Ogbe-Ijoh Market: IPDI Boils, Fires Itsekiri Group, Warns Tidi To Withdraw His Appointment – The Liberator
IPDI while lashing out on the Iwere Homeland, had warned Dr. Michael Tidi, Chairman Warri South to urgently withdraw his appointment of an Itsekiri son as Market Master In Ogbe-Ijoh Market.
This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Warri yesterday, signed by
Mayor Timi Ogobiri, National spokesman, Ijaw People’s Development Initiative ,IPDI, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspaper.
The statement had further reminded the Itsekiri group on the scores of the Warri crises.
The statement reads in full below:
Press Statement
6th June, 2020
IWERE GROUP, A CONGLOMERATE OF MISCREANTS, DORE NUMA, A STRANGER IN WARRI CAN’T OWN OGBE-IJOH MARKET, OKOWA MUST ACT NOW, ITSEKIRI CONSPIRACY, A THREAT TO PEACE IN WARRI, IPDI VIBRATES
The attention of the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI has been drawn to a poorly crafted post accredited to one disgruntled and faceless Itsekiri group,the Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History (MPIHDH) which the writers remained anonymous.
Ordinarily, it is not our style to respond to every tom, dick and harry as the Iwere writers remained faceless but the falsehoods peddled need to be clarified for the record purpose.
The authors of the barbaric post remained faceless as they are afraid to sign their own report, and that shows that the Iwere group is a conglomerate of cowards and nuisance who are afraid of Ijaw people. The Itsekiri nation is finished if these are the crops of intellectuals holding brief on behalf of Itsekiri nation.
We want to state unequivocally that Ogbe-Ijoh market belongs to Ogbe-Ijoh people and not own by Dore Numa who was abducted from Benin River to Warri by Royal Niger Company to do some minimal jobs.
The claims of the uneducated, uninformed and misguided Iwere miscreants should be disregarded as it was false, only meant to mislead members of the public. The governor of Delta State, senator Ifeanyi Okowa must act now as the Itsekiri conspiracy is a threat to the existing peace in the state.
The Ogbe-Ijoh Ijaws were first settlers of Warri, and that every land in Warri belongs to Ijaws going by ownership by afforestation. WARRI which was formally called ‘Wari’ has been in existence long before the coming of the Portuguese in 1472, and the Ginuwa migration to Ijaw areas in 1473 according to late Rewane. It is the Itsekiris that are the strangers in Warri and not the Ijaws. There is no any kangaroo judgement declaring Ogbe-Ijoh market as Dore Numa market.
It is an insult for Itsekiri to have argued land with their maternal parents. It is a sign of disrespect and waywardness. This was contained in several reports about Warri province, Delta province and Midwest region. The idiots should go and make research.
The Olu of Itsekiri which was manipulated to Olu of Warri in 1952 with the help of Chief Awolowo does not have any land in Warri, his current palace was bought from Chief Okumagba. Ode-Itsekiri is their traditional headquarters and not Warri. No true tribe will site its traditional headquarters in foreign land.
We are aware that the imposition of market master in Ogbe-Ijoh market was conspired and orchestrated by the entire Itsekiri nation to annex and grab further Ijaw lands as alleged by the miscreants and self-acclaimed Iwere group.
However, we still maintain that Warri South Local Government chairman lacks power to impose an Itsekiri as market master in Ogbe-Ijoh market. Except Michael Tidi is capable enough to withstand the calamity that will befall the Itsekiri nation.
The Ijaw people’s development Initiative, IPDI is among the reputable and refined top three Ijaw indigenous groups which is registered with CAC and not faceless like the Iwere miscreants. Comrade Ozobo Austin is a very informed intellectual who has been holding informed briefs on behalf of Ijaw nation and not like the Iwere nuisance who are even afraid to sign their own statement.
The Iwere writers are so naive and clueless. They are not abreast with history, they don’t even know that Ginuwa who founded Itsekiri nation was a tenant to Ijaw people, so how come Dore Numa a descendant of a tenant and stranger became owners of land in Warri and its environs? This shows that the Iwere group is clueless and should be educated on the history of Itsekiri nation.
The Iwere group who does not know where their founding father died and buried does not have what it takes to talk to their maternal parents. Ginuwa migrated to Amatu after exiled by Oba Olua in 1473 and he was given a wife called princess Adirimo, a daughter of Amatu king, Ogirijoka which helped to raise the Itsekiri nation. The exiled Ginuwa later turned an Ijaw in-law. Princess Adirimo raised two sons with Ginuwa, one is Egbekumo and other is Ijijen. The children equally married from same Ijaw and raised the Itsekiri nation. The reports are there if this Iwere miscreants care to know.
The Iwere group should not be quick to forget the scores of Warri crisis and advice itself on the threat that it will pursue Ijaw nation out of Warri.
It is our appeal that Michael Tidi should learn from the history of previous Warri crises and avoid anything that will repeat such ugly and sad experiences. The governor of Delta State his excellency senator Ifeanyi Okowa should call Tidi to order and immediately remove the Itsekiri market master from Ogbe-Ijoh market before it snowball to some untoward realities.
Signed
Mayor Timi Ogobiri
National spokesman
Ijaw People’s Development Initiative ,IPDI.
