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Text of the Press Conference By The Colligate Leadership of Egbema Integrity Group (EIG) And Egbema Youth Council (EYC) On The Nomination of Two Commissioners By His Excellency Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori. Monday, July 24, 2023.
The news of the nomination of names for Commissioners and members of Delta State Executive Council by the Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, should ordinarily be a thing of joy but for the Egbema people of Warri North Local Government Area it signifies a sad day.
Justice demands that if an appointment of a Commissioner from Warri North should be considered, then that person must be an Ijaw. This is because since the creation of Warri North Local Government Area, it has always been Itsekiri occupying the position at the State Exceutive Council. Not until toward the end of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s second term in office was an Ijaw, Hon. Joel Bisina, made Commissioner for six months!
We the Egbema people have suffered political oppression and injustice in Warri North Local Government Area for too long. The Ijaw of Warri North have been denied the position of House of Assembly Member since 1991 when the Local Government Council was created (inclusive of the inception of democracy in 1999) till date.
Against this background, we – indeed every lover of justice – had no reason to doubt if a governor, whose emergence was only by divine grace, would give serious thought to addressing the Egbema political situation; yet not so!
Egbema Leaders wrote the governor, H.E. Sheriff Oborevwori, a letter for a meeting but it was not considered, apparently because we are only good at turning in our votes massively during elections but cannot share in the proceeds therefrom. The disposition of the governor in alienating the Ijaws of Warri North from executive office shows he does not understand the political calibration of the State he is voted to govern.
Warri North comprises the Itsekiris and Ijaws who are equal stakeholders in the Local Government Area. It would have been a thoughtful act to appoint two Commissioners from the Local Government inhabited by two ethnic groups of equal footing to achieve political balance but, sadly, the two Commissioners selected by the governor happen to come form one of the two groups and the other ethnic group is told to go to hell.
This action of the Governor is clearly to perpetuate and escalate the political overpowering of the Ijaws of Warri North so that they can be kept under by the other ethnic group in the local government area.
The votes that he got in Warri North did not come from the Itsekiris alone. It was a collective Vote! The Ijaw Four Federal Wards as against Itsekiri six Federal wards were claimed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Ijaws overwhelmingly voted for H.E. Sheriff Oborevwori as governor. So, on what basis was this decision to exclude the Ijaw completely in Warri North made?
*What we see is that the governor is pleasing two contending forces of Itsekiri ethnic group, between the former Gov. Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Michael Diden (a.k.a. Ejele) whose case is in the tribunal, by unwittingly making the Ijaws the guinea pig or scapegoat. We are, and remain, equal owners and stakeholders of the council area with four wards! So, rewarding a people with six wards with two Commissioners without considering the people with four wards is an act of injustice, a heinous offence crying to Heaven for redress and roundly condemnable* .
We demand to know the rationale for this unholy decision. The action of the Governor violates *Chapter II, Section 14 subsection 4 of the Constitution* of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The two Commissioners Nominees are: Ms. Erode Uduaghan and Dr. Isaac Wiliky, both Itsekiris from Warri North. Injustice is the bedrock of political conflict. Where the likes of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ejele (Diden) want everything, they should be courageous enough to demand their own homogeneous local government. We can only vote to increase their voting strength but not good for appointment!?
*Our Demands:-
1. Reverse the decision and appoint an Egbema Ijaw into the State Exceutive Council;
2. Converne a meeting of Egbema Leaders to resolve the impasse, whichever comes first.
As a major Oil Producing Kingdom, we are host to Opuekeba Flowstation operated by Chvroven, with production capacity of 20,000 barrels per day;
ii. Opuama Flotation operated by NPDCL, with production capacity of 18,000 barrels per day;
III. Chvroven Nigeria Limited in (RMP 17) Olero Field;
IV. CONOIL Producing Limited OML 103 (undergoing drilling).
Consequently, if we are not good enough to be where our God-given wealth will be shared in the state, we will do all within our powers legally to halt oil operations, where this monumental injustice is not addressed.
Where there is injustice, rebellion is a lawful duty.
Thank you for your time and and attention.
Signed:
Barr. Francis Abulu, for the leadership of Egbema Integrity Group (EIG);
Cmr. City Kelvin Eferusua, President Egbema Youth Council ( EYC);
Mr. Ekpokeme Governor, Secretary Egbema Youth Council, EYC.
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OPEN LETTER TO THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT RE: FALSEHOOD ABOUT WARRI NORTH AND THE HISTORICAL TRUTH OF EGBEMA IJAW MAJORITY
OPEN LETTER TO THE DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT
RE: FALSEHOOD ABOUT WARRI NORTH AND THE HISTORICAL TRUTH OF EGBEMA IJAW MAJORITY
From: Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
Date: [16/8/2025]
Dear Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State,
We read with outrage the recent misrepresentation by your administration claiming that Warri North Local Government Area is “predominantly inhabited by the Itsekiri.” This is false, misleading, and a reckless distortion of history.
The 1999 Constitution binds every arm of government to truth and equity:
S.14(2)(b): “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
S.42(1): forbids ethnic discrimination in state action.
S.17(2)(a),(d): demands equality and forbids exploitation of human and natural resources against communities.
Your government’s post violates these provisions by attempting to erase the majority status of the Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North.
2. Historical Truth: Warri North is Dual, Not Exclusive
Warri North is made up of two traditional kingdoms:
1. Egbema Kingdom (Ijaw)
2. Itsekiri Kingdom
It is therefore a constitutional and historical fraud to present the LGA as if it belongs exclusively to the Itsekiri.
British Intelligence Reports (1936, 1951) confirm that Egbema Ijaws constitute the majority population in Warri North.
Early European accounts such as Pacheco Pereira (1505) describe Egbema and other Ijaw groups as dominant along the Benin and Escravos Rivers.
Even colonial census records (1921, 1931, 1952, 1963) confirm Ijaw numerical dominance across Warri territories.
3. Geography and Settlement Facts
The physical landmass of Warri North betrays this false narrative:
Egbema Ijaw communities (e.g., Opuama, Polobubo, Tsekelewu and others) occupy vast swamp and riverine territories of the LGA.
The Itsekiri communities, though significant, do not outnumber the Egbema Ijaws.
Court records and colonial leases show Ijaw communities consistently recognized as landowners, while others were settlers or tenants.
4. The Fraud of Manufactured Itsekiri Majority
For decades, colonial distortions and post-independence manipulation inflated Itsekiri status. The fraudulent “6–4” ward allocation (six wards to Itsekiri, four to Ijaw) exemplifies this injustice.
The Supreme Court in Timinimi v. INEC (SC/CV/1033/2023) has already pronounced this structure unconstitutional, unjust, and illegal. INEC has verified through fieldwork in the creeks and communities. The only step left is publication.
5. Our Warning to the State Government
Governor Oborevwori, government cannot function on falsehood. To continue to project Itsekiri exclusivity in Warri North is to deliberately incite tension between communities and to disregard constitutional order.
As Justice Nnamani once ruled: “Equity will not allow the law to be used as an instrument of fraud.” By pushing a false narrative, your administration risks being complicit in the very fraud equity forbids.
6. Our Demand: Tell the Truth and Obey the Law
1. Delta State Government: Retract and correct your false claim. Acknowledge the dual reality of Warri North, Egbema Ijaw and Itsekiri.
2. Federal Government: Direct INEC to publish the Supreme Court–ordered delineation result without further delay.
3. Public and International Community: Reject state-sponsored propaganda that erases the Ijaw majority and sustains political fraud.
7. Conclusion: Truth vs Falsehood
Ijaw (Egbema): Majority, ancestral landowners of Warri North.
Itsekiri: Minority, co-inhabitants but not exclusive claimants.
The Supreme Court has spoken. INEC has verified. Only publication remains.
As Thomas Paine warned: “A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” INEC’s silence and your government’s propaganda will not bury the truth.
Signed
Chief Tiemopere Joshua
(President)
Chief Ebikeke T. Goodstime
(Secretary)
Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency
CC:
The Presidency
The National Assembly
The National Security Adviser
United Nations, AU, EU
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Ijaw Youth Council Alleges Ethnic Discrimination, Gross Inefficiency, Wants President Tinubu to Fire Executive Secretary of the NCDMB.
By: Favour Bibaikefie
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone has demanded the immediate sack of Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe from his current role as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), alleging inefficiency, ethnic bias, and negligence towards critical youth engagement in the Niger Delta, while calling on President order an immediate probe into his activities.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by
Comrade Nicholas Igarama – Chairman, Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo – Secretary, and Comrade Tare Magbei – Information Officer, and dated August 14, 2025, which reads in full:
“NCDMB: IYC Demands Sack of Unproductive Ogbe as Executive Secretary
“Leadership in its most rudimentary form defines the essence of absolute responsibility on assigned tasks as bestowed by higher authorities.
“This very phenomenon has been found to be lacking in the leadership of Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) headed by Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
“As Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Ogbe has consistently failed to input his supposed industry track record in the advancement of the mandate upon which the agency was founded.
“He has continually had a sectional engagement with his fellow Itsekiri Kits and Kin, thereby shutting all other ethnic nationalites in the Niger Delta region out.
“Repeatedly has he avoided critical youth engagement in the region while sponsoring that of his Itsekiri ethnicity through different human capacity development initiatives, while other ethnic nationalites are left unattended.
“As Ijaws, mostly from the western flank where Engr. Ogbe also hails from, we will not sit and watch others benefit from the resources that we produce without our practical involvement to better the lives of our people as well.
“It is on record that the leadership of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone has tried to establish communication with Engr. Ogbe, for the last ten months, but every medium of communication to get his attention has fundamentally proven to be abortive.
“As youths, we can no longer have leaders in office who have now equated themes to demi-god and have refused to attend to most significantly youthful issues in the Niger Delta Region.
“To this end, we therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinibu to immediately sack Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who has consistently displayed disregard for critical actors in the Niger Delta and has also exhibited the highest level of gross inefficiency by not keeping up to the fundamental mandate upon which NCDMB was founded.
“Hence, this call is made for the presidency to probe into Engr. Ogbe’s activities at the NCDMB relieve him of his duties as Executive Secretary of the Board.”
By Divine Perezide
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, the Executive Governor of Delta State, has condoled with the Agediga family over the passing away of the mother of Amb. Dr. Shedrack Agediga, Chairman, Delta State Bursary & Scholarship board. The Governor said Mama Agediga’s death has created a big vacuum and described her death as a huge loss, saying that mama lived an impactful life and her legacy would remain fresh in the memories of the living.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori who was represented by Rt. Hon. Solomon Funkekeme (Senior Policy Adviser) advised everybody to emulate the lifestyle of late Mama Binkayai Uyabrade Enerekpemi Agedigha as she had touched humanity as a virtuous and community woman leader by contributing meaningfully to the development of the society.
The governor disclosed during the burial ceremony of Mama Binkayai Uyabrade Enerekpemi Agedigha and charged everybody, especially mothers to emulate her lifestyle to make their little contributions to develop the society.
“Mama has gone after leading an impactful life and her legacies as a very strong woman and virtuous community leader must be sustained” The governor admonished.
Also, speaking, Barr. Dcn. Kingsley Otuaro, immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State , Rt. Hon. Julius Pondi, member representing Burutu Federal Constituency, House of Reps. Rt. Hon. Godknows Angele, Commissioner for Housing, Chief (Barr) Funyei Manager, Commissioner for Special Projects and Chief Favour Izoukumor, Executive Director – Social Services, DESOPADEC both extolled the late mama’s contribution to the society and expressed sadness for losing the Nonegerien.the
They acknowledged that she led a fulfilled life and urged society, especially women to emulate the lifestyle late of mama.
Mama Agediga died at the prime age of 104 and survived with 3 Children, 22 Grand Children, 24 Great Grand Children and 2 Great Great Grand Children.
The burial ceremony was attended by the creme de’ la creme of the society, including the Governor of Delta State Chief Sheriff Oborevwori who was represented by Rt. Hon. Solomon Funkekeme (Senior Policy Adviser) Hon. Spencer Okpoye, Commissioner representing Ijaw Ethnic Nationality, DESOPADEC.
Rt. Hon. Solomon Funkekeme (Senior Policy Adviser), Barr. Dcn. Kingsley Otuaro, immediate past Deputy Governor of Delta State , Rt. Hon. Julius Pondi, member representing Burutu Federal Constituency, House of Reps, Rt. Hon. Godknows Angele, Commissioner for Housing.
Others are Chief (Barr) Funyei Manager, Commissioner for Special Projects, Chief Favour Izoukumor, Executive Director – Social Services, DESOPADEC, Hon. Spencer Okpoye, Commissioner representing Ijaw Ethnic Nationality, DESOPADEC, Hon. Chief Dan Yingi former lawmaker Delta House of Assembly, Hon. Emma Amgbaduba former Commissioner Delta state, Chief Vero Tangbeowei, Delta state former PDP women leader, Hon. Godwin Edumogiren, Hon. Paul Kurugbe, Olorogun Vincent Oyibode JP, Chairman Udu Council and others.