Dan Gumm
18 December 2008
analysis
Lagos — AMIDST threats by Ijaws to start another round of war in Warri as the people of Ijaghala, an Itsekiri community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State prepares to return and resettle in their community after about 12 years of living as refugees in various parts of the country, the Warri Interest Group (WIG), has called on the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the area to ensure law, order, and the protection of lives and property of indigenes of Ijaghala community, particularly the willing returnees.
It would be recalled that Ijaghala was among the first set of Itsekiri communities completely razed down by the Ijaws in the wake of Warri crisis in 1997. According to a press release issued by the National Coordinator of WIG, Comrade Alex O. Eyengho, JTF should not strengthen security around oil facilities in the Escravos area, but must go a step further to secure lives and property of Itsekiri in the area, particularly Ijaghala community and her returnee indigenes.
Eyengho pointed out that media report concerning Ijaghala people credited to "one Chief Patrick Bigha," purportedly speaking for Ijaws of Gbaramatu, was totally far from the truth, stressing that Itsekiri Consultative Forum (ICF), in its earlier media publication, has, indeed spoken the mind of the larger Ijaghala community, Ugborodo, and the Itsekiri nation.
He said: "The said Chief Bigha in his press statement, got it all wrong, or was deliberately being mischievous when he stated that the Ijaghala people made a statement that they are paternally Ijaw.
"The truth is that it was some members of one of the many groups in Ijaghala that made the statement for reasons best known to them, but not unconnected with frustration, fear, sense of insecurity from the government, and above all, greed and unbridled ambition of the arrowhead and sponsor of the said publication".
Ijaghala community has a functional Management Committee in place, with Chairman, Secretary, and other executives. These are the only people who have the full mandate to speak for, and on behalf of the entire community.
For the umpteenth time, Ijaghala is an integral part of Ugborodo, under the monarchical headship of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse II (CON). Chief Bigha and his co-travellers should not have difficulty letting this sink, in order to give peace a chance."
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