By: Divine Perezide

The Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), the apex Ijaw media council in Nigeria, has called on the the management of the NDDC to take quick actions on several abandoned projects across Ijaw land or face Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigation. The body also advised the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to show proves of Niger Delta youths that benefited from his Youth Internship scheme tagged the project “HOPE” as Ogbuku claimed that 10,000 selected beneficiaries of the Commission’s Youth Internship scheme received N50,000 monthly stipends, alleging that the programmes had no direct impact on the core oil bearing rural and riverine communities as residents of these places in Niger Delta had no Internet or smart phones to register the online programmes.

The Ijaw Publishers’ body alleged that up till date, the Ogbuku 10,000 empowered youths remain ghosts and invisible as they threatened to send Ogbuku to jail either now or sooner, shouldhe fail to do the right thing.

In a statement signed by the spokesman of the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, copies of which were made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said, “There are claims that 10,000 selected beneficiaries of the NDDC’s Youth Internship scheme have been receiving a monthly stipends of N50,000. However, IPF said such projects or programmes were scams with ghost identities being deliberately orchestrated to misappropriate the public funds, “Ogbuku should publish the beneficiaries and their traceable account details, including figures allocated to each state in the nine Niger Delta States and criteria for the selection. The people of Niger Delta are eager to know how their money is spent”, he emphasised.

The youth of the Niger Delta deserves better,” the statement read. “We cannot allow the funds meant for their development to be mismanaged or siphoned off. We urge the EFCC to act swiftly and investigate funds allocated to Projects ‘HOPE’ and other unrealistic projects of the commission under Dr. Ogbuku to restore public confidence in the NDDC.”

The IPF also vowed to continue monitoring NDDC and advocate for accountability and stewardship while encouraging the public to report fraudulent and abandoned projects and programmes for public scrutiny.

The Project HOPE was just a mere paper work created to divert funds meant to develop the Niger Delta region, and that it is unparalleled absurdity, broad day robbery and gross corruption of Ogbuku led NDDC for replacing and shortchanged over 10,000 Niger Delta youths with non-existent entities.

“Ogbuku’s management of NDDC is terrible, opaque and lacks accountability, Niger Delta people have the rights of benefit from an interventionist agency created to transform their lives and as such it is grave injustice and affront on the Niger Delta people who have been replaced with ghost entities”, they added.

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Issued by Concerned Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency

‎Date: July 26, 2025

‎We have read with deep irritation and justified contempt, the incoherent and ill-advised press statement released by a group masquerading as Itsekiri youth, who, in their desperation, have chosen to paddle blatant lies, historical distortions and legal falsehoods without the slightest regard for truth, decency or even the fear of God.

‎Their words reek not only of ignorance but of an arrogant entitlement rooted in colonial deceit, a reckless attempt to rewrite facts in favour of a dying narrative. They speak loudly, but they do not speak rightly. They write forcefully but not truthfully.

‎To package propaganda as patriotism, to weaponize youth activism as a cloak for ethnic supremacy and to spew lies in the name of a people whose hands are already stained with decades of land grabbing and political manipulation, is not just unfortunate, it is unforgivable.

‎If they had even a moment of introspection or an ounce of respect for truth, they would be too ashamed to issue such an intellectually lazy and morally bankrupt document called press release

‎I. “WE REJECT THE INEC DELINEATION”: THE CRY OF A DEFEATED MINORITY

‎You claim to seek justice under the “extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” yet you brazenly reject the constitutional duty of INEC as enshrined in Section 73–74 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 112–114 of the Electoral Act, 2022. INEC acted lawfully. It went to the field. It conducted empirical, population-driven delineation based on the present realities of settlements, population growth and polling unit saturation.

‎INEC’s duty is not to favor any tribe, no matter how loudly they shout “discrimination.” It is to ensure equitable representation and the facts today prove beyond doubt that the Ijaw and Urhobo populations in Warri Federal Constituency far outnumber the Itsekiris, whose ancient dominance was built not on democracy but on colonial favoritism.

‎II. “WE REJECT BABA BILA AND PROFESSOR RHODA GUMUS”: YOU REJECT DUE PROCESS

‎You call for a new committee because you disagree with their findings, not because they violated any law. INEC followed its standard procedures. The field reports were conducted across Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities and you were present. You did not reject the process then. You only began crying foul when the outcome exposed your numerical inferiority.

‎Let it be known: “Nemo judex in causa sua” cannot be invoked against officials performing statutory duties unless bias is proven. You offer no proof, just tribal paranoia.

‎III. “IJAW WARDS INFLATED”: HISTORICAL LIES UNVEILED

‎Let us remind the world:

‎The Ijaws are the original inhabitants of Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, Isaba, Diebiri, Egbema and several others, long before Ginuwa the fugitive prince washed up on the shores of Ode-Itsekiri in 1480.

‎Captain Pullen’s Intelligence Report (1908) documented the Ijaw dominance of the creeks in Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North, particularly around Escravos, Olero and Benin River.

‎The 1926 Provincial Gazette listed Ogbe-Ijoh and Gbaramatu as autonomous native administrations, not Itsekiri territories.

‎The Supreme Court ruling in Atake v. Apena & Ors (1994) 9 NWLR (Pt.368) 379 reaffirmed that land ownership and ward creation are not determined by ethnic titles but population and settlement patterns.

‎It is public knowledge that Ijaw areas like Gbaramatu and Ogbe-Ijoh alone contain more than 45 oil flow stations, dozens of communities and polling units, more than Itsekiris in the same LGA. You had 6 wards when we had 4 because you controlled power, not population. Today, justice has come. Deal with it.

‎IV. “THE IJAWS HAVE NO LAND IN WARRI SOUTH”: A FALSEHOOD FROM A FAKE CROWN

‎This is perhaps your boldest lie yet. Let us correct the record:

‎The Ogbe-Ijoh people’s ownership of areas such as Warri GRA, Miller Waterside (NPA), and Alders Town is well-documented:

‎Chief Dore Numa, in his correspondence with the colonial government and the Ogbe-Ijoh community, clarified that he executed leases not as an owner, but on behalf of the government:

‎* Lease B2 (July 30, 1906): 360 hectares covering NPA/Miller areas to Ogbe-Ijoh Market.

* ‎Lease B5 (July 13, 1908): 180 hectares covering Alders Town and its environs.

‎Warri Assessment Report (1927), Delta State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law (1999), and Delta State Community Development Law (2004) affirm Ogbe-Ijoh’s indigenous status and territorial rights within the Warri Urban District..

‎* Colonial records further cement Ogbe-Ijoh’s historical roots:

‎1. The Southern Nigeria Civil Service Handbook (1910, p. 28) identifies Warri District natives as the “Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh”, attributing the founding of Warri (Ware) to Ewein, an Ijaw ancestor.

‎2. Warri Urban District Council (1952) recognized Ogbe-Ijoh electoral wards: C1, C2, and GRA Ward F1.

‎3. Prethoroe’s 1928 Warri Township Assessment Report confirms the township was established on Ogbe-Ijoh land.

‎4. In 1948, colonial visitor Hubbard stated that Warri GRA belonged to the descendants of Ewein of Ogbe-Ijoh.

‎5. In 1955, Ogbe-Ijoh, alongside parts of Urhobo and Itsekiri, received four autonomous wards: Alders Town (B3), Ogbe-Ijoh (C1 & C2), and Government Area (F1).

‎The Itsekiri land title in Warri South was created not by history but by military conquest and colonial protection, a point noted by Major A. R. L. Glover (1943): “The Itsekiris were placed over people they neither owned nor outnumbered.”

‎V. NO COURT HAS EVER BANNED THE IJAWS FROM CONTESTING LAND IN WARRI SOUTH

‎It is with seething indignation and unshakable truth that we address the latest insult laced in historical ignorance and legal dishonesty, the claim that Ijaws have been barred by a competent court from contesting land ownership in Warri South, and that we have no single community therein.

‎This lie must be buried, not just with words but with facts, legal records, and ancestral bloodlines that long predate any “Olu of Warri” or Itsekiri invention.

‎The Itsekiri keep repeating this fabrication like a mantra hoping it becomes truth. But truth is not built on repetition, it is built on record.

‎There is no ruling by any High Court, Appeal Court or Supreme Court that bars the Ijaw people from asserting ownership or customary claims in Warri South LGA.

‎In fact, court history affirms the contrary.

‎> Suit No. W/89/71 — Eyin Pessu & Ors v. Chief Numa & Ors (1971):

‎The court held that “The entire Warri territory cannot be said to belong exclusively to the Itsekiris.”

‎This judgment completely debunks the narrative of Itsekiri exclusivity over Warri lands.

‎The court case often cited by the Itsekiri was never heard on merit and no pleadings or witness was entertained before both parties withdrew and the court never gave Ogbe-Ijoh lands to Itsekiri, reason Ogbe-Ijoh continues to enjoy their traditional and customary ownership rights over NPA, Miller, GRA and Alders Town.

‎VI. “INEC’S REPORT IS FRAUDULENT”: YET YOU OFFER NO ALTERNATIVE FACTS

‎You allege fraud but provide no map, no counter-survey, no population data, no polling unit analysis, nothing but emotion and propaganda. Yet INEC published settlement-based data from the field, including physical verification, satellite imagery and community inputs.

‎Where is your own alternative data?

‎INEC’s job is not to guard your tribal pride, it is to reflect demographic and electoral realities and the current proposal does that.

‎VIII. THE NSA HAS NO BUSINESS INTERFERING IN INEC’s CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE — INEC ACTED ON SUPREME COURT AUTHORITY IN SC.413/2016: TIMINIMI VS INEC

‎Let it be made crystal clear: The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is not, has never been and can never become part of INEC’s legal or constitutional framework. The NSA has zero jurisdiction over electoral boundary delineation. Any interference is not only illegal but an assault on Nigeria’s democracy.

‎The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted fully within the powers granted to it under Section 73 of the 1999 Constitution and in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC.413/2016 — Timinimi vs INEC, which upheld INEC’s exclusive authority to create, review and implement ward delineations without political or tribal interference.

‎Let the record reflect that Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri stakeholders were all consulted and represented during the INEC field exercises. No tribe was excluded. No one was blindfolded. All were involved.

‎Therefore, the sudden outcry by Itsekiri elements and their palace puppets is not about justice, it is about losing grip on a monopoly built on colonial gerrymandering and military-era manipulation.

‎If the NSA truly seeks peace, it should redirect its energy toward the Itsekiri elite, whose track record includes:

‎Incitement of uninformed youths to violence

‎Gunrunning operations in Asaba and Warri

‎Drug trafficking networks cloaked as “security volunteers”

‎Violent threats against national institutions over a lawful democratic process

‎Let it be known: this country cannot be held hostage by one ethnic group’s refusal to accept democratic equity. No tribe is above the law. No crown is above the Constitution. And no federal office must be used to sanitize injustice.

‎If the NSA is serious about peace, then it must call the Olu of Itshekiri and his agents to order, not INEC.

‎IX & X. “WE WILL SHUT DOWN IOCs”: THIS IS ECONOMIC TERRORISM, NOT DIALOGUE

‎This is a direct threat to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You have declared economic war because a democratic institution did not bend to your lies. That is economic blackmail, sabotage and treasonable felony under Section 40 of the Criminal Code Act.

‎Let the NSA, DSS and Presidency take notice: no tribe can hold Nigeria hostage over ward delineation. Your desperation reeks of fear, fear of finally standing on a level playing field.

‎XI. “WE REJECT POLLING UNIT ‘GREEK GIFTS’”: YOU’RE REJECTING PROGRESS

‎It is not a Greek gift; it is an equalizer. For decades, Itsekiris disproportionately enjoyed more polling units than the Ijaws and Urhobos despite the Ijaws having more voters. What you fear now is competition in a real democracy. You are addicted to unmerited advantage.

‎XII. “WE DEMAND TOTAL REVIEW”: YOU WANT TO REWRITE FIELD REPORTS TO SUIT YOUR MINORITY AGENDA

‎INEC did its job. You were consulted. You sent representatives. They signed attendance sheets. The field officers visited Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh, Orere, Egbema, Egbokodo, Ubefan, Diebiri, Ode-Itsekiri and over 100 communities. The results are not forged, they are simply not flattering to your long-held Illusion of majority

‎CONCLUSION: THE TRUTH IS STRONGER THAN PROPAGANDA

‎This is not 1920 when Lugard could gift you overlordship. This is 2025. The Ijaw and Urhobo people of Warri have awakened, organized and pursued their rights through legal, democratic and peaceful means.

‎Your threats will not change the map.

‎Your lies will not change the law.

‎Your crocodile tears will not suppress the voice of justice.

‎INEC, DSS, PRESIDENCY, TAKE NOTE:

‎The Ijaw and Urhobo people are the majority in Warri Federal Constituency and they have waited long enough.

‎Ward delineation is a constitutional right, not a tribal negotiation.

‎Any delay or reversal will be seen as ethnic appeasement and injustice.

‎Let the map speak. Let the numbers speak. Let the truth prevail.

‎

‎Signed:

‎Chief Tiemopere Joshua

‎(President)

‎Chief Ebikeke T. Goodstime

‎(Secretary)

‎Ijaw Stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency

‎Cc:

‎INEC Chairman

‎NSA

‎Presidency

‎DSS

‎Civil Society

‎Nigerian Media

‎International Observers

‎Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON)

‎Niger Delta Watchmen

‎Urhobo Progress Union

‎Ijaw National Congress (INC)

‎Global Community