Leaders of Gbaramatu communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have called on their Itsekiri neighbours to allow peace reign in Warri and its environs.
The Chairman of Kokodiagbene community, Sheriff Mulade, who spoke on behalf of the Gbaramatu leaders, said it was high time the Ijaw and Itsekiri came together as a people and jointly work together for the development of their areas, rather than promoting discord that would lead to crisis.
We’d like to remind our itsekiri neighbours that we have come a long way together
The leaders alleged that those instigating Itsekiri ethnic nationality against others were only introducing disunity and bad blood as a ploy to exploit their natural resources to develop their areas.
A c c o rd i n g to a statement by the leaders, which was entitled, “Allow Peace Reign in Warri and Environs: Gbaramatu communities Tell Chief Rita Lori,” they alleged that some of their Itsekiri brothers were using Chief Rita Lori Ogbebor, their respected mother, to twist reality and justice.
The statement read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to the continued cruel and malicious plans by some of our Itsekiri neighbours, who are using one of our most respected mother and traditional chief in the Niger Delta, to arm twist reality and justice because they believe that they can bribe the judges through the backdoor with the support of the Yoruba, who they always rely on to get fictitious, frivolous and f r a u d u l e n t j u d g e m e n t that had led to various communal crisis in Warri and environs.
“We will like to remind our itsekiri neighbours that we have come a long way together as a people and it is high time we jointly worked together for the development our area.
“We can still vividly recall our efforts in 1990, when the Ijaw of Diebiri, Isaba, Ogbe Ijoh and Gbaramatu Kingdoms demanded political freedom by requesting for a local government area with headquarters at Oporoza.”
The statement further read, “As usual in their tricks, through a respected leader, late Chief Alfred Rewane and others, to lobby, bribe and arm twist the then authorities in 1991 through their Yoruba family lineage and changed the already agreed and approved council headquarters Oporoza to Koko, present headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
“The Ijaws again embarked on a peaceful request for local government area with headquarters at Ogbe Ijoh this time, but the Itsekiri again adopt their dubious character and bribe through their Yoruba lineage to the top and changed the headquarters to Ogidigben, which the Ijaws of Diebiri, Isaba, Ogbe Ijoh and Gbaramatu Kingdoms resisted through peaceful protest in 1996.
“However, it’s still fresh in our memories how the Itsekiri mobilised their youths from Ogunwaja area in Sapele Local Government Council of Delta State to attack us, wounded dozens, burnt down houses, destroyed our properties and killed an Ijaw from Kabowei kingdom in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State with the primary aim of intimidating, harassing and using security personnel to arrest us; that led to the avoidable crisis that ruined Warri and its environs economy.”
The Gbaramatu leaders also alleged that they were aware that their Itsekiri neighbours were intensifying plans to put Gbaramatu area under military siege in order to carry out some attacks. They, therefore, appealed to the Itsekiri to “avoid a repeat of such senseless, unnecessary and avoidable crisis that will turn Warri to a ghost land again.”
