The Movement for the Rights of Arogbo-Ibe (MRAI) issues a strong and categorical condemnation in response to the recent inflammatory publication by the so-called Warri Indigenous People’s Movement (WIPM), which they view as a calculated attempt to distort facts, malign respected Ijaw leaders, and disrupt the delicate peace in the Niger Delta region.
We wish to state unequivocally that the publication, riddled with ethnocentric propaganda and disguised as advocacy for transparency, is nothing more than an orchestrated campaign to provoke tension and discredit the Ijaw nation.
We take particular exception to the reckless and unsubstantiated attacks on High Chief Dennis Brutu Otuaro, Ph.D, a respected leader and the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, whose dedication to peace, reconciliation, and national service has remained unwavering. The allegation that he is using his office to “inflame ethnic tensions” is not only false but a diplomatic insult to the entire Niger Delta peace architecture.
Let it be known that Ijaw leaders and stakeholders have acted with maturity, dignity, and restraint, even in the face of repeated provocation. WIPM’s attempt to smear and vilify respected institutions and personalities – including the esteemed First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and Senator Daisy Danjuma – for their Itsekiri heritage is an ironic twist of hypocrisy, especially coming from a group that claims to be fighting against ethnic marginalization.
Furthermore, MRAI challenges the falsehoods peddled about population majority and land ownership. The Ijaws are not guests in Warri, nor are they tenants as suggested in that publication. We are aboriginal to several communities in Warri South-West and Warri North, including Gbaramatu, Kurutie, and Okerenkoko, and we will not be intimidated into silence.
The WIPM’s characterization of the Ijaw/Urhobo alliance as a “misinterpretation” of court orders is nothing but frustration dressed in legal dishonesty. The Supreme Court ruling on delineation is not the property of any single ethnic group, and INEC’s responsibility is to implement it with balance and equity, not under duress from any interest group.
MRAI also strongly warns against the dangerous rhetoric regarding Tantita Security Services. The company’s operations have brought commendable results in curbing oil theft and pipeline vandalism, and attempts to demonize it for political purposes only embolden criminal elements. Tompolo remains a symbol of peace enforcement in the creeks and must not be dragged through the mud for performing his national assignment effectively.
We further call on security agencies, the Federal Government, and international observers to note this provocative publication by WIPM, which threatens the fragile peace we have built in our region.
To WIPM, we send a clear message: Your propaganda cannot erase our history, and your hate speeches will not deter our rightful place in the Niger Delta. The Ijaw nation shall continue to demand fairness, equity, and justice; but without resorting to deceit and incitement.
Peace cannot be achieved through lies. Let truth guide us all.
Signed,
Hosea T. Ebikontei
Coordinator, Movement for the Rights of Arogbo-Ibe (MRAI)
Bomi Stanley
Secretary, Movement for the Rights of Arogbo-Ibe (MRAI)
