Delta LG polls: Lori-Ogbebor cautions FG,state against delineation of wards for Ijaw

Enviromental activist,  Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has urged the Federal and Delta State governments to ignore the demand for the delineation of wards in Warri federal constituency by the Ijaw.

Lori-Ogbebor in a statement, yesterday, said Warri Kingdom belongs to Itsekiri.

She said: ”The history of Urhobo and Ijaw fighting the Itsekiri is very historical indeed but the Itsekiri have tried, especially when they are people who don’t want violence.

“They believe that if you beat the Itsekiris, the only place they can run to is the law court, which they have been doing. The reason is that the Itsekiris are the owners of Warri and it is called Warri Kingdom.

“And all the court judgments have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Itsekiris are owners of Warri. They have attacked the Olu of Warri in several judgments from the lowest court to the highest court and the cases have been settled.

“But this seems to give our neighbours nightmares and they cannot accept it. So, they try to attack us in every possible way. They go legally and legally we have won all the cases.

“Now they are beating us to stupor and they believe the Itsekiris will not fight because they want peace. So, that is violence and that violence is telling a lot on us.

“I’m raising an alarm now because there is a case going on where the Ijaws are asking for illegal wards and these illegal wards have been created for them long time ago, and of course, the only way we know best is to go to court.

“It is created in our constitution that the structure of the Federal Government regarding the wards and local governments is clear that all over the country, we have 10 wards in every local government.

“The Warri Kingdom has three local governments and each one has 10 wards. The Ijaws the same and the Urhobos the same and these were created in 1992.

“We enjoyed that privilege or that was what was on until 1996 and 1997, suddenly the new electoral body, which is called the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, NECON, invented 12 awards.

“The Itsekiris again went to court and we say no, that according to our constitution 10 wards are what is stipulated for the three local governments and all the other local governments in Delta State. Why did you select us out to add more wards and you are doing that knowing fully well that to do that, we have to have a referendum.

“The Itsekiri have to be in the know because you don’t just do things and put aside the constitution because you know that going through the constitution, we have defeated you several times in the court.

“So, the court then told them to go back to the federal constitution of 10 wards and that was in 1996 and 1997. They went back and then in 2003, they smuggled it back and we complained.”