who is the Executive Director in charge of Planning and Research at DESOPADEC.
Speaking with our reporter on his intervention, the DESOPADEC ED explained that her personal financed the project as his contribution to the rebirth of the communities. He said his individual effort is aimed at facilitating the return of indigenes of the areas who left in search of better living condition.
He particularly lamented that enrolment at the Ode-Itsekiri schools could be better if there are better social amenities and facilities to make inhabitants of the areas feel like their counterparts in the upland areas.
He expressed surprise at the low cost required to fix some of the facilities, which failure had led to untold suffering for the inhabitants of the Itsekiri communities.
“My experience with these projects showed that sometimes you do not need to break the bank to bring some of these facilities back to life. For instance, there was a water project that required just N25,000 to bring it back to life because it was just the water pump that was faulty.
“In Big Warri (Ode-Itsekiri) and some adjoining towns, we restore water supply, fixed three power generating sets and did some other things. All these we achieved with just a this little money and the relief it has brought to our people is priceless.”
He blamed the deplorable state of some of the facilities on apathy of some community leaders towards government’s property, stressing that some of the faults with the amenities were things that they could easily have done.
While conceding that it was not possible for him to personally fix the problem of amenities in all Itsekiri communities, Woods expressed hope that when the 2016 budget of the commission is passed, there would be funds for such intervention.
“There are very few communities that don’t already have water or power (generator). But they packed up because of one small problem or the other and because it is provided by government, if government doesn’t come, people complain we don’t have light.”
A very impressed Itsekiri indigene, Mr Godwin Adanoritsewo, described Wood’s gesture as worthy of emulation.
Adanoritsewo said: “We can agree that yielding to the call and fixing of some basic needs of community can lay the foundations of Itsekiri development.”
Hundreds of Itsekiri communities from Koko, Obaghoro, Ijaghalla, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Usele, Deghele and others were at the mercy of coastal erosion and vanishing shoreline. The acquisition of a dredger by DESOPADEC was expected to resettle thousands of members of the ethnic groups who fled their homes in the aftermath of the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis. SHOLA O’NEIL writes that nearly two years after the multi-million dollar equipment was acquired, the beauty of Eregwa is fast fading without the communities feeling its impact.
There were huge expectations among the people of Itsekiri in 2013 when their representatives on the board of the Delta State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) announced a plan to acquire a gigantic dredger. The equipment, they were told, was to be used to dredge creeks, waterways and to sand-fill their riverside communities that are fast being eroded by erosion.
The joy that trailed the announcement stemmed from the deplorable state of towns in Warri South, South-west and North local government areas.
Hundreds of Itsekiri communities from Koko, Obaghoro, Ijaghalla, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Usele, Deghele and others were at the mercy of coastal erosion and vanishing shoreline.
The acquisition of the dredger was also expected to resettle thousands of members of the ethnic groups who fled their homes in the aftermath of the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis between the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The hope brightened on a lively day in April last year when the then Chairman of the Commission, Mr Oritsuwa Kpogho, an Itsekiri man, inaugurated the dredger with fanfare and back-parting in Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area.
Aptly named ‘EREGWA’ (Itsekiri word for a beautiful woman or object), the glimmering monster of an equipment was a beauty to behold.
Kpogho stated that DESOPADEC went for the best dredger in the world, adding that the equipment would last beyond three decades.
Commenting on the issue, the commission’s secretary, Sir Augustine Oghoro promised that the dredger would be deployed to save and restore communities that are being washed away by erosion.
•Diden
A news report on DESOPADEC website entitled “Jubilation as DESOPADEC Acquires Dredger”, quoted Hon. Michale Diden (aka Ejele) as saying, “the waterlogged communities can be reclaimed”.
However, nearly two years after the multi-million dollar equipment was acquired, the beauty of Eregwa is fast fading without the communities feeling its impact.
Creeks and rivers are still blocked by silts; communities are endangered more than ever before while the Ellicott 1270 Dragon dredger is rotting away at a private dockyard in Koko.
Niger Delta Report learnt that, apart from the initial test-run of the equipment to fill the private jetty where it is kept, the N1 billion worth of equipment is yet to leave the scene where its components were unwrapped and assembled over a year ago.
Our investigations revealed that the contract for the dredger was awarded to a company known as Mawona Atlantic Limited for N985, 000,000 for “purchase of dredger/accessories”.
Attempts by our reporter to get further details from Ellicott Dredgers LLC Maryland, USA were not fruitful, as the company was unwilling to make any comment.
alter Mather, who responded to our e-mail enquiry, neither denied nor confirmed that the equipment was bought from them. He also would not go into details of the price.
He said: “Ellicott does build and offer an 18-inch dredger with model Dragon 1270. Several have been sold in Nigeria.
“With respect to your underlying questions, please understand that we do not discuss our private business with the media without prior approval of any related client,” Walter added.
Information sourced from the company’s websites indicated that the one sighted by our reporter in Koko is indeed an Ellicott Dragon 1270, an 18″, 460mm diameter portable cutter-head type dredger with a maximum digging depth of 15.24m.
The manufacturer boasts that the dredger is “tailored to suit the requirements of the purchaser”, adding, “It is made to give the greatest return on the investment dollar.”
Unfortunately for Itsekiri communities, rather than give value for the N1 billion paid to acquire it, the dredger has been rotting away in Koko and accruing more expenses, including a princely N1.6 million monthly warehouse cost.
Expectant community leaders who thought its deployment would ease their pains have since given up.
“The euphoria over the dredger is gone; like most projects by those claiming to represent us. It is only they and their cronies who supplied it that have seen its gain. Not one Itsekiri community, even here in Warri North Local Government Area or the oil communities, has used it. How can people be so wicked?” Mr Eyitemi Kingsway Eyoyibo, told our report.
Eyoyibo, who hails from erosion-prone Ajudaibo in Ugborodo, called for a full scale investigation into, not just the dredger, but also into several other projects awarded over the years by Itsekiri representatives in the board of DESOPADEC.
“All those found culpable of short-changing our people should refund all monies and be sent to jail. Itsekiri nation has suffered too much because of the greed and avarice of a few who find themselves in the corridors of power,” he stressed.
Reliable sources in DESOPADEC said the state and the Itsekiri have lost heavily due to the wasting equipment. It was learnt that benefits from training, operation and others that was built into the contract have been lost along with the guarantee against defects.
The recently inaugurated Commissioner Representing Itsekiri in the commission, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, who was contacted by our reporter, said he was yet to get the full brief and details on the dredger.
Ereyitomi, in a telephone conversation with our reporter said: “As you are aware, we are just coming on board (DESOPADEC) and there are so many things that we need to look at. I am yet to get the full brief on the dredger so I might not be able to say much – at least for now.”
The DESOPADEC Executive Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Victor Oritsetinmeyin Wood, could not be reached for comment. The director, who insisted on a face-to-face chat with our reporter, was said to be on project inspection when our reporter visited the commission.
Mr Tsewo Edema, the Head of Security at DESOPADEC at the time, confirmed that the commission pays N19.2 million (N1.6 million monthly) annually to a private firm, which owns the jetty where the equipment is kept since about 2012.
Edema, in a chat with Niger Delta Report, explained that the N1.6m monthly payment was not only for the use of the jetty, but also for safekeeping of the dredger.
But beyond the cost of ‘safekeeping’ the dredger, the loss of add-ons and warrantee could come to haunt the commission.
“If and when they decide to use it, if any challenge is discovered with the dredger, huge sums of money would again be needed to procure the parts and maybe bring in expert from the United States (US),” Kingsway-Eyoyibo lamented.
At the time of our reporter’s visit to Koko on Sunday, October 18, the huge pipes and suction hoses procured with the dredger were rotting away due to lack of use and maintenance. Huge containers and caravans which were used to freight the equipment to the Itsekiri riverside communities laid idle.
A prominent Itsekiri staff of the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said only Messrs. Oritsuwa Kpokgho and Michael Diden (now a member of the Delta State House of Assembly) respectively and Edema, could throw more light on the debacle surrounding the contract of the dredger.
“The purchase was between them; they were the all and all as far as the Itsekiri nation was concern in DESOPADEC at that time. So, any question about the dredger should be directed to them,” our source said.
Diden was yet to respond to our reporter’s text message inquiry at the time of filing this report. Attempts to get through to him through a third party were also not fruitful two weeks afterwards.
Edema, however, denied being involved in the procurement of the dredger. Although he conceded that he was aware that the contract involved training of Itsekiri engineers to man it, he said beyond securing the equipment, he knew nothing else.
A very angry community leader however said: “Even at the time the contract was awarded, there was fear apart from not being what the Itsekiri need to spend money on at the time, the issue of how it was going to operate needed to be fully addressed. But nobody gave heed to wise advice then because some persons were more interested in the contract than how it would benefit the Itsekiri nation.”
Further investigations revealed that the dredger is a victim of the clash of political interests among prominent Itsekiri politicians and various group leaders who wanted to convert it to their personal assets.
Confirming this, Edema described the dredger as a victim of a clash of “big interests. He revealed that various efforts to put the dredger to use was frustrated by unnamed key players and inability of private firms that indicated interest to lease it to provide firm guarantee of their commitment.
“For instance,” he said, “one private firm handling road construction work in Koko area offered to take it on lease; although their offer was way below the commission’s estimation, the deal fell through because they could not provide bank guarantee. Everybody wants to take and convert it to private use.”
Edema said but for his vigilance, the multi-million dollar equipment would have ended up as a private asset.
“By now, there would be no longer dredger to talk about; it might have been taken as far as to Cotonou (Benin Republic),” he added.
The Itsekiri National Youths Council has debunked reports that the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, is alive.
In a statement yesterday on its website, the youths’ council said: “There has been a very serious rumour going around in various newspapers (online version) about the Olu of Warri.
“We want to state that these are rumours and should be taken as such. The Itsekiri do not and would not keep the public in the dark on a matter like this. The Olu is very well and alive; that is the position of the palace.
“Any statement contrary to this is a rumour being peddled by rumour mongers. We ask media houses and media practitioners to desist from delving into matters that they cannot confirm… This is totally wrong; it is an aberration and an abuse of information.
“The Itsekiri at home and in the Diaspora should be well assured that the Olu is well and hearty.”
Also, the reported passage of the monarch caused apprehension among the residents yesterday.
But when our reporter visited his palace in the afternoon, there was nothing unusual there.
Neither the chiefs nor the crowd at the palace said anything on the frontline monarch, whose “demise” was first reported on Saturday.
Although none of the security personnel at the palace was willing to speak on the matter, one of those conversant with the affairs of the place, who spoke in confidence, said nobody knew what was going on.
The source said: “There’s nobody within the premises who could give you any information now. The Olu’s family is not here and the chiefs have not come. Only a few known persons have strolled inside; by the time they realised there was nobody to talk to, they strolled back.
“I have also been hearing the rumour, but you know how that sort of development can be. Even if it was true, you must wait and hear from a reliable source. So, I cannot confirm to you if it is true or not. You may need to wait to hear from the chiefs.”
Efforts to get one of the monarch’s closest confidants and spokesman, Chief Mene Brown, were unsuccessful.
Calls to his mobile phone were unanswered and a text message to it was not replied to.
On Saturday, Chief Brown told our reporter that he could not confirm the report.
The Olu of Warri, who had a partial stroke for some time, reportedly passed on last week in a Lagos hospital.
