RE: IJAW REAL OWNERS OF WARRI? As Published by: 'Niger Delta Scholars' on Vanguard, Friday, May 26, 2017.

'IWERE (WARRI)' IS THE PEOPLE, AND ITSEKIRI (JEKIRI) IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE IWERE PEOPLE;

ALE-IWERE IS WARRI-LANDS IN WARRI KINGDOM, DELTA STATE.


INTRODUCTION:
Which is an attempt to coax evidence and God's truth from the True and Rightful Owners and Landlords of Warri City and WARRI Local Government Areas (WARRI-KINGDOM) in Delta State.

EXCERPT FROM THE PUBLICATION:
The self acclaimed 'NIGER DELTA SCHOLARS', Reacting to a recent reply by the IWERE PEOPLE'S CONGRESS (IPC), an ITSEKIRI group. Were appealing to their ITSEKIRI Neighbours to refrain from further claims to OGBE-IJOH tittle of Warri, as there are abundant evidences to prove otherwise. Urging the ITSEKIRI ethnic Nationality to desist from further stoking controversies.

Their National Coordinator, one Chief Monday Keme claiming abundant evidences, including the Ogbe-Ijoh market retaining the identity of OGBE-IJOH in WARRI Urban in support of OGBE-IJOH's ownership of WARRI.
That in 1956, Chief IZOUKUMOR OLIOKI and five others sued d OLU of WARRI, EREJUWA II, who was later replaced by ITSEKIRI Communal Land Trust. And in 1958, the OLU also sued the Ogbe-Ijoh people, in which he claimed, that both parties was advised to withdraw for political solution.

One should dare to ask, that on what ground was that said withdrawal?

That the Man ALDER was an INDIAN Transporter, who was settled by the OGBE-IJOH People and became very famous in the transport business, hence the area was named after him (ALDERS Town, Ogbe-Ijoh).

Claiming further that suit No W/148/56 and the counter W/63/58 were struck out accordingly. And that it was confirmed in suit No W/148/56 was not heard in the celebrated OKUMAGBA Land Case.
And therefore, they wonder why the ITSEKIRI continue to make reference to that case. That they challenge the ITSEKIRI to publish this case for all to see.

#And that We will do, if they (IJOHs of OGBE-IJOH) would be ready to live by the truth and all but the truth.

REPLIES TO THEIR FALSEHOOD:
As their name permits, 'Niger Delta Scholars', one would have expected or supposed them to be specialist in a particular branch of knowledge or perhaps especially one who educates self as they continue in their quest for knowledge; as it relates to the Historical Facts of the Niger Delta People in all fairness.

But to my chagrin now to be tutored by Our humble selves as per happenings over hundred of years ago.

To start with; is a misnomer and misrepresentation that, the Man ALDERS was an INDIAN Transporter, who was settled by the OGBE-IJOH People and became very famous in the transport business, hence the area was named after him (ALDERS Town, OGBE-IJOH).

This is not only a lie from the pit of hell, but fallacious and only can be in their mere imagination and hallucinating minds.

But the truth is that R. A. ALDER was not even at all a British Colonial Official or the least an Indian, but was an 'EGBA YORUBA' Merchant based in WARRI. And he gave his Daughter "ATSEYINKU", by an "ITSEKIRI Mother", to "DAUDU", another YORUBA Merchant from 'ISALE-EKO', LAGOS, also based in WARRI.
And they were both Tenants on the CROWN LAND (lease B5) of 1908 and by reason of their great influence as big Merchants, their names have stuck ( as ALDERS Town or DAUDU) to the part of WARRI from Mclver to PESSU Road. And they both returned to their homes to die.

And in the famous Agbassa case of OMETAN vs. Chief DORE NUMA (suit 25/1926), when plaintiff on behalf of Agbassa claimed the ownership of AGBASSA, IGBUDU, OGBE-IJOH, ODION, ALDERS Town, etc.
Against Chief DORE NUMA on behalf of the ITSEKIRI.
One IKPURI, an AGBASSA Leader, testifying said as follows:

IKPURI sworn: I live at IJEBA where I was born. I am Sobo. A Native of AGBASSA. I succeeded OGEGEDE... I am the OLOTU (Head War-Man).AGBASSA Village is BOMALI. We came from AGBASSA OTON {sic OTOR}.JEKRIs (ITSEKIRIs) came here first. All this is JEKRI (ITSEKIRI) Land.We render service to OLU... We cut grass and clear ground when JEKRIs (ITSEKIRIs) Chief died. We are servants of the OLU.

OGBE-IJOH does not belong to AGBASSA.
ALDER and WILKIE belong to JEKIRI (ITSEKIRI). FUGBE and ODION belong to JEKRI (ITSEKIRI).

Chief JACKSON E. ETSAGHARA, an important AGBASSA Chief in the Supreme Court (suit No. SC 328/1972 11 SC report (1973), said at page 277:

I was told by my elders, including Chief SAM WARRI ESSI that in the olden days our Ancestors used to pay homage to the OLU of WARRI for the permission granted to settle on the Land. This was not in my time.If compensation for the Land acquired is paid to us, one third of the amount goes to the OLU and two-thirds of the amount goes to the whole of AGBASSA Community, not one man.
The OLU of WARRI by tradition is entitled to one-third of the amount of compensation paid. It is not out of mere kindness that we gave him one-third.This is in accordance with the NATIVE LAW AND CUSTOM OF THE ITSEKIRIS AND URHOBOS IN WARRI DIVISION.

Another AGBASSA Leader, Chief AGAGA AGBAISI, admitted in the same suit:

OLU is the Overlord of AGBASSA Land. When we get compensation for this land acquired, we still share it and the ITSEKIRI Communal Land Trustees one-third.
It has been decided that the share should be in the ratio of one-third to the OLU or ITSEKIRI Communal Land Trustees, two-thirds to the AGBASSA People.
Yet another important AGBASSA Chief, ODELI OFOLUWA, in his evidence in the same suit stated:
I am not saying that the OLU of WARRI is entitled to one-third share which has been so adjudged by the court in some cases.It is also not because I heard from people. I know it is the Custom.

Then now, we can hear what others have said about AGBASSA vis-à-vis WARRI. On the evidence of AGBAMU, the Head Chief of EFFURUN, an URHOBO Community, the learned judge WEBBER said:

"The Head Chief of EFFURUN, a SOBO Man, says that the only Land AGBASSA possesses is a place called 'BOMALI' and that the OLU of the ITSEKIRIs gave it to AGBASSA."
The judge further said "that the AGBASSA over hundred years ago (in 1926) came from AGBASSA OTOR and settled in AGBASSA Village (WARRI)... I am satisfied on the evidence... that when the AGBASSA came to WARRI, they were given permission by OLU of WARRI to settle."

An Intelligence Report on the OGHARA Clan by Capt. E. A. MILLER in July 1929 says at page 7 as follows:

There is little doubt but that AGBASSA OTO... was the Original Home of the people who occupy the WARIFI-WARIGI... "there was a general exodus from the Parent Town owing to Oppression and Enslavement by Neighbouring AGBADU and UKPE SOBOs".

Three distinct parties set out - one settled near WARRI and called their new town AGBASSA - a second settled in the neighbourhood of JESSE, and the third at WARIGI Waterside... The time was probably somewhere between 1800 and 1850... one of the settlers in the first few years - EMITAN - brought with him his Son AKOJEWE, then a small Boy.
The latter's Son OGHOYONE, born at WARIFI died, an old Man, some seventeen or eighteen years ago" (in 1929).

JOHN HUBBARD, an Anglican Missionary, in his; The SOBO of the NIGER DELTA (1948) at page 7 says:

A migration occurred late in the Eighteenth Century from a SOBO Town called AGBARHA about 23 miles East of WARRI in the middle of the SOBO Country... (they) crossed the WARRI River and by negotiation with the JEKRI (ITSEKIRI) obtained Land from them... built a Village of their own which they named after their Hometown AGBARHA (AGBASSA).
This is now one of the Quarters in WARRI.

Above and beyond all these Intelligence Reports, Historical Facts, and AGBASSA Leaders' evidences under oath in the Nigerian Courts, over a dozen judges - la crème de la crème - in our judiciary over the past fifty years have given decisions against AGBASSA in Favour of the ITSEKIRI over WARRI City.

They included Justices ADEMOLA, UDO UDOMA, ELIAS, SOWEMIMO, IBEKWE, OBASEKI, JACKSON, UWAIFO, WEBBER, BERKELEY, KINGDOM, and LLOYD, and Lords ALNESS, ATKIN, and ROWLATT of the Privy Council.

One previous judgment on AGBASSA Land by Justice UWAIFO at a WARRI HIGH COURT in suit No. W/101/73: Chief A. OSIOH vs. ANTHONY IDESOH and another.

In the said suit, were both parties were of AGBASSA, one party relied on the decision in the OMETAN v. Chief NUMA case of 1926. Justice UWAIFO (now a retired Justice of the Supreme Court) wrote:

There can be no doubt that the question of who are the Owners of AGBASSA (in WARRI) that is, all the Villages including IGBUDU (in WARRI) has been finally pronounced upon.

It has always belonged to the ITSEKIRI People under the Overlordship of the OLU of WARRI... They (ITSEKIRI) have always been overlords and the people of Agbassa have always been tenants. Any other person living in IGBUDU or any part of AGBASSA, except an ITSEKIRI, is a tenant.

HOMELANDS:
At this point, on ending the position of settlers in WARRI District, we wish to remind the IJAWs that NIGERIA, unlike the UNITED STATES (founded on a set of ideas), but like BRITAIN or RUSSIA (which was Founded on History), is synonymous with Homelands.

Like, for example, the IRISH or the WELSH or the SCOTTISH Homeland in BRITAIN, in NIGERIA you have the IBO Homeland, the HAUSA Homeland, the IBIBIO Homeland, the YORUBA Homeland, etc.

The ITSEKIRI have their Homeland, which is not the URHOBO or IJAW Homelands.
And to understand the recent position of our Supreme Court on the Land question. With seven sitting justices in ABIOYE vs. YAKUBU (1991) 5 NWLR 130 SC, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the Land Use Act of 1978 was never intended "to rob Peter to pay Paul" - i.e., to take Land from the Owner and give it to a Nonowner, and that the Act had not abolished the Relationship Rights between the Customary Landlords and Customary Tenants.

CONCLUSION:
#While as NIGERIANs or NIGER DELTANs we can live and work anywhere in the Country, the Homelands we come from do exist.

While from the Nineteenth Century EUROPEAN Imperial Powers created multiethnic and multicultural States in AFRICA, their Homeland - EUROPE - exists rather differently today.
Making ethnic communities approximately congruent with national borders, EUROPE has reinforced the belief that ethnically homogeneous Nations, by and large, would be internally harmonious and generally peaceful towards their Neighbours.

That is, most GERMANs live in GERMANY, GREECE is dominated by GREEKs, and most FRENCH live in FRANCE.

Following the dissolution of the old multiethnic and multicultural AUSTRO-HUNGARY, OTTOMAN, and ROMANOV (RUSSIAN) Empires into Nations early in the Twentieth Century, the enduring power of ethnic nationalism perpetrated catastrophic crises of World War II, leading to the ethnic cleansing by GERMANs, and culminating in virtually arranging all postwar European borders according to Ethnic Homelands.

YUGOSLAVIA, an artificial creation of World War I, and a classic survivor under General TITO, has recently shredded itself into its pre-1914 units.

#Thus a school of thought holds that the postwar peace in EUROPE is the function of its ethnic States.

So, what we should do in NIGERIA and NIGER DELTA is not to disintegrate the Country or Regions, but to allow self-determination with NIGERIA or NIGER DELTA, based on Ethnic Homelands.
The HITLER's idea of creating SUDETEN enclaves in Neighbouring States and Local Government Areas or Regions should be avoided.

It is with this knowledge and admission of this basic fact that will guarantee peace and progress in NIGERIA and the whole of NIGER DELTA Regions; not anything abstract and highfalutin in the clouds!

Prince Jercy Kpogho-NUMA
President, Itsekiri Crusaders™(IC)