Politics
Misinformation: Oghara People’s Assembly tackles Olu of Warri
The Oghara People’s Assembly (OPA), a group committed to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Oghara Kingdom for the present and future generations, and a unified voice for advocating for the interests of Oghara Kingdom, has addressed recent misinformation circulating on social media concerning the ownership of Efurokpe and other coastal villages in Oghara. A publication purportedly from the palace of the Olu of Warri Kingdom had falsely claimed ownership of these communities, leading to concerns within the Oghara Kingdom.
In response, the Oghara People’s Assembly in a statement signed by its conveners, Comr. James Isiosio, Comr. Ehvwubare Kparobo and Comr. Sagboje Odiri Milton, feels obliged to clarify the historical facts surrounding the ownership of Efurokpe and its integration into Oghara Kingdom noting that Efurokpe has long been an integral part of the Ijomi Community within Oghara Kingdom led by His Royal Majesty, Uku Oghara Na’Me Orefe 111, the Ovie Oghara Kingdom.
“Historical records reveals that one of the sons of Idiagbon, Ihwighwu who happened to be the founder of Ijomi community had a vast land extending from the boundaries in Edjemuonyavwe and Otefe into the ethiope River which covers the area now regarded today as EFUROKPE, an itsekiri settlement in Ijomi community.
As our history from various sources would have it, sometimes around the 1600AD, a group of obiquitous itsekiri fishermen and women majorly from Ajoki who engaged in fishing expedition sojourned to the part of the Ethiope River within the Ijomi axis and erected some tents by the riverside where they started fishing on daily basis.
Their unauthorized presence attracted the attention of the villagers who went to the riverside to fetch water on regular basis. The villagers who were the children and servants of Ihwighwu went to him with a report of what they saw at the riverside. As recorded, Ihwighwu denied ever giving anybody or group of persons the authority to occupy his land and carry out any economic activities ( farming and fishing).
Consequent on this, Ihwighwu called out all his guards and led them to the riverside to see first hand what was happening. Lo and behold, they saw the strangers and their tents by the riverside as was reported. They were said to have been chased away and they fled into the river.
Verified sources had it that Ihwighwu had to station a regular riverside guard in the place to forestall any further unauthorized occupation.
After sometime, the Itsekiris realizing the massive fishing potentials that they are loosing in that area, sent emissaries to Ihwighwu to plead with him for a space within that axis of the Riverside. One of the things on offer was their very beautiful, enticing daughter, named , Emanemi whom they offered Ihwighwu as a wife.
As the story goes, after much pleading, Ihwighwu accepted Emanemi as a wife after performing the necessary traditional marriage rites and subsequently allowed the Itsekiris, who were now his in-laws, to live and occupy that axis.
Emanemi later gave birth to a son named Asagha which translate to “can you forbid?”. The Itsekiris , as are known, forbid a lot of things and because Ihwighwu attention was drawn to this upon his marriage to Emanemi, he had to name the first child he had from her, “Asagha” who is the first son of the last of the four wives/lineage of Ihwighwu.
It is also on record that Ihwighwu had other wives before his marriage to Emanemi, which includes the following: The Akitata (Present Okwirie), Ogbomor/Evwidah, and the founder of Okwegba were the elder brothers of Asagha from three other wives of Ihwighwu. It is also worthy of note that within the Ijomi enclave, Ihwighwu had a neighbour in one Okpako who founded Ovwian Community. Okpako had a vast land northward which boundaries extends to present day Adagboyeri, Obromudu , Ovade and Otefe Community in Oghara
In the course of time, having been brought together through marriage, the Itsekiris sought permanent tenancy/residency from Ihwighwu which he freely gave.
But the Itsekiris, known for always finding ways to extract commitment, requested that an oath be made by Ihwighwu that upon his passage, none of his descendants will raise issues about their continued tenancy and residency of that space.
As a mark of doubtless assurance, history had it that Ihwighwu as the practice was then, buried one of his servants alive with his head over the earth in a spot within the riverside to swear to an oath that none of his descendants up to the last generation would deny them tenancy and occupation and that they would henceforth be seen as part of his family.
That particular “special spot” where that unfortunate servant was buried alive with his head above the earth and where he cried till he passed away is still very well known today to all the children of Ihwighwu and their tenant and inlaws, the Itsekiris living in EFUROKPE.
Consequently, it is because of the instructions handed down by Ihwighwu that Ijomi community has continued to treat EFUROKPE as an integral part of the community. Suffice to say that they have always been given spaces in the various leadership organs of the community. Before now, they have always had representatives in the Executive Committee of the Elders Council of Ijomi Community and are even given party positions in politics.
We are therefore aghast with this very obnoxious and mischievous narratives being peddled by some agents of violence who are sadly being prodded on by the palace of the Olu of Warri Kingdom to the effect that one Jegbo founded EFUROKPE without painstakingly addressing the true history behind the events and happenings that paved the way for their continued occupation of the space today.
The Asagha descendants who bear maternal consanguinity with the Itsekiris of EFUROKPE and who continue to see themselves as their children know this time-tested truths and we think that now that the chips are down, they would be honest enough to say the truth to both sides.
Let it also be clearly stated that the Itsekiris living in EFUROKPE-OGHARA are never of one ancestry as some migrated from Big Warri (Ode-Itsekiri) while others moved from Ajoki, Koko and other Itsekiri original communities. This can be fact-checked in this mischiefs playing from Olu’s palace. They lack the required originality to lay claim to lands far away from home.
EFUROKPE is never and can never be part of Warri or Itsekiris kingdom by whatever design and imagination. The history is very clear. That EFUROKPE is part of Ijomi Community and by implications of its history and geography, a part and parcel of Oghara kingdom is a long settled fact.
In Ekiti, Ondo, Bayelsa we have Urhobo settlements just like we have for other tribes like Isoko, Igbo and even Hausa amongst others. We have never heard anywhere where they and their kings have fought their landlords and begin to reel out non-existent history of how they founded a place within an already existing community
The EFUROKPE story is not significantly different from those of Aja-Uduaghan (as now coined by the Itsekiris and their palace) which has been part of Omoja in Edjemuonyavwe Community of Oghara, Ebrifo in Otefe Community of Oghara and Oliaja in Edjemuonyavwe Community of Oghara.
The Itsekiris have always been known to be very obiquitous and aquatic in nature and history has shown how they engage aboriginal communities within the riverine to allow them spaces through some tenancy arrangements and understanding which they have become so good at reneging much later at some point when they feel their presence have been well-rooted
The scramble for space and the desperate attempt at land grabbing even in far away places by the highly misguided current Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III is a clear recipe for crises and a direct invitation to war.
The Itsekiri monarchy have been there for well over a hundred years and so many Olus have come and gone after their reigns but this new monarch who appears to be so bereft of our shared history is all out to breed hatred and promote conflicts with all his actions thus far. It is either he is going to Benin kingdom to claim their land and having a serious faceoff with the revered Oba palace or he is going to Sapele, which everyone knows belongs to the Okpes, to lay territorial claims. This is the horrible, ill-fated drive of the present-day Itsekiri kingdom under Ogiame Atuwase III.”
The group views the recent actions of the current Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, as provocative and misguided, instigating unnecessary conflict and tension, and therefore calls upon the state government and security agencies to intervene to prevent further escalation.
While reaffirming thier commitment to peace and unity, rooted in the principles of justice and historical accuracy, they warned that any attempt to undermine the sovereignty or disrupt the harmonious coexistence of Oghara kingdom will be met with resolute opposition.
OGHARA PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY ADDRESSEES MISINFORMATION REGARDING THE OWNERSHIP OF EFUROKPE AND OTHER COASTAL VILLAGES IN OGHARA KINGDOM.
The Oghara People’s Assembly (OPA), a group committed to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Oghara Kingdom for the present and future generations, and a unified voice for advocating for the interests of Oghara Kingdom, has addressed recent misinformation circulating on social media concerning the ownership of Efurokpe and other coastal villages in Oghara. A publication purportedly from the palace of the Olu of Warri Kingdom had falsely claimed ownership of these villages, leading to concerns within the Oghara Kingdom.
In response, the Oghara People’s Assembly in a statement signed by its conveners, Comrade James Ufuomanefe Isiosio, Comrade Kparobo Eghwubare and Comrade Sagboje Odiri Milton, feels obliged to clarify the historical facts surrounding the ownership of Efurokpe and its integration into Oghara Kingdom noting that Efurokpe has long been an integral part of the Ijomi Community within Oghara Kingdom led by His Royal Majesty, Uku Oghara Na’Me, the Ovie Oghara Kingdom.
“Historical records reveals that one of the sons of Idiagbon, Ihwighwu who happened to be one of earliest founder of Ijomi community had a vast land extending from the boundaries in Edjemuonyavwe and Otefe into the ethiope River which covers the area now regarded today as EFUROKPE, an itsekiri settlement in Ijomi community.
As our history from various sources would have it, sometimes around the 1600AD, a group of obiquitous itsekiri fishermen and women who engaged in fishing expedition sojourned to the part of the Ethiope River within the Ijomi axis and erected some tents by the riverside where they started fishing on daily basis.
Their unauthorized presence attracted the attention of the villagers who went to the riverside to fetch water on regular basis. The villagers who were the children and servants of Ihwighwu went to him with a report of what they saw at the riverside. As recorded, Ihwighwu denied ever giving anybody or group of persons the authority to occupy his land and carry out any economic activities (farming and fishing).
Consequent on this, Ihwighwu called out all his guards and led them to the riverside to see first hand what was happening. Lo and behold, they saw the strangers and their tents by the riverside as was reported. They were said to have chased away the illegal occupants and they fled into the river.
Verified sources had it that Ihwighwu had to station a regular riverside guard in the place to forestall any further unauthorized occupation.
After sometime, the Itsekiris realizing the massive fishing potentials that they are loosing in that area, sent emissaries to Ihwighwu to plead with him for a space within that axis of the Riverside. One of the things on offer was their very beautiful, enticing daughter, named , Emanemi whom they offered Ihwighwu as a wife.
As the story goes, after much pleading, Ihwighwu accepted Emanemi as a wife after performing the necessary traditional marriage rites and subsequently allowed the Itsekiris, who were now his in-laws, to live and occupy that axis.
Emanemi was to later give birth to a son named Asagha which translate to “can you forbid?”. The Itsekiris , as are known, forbid a lot of things and because Ihwighwu attention was drawn to this upon his marriage to Emanemi, he had to name the first child he had from her, “Asagha” who is the first son of the last of the four gates/lineage of Ihwighwu.
It is also on record that Ihwighwu had other gates before his marriage to Emanemi, which includes the following: The Akitata (Present Okwirie), Ogbomor/Evwidah, and the founder of Okwegba were the elder brothers of Asagha from three other gates of Ihwighwu. It is also worthy of note that within the Ijomi enclave, Ihwighwu had a neighbour in one Okpako who founded Ovwian Community. Okpako had a vast land northward which boundaries extends to present day Adagboyeri, Obromudu , Ovade and Otefe Community in Oghara
In the course of time, having been brought together through marriage, the Itsekiris sought permanent tenancy/residency from Ihwighwu which he freely gave.
But the Itsekiris, known for always finding ways to extract commitment, requested that an oath be made by Ihwighwu that upon his passage, none of his descendants will raise issues about their continued tenancy and residency of that space.
As a mark of doubtless assurance, history had it that Ihwighwu as the practice was then, buried one of his servants alive with his head over the earth in a spot within the riverside to swear to an oath that none of his descendants up to the last generation would deny them tenancy and occupation and that they would henceforth be seen as part of his family.
That particular “special spot” where that unfortunate servant was buried alive with his head above the earth and where he cried till he passed away is still very well known today to all the children of Ihwighwu and their tenant and inlaws, the Itsekiris living in EFUROKPE.
Consequently, it is because of the instructions handed down by Ihwighwu that Ijomi community has continued to treat EFUROKPE as an integral part of the community. Suffice to say that they have always been given spaces in the various leadership organs of the community. Before now, they have always had representatives in the Executive Committee of the Elders Council of Ijomi Community and are even given party positions in politics.
We are therefore aghast with this very obnoxious and mischievous narratives being peddled by some agents of violence who are sadly being prodded on by the palace of the Olu of Warri Kingdom to the effect that one Jegbo founded EFUROKPE without painstakingly addressing the true history behind the events and happenings that paved the way for their continued occupation of the space today.
The Aagha descendants who bear maternal consanguinity with the Itsekiris of EFUROKPE and who continue to see themselves as their children know this time-tested truths and we think that now that the chips are down, they would be honest enough to say the truth to both sides.
Let it also be clearly stated that the Itsekiris living in EFUROKPE-OGHARA are never of one ancestry as some migrated from Big Warri (Ode-Itsekiri) while others moved from Ajoki, Koko and other Itsekiri original communities. This can be fact-checked in this mischiefs playing from Olu’s palace. They lack the required originality to lay claim to lands far away from home.
EFUROKPE is never and can never be part of Warri or Itsekiris kingdom by whatever design and imagination. The history is very clear. That EFUROKPE is part of Ijomi Community and by implications of its history and geography, a part and parcel of Oghara kingdom is a long settled fact.
In Ekiti, Ondo, Bayelsa we have Urhobo settlements just like we have for other tribes like Isoko, Igbo and even Hausa amongst others. We have never heard anywhere where they and their kings have fought their landlords and begin to reel out non-existent history of how they founded a place within an already existing community
The EFUROKPE story is not significantly different from those of Itsekiri Quarter (which has now been coined by the Itsekiris and their palace as Aja-Uduaghan). This has been part of Omoja in Edjemuonyavwe Community of Oghara, Ebrifo in Otefe Community of Oghara and Oliaja in Edjemuonyavwe Community of Oghara kingdom.
The Itsekiris have always been known to be very obiquitous and aquatic in nature and history has shown how they engage aboriginal communities within the riverine to allow them spaces through some tenancy arrangements and understanding which they have become so good at reneging much later at some point when they feel their presence have been well-rooted
The scramble for space and the desperate attempt at land grabbing even in far away places by the highly misguided current Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III is a clear recipe for crises and a direct invitation to war.
The Itsekiri monarchy have been there for well over a hundred years and so many Olus have come and gone after their reigns but this new monarch who appears to be so bereft of our shared history is all out to breed hatred and promote conflicts with all his actions thus far. It is either he is going to Benin kingdom to claim their land and having a serious faceoff with the revered Oba palace or he is going to Sapele, which everyone knows belongs to the Okpes, to lay territorial claims. This is the horrible, ill-fated drive of the present-day Itsekiri kingdom under Ogiame Atuwase III.”
The group views the recent actions of the current Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase III, as provocative and misguided, instigating unnecessary conflict and tension, and therefore calls upon the state government and security agencies to intervene to prevent further escalation.
While reaffirming their commitment to peace and unity, rooted in the principles of justice and historical accuracy, they warned that any attempt to undermine the sovereignty or disrupt the harmonious coexistence of Oghara kingdom will be met with strict resistance and resolute opposition.