By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
THE Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, has declared that he will no longer remain silent in the face of what he described as decades of marginalisation and suppression of the Itsekiri people by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
The monarch spoke during a visit to Jakpa Community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, where he lamented that despite the enormous wealth extracted from Itsekiri land for over 60 years, the people have continued to live in poverty and neglect.
According to the Olu, the Itsekiri nation is one of Nigeria’s major contributors to national wealth, yet its people have little to show for it.
“The records confirm what the nation already knows: the Itsekiri, in the western corner of the Niger Delta, are among the geese that lay the golden eggs for Nigeria, yet paradoxically our people remain poor, frustrated and neglected,” he said.
He noted that the situation did not arise by chance but was the outcome of years of indifferent and inconsistent regulation, divide-and-rule tactics by oil companies, and what he described as internal compromise and betrayal by some Itsekiri individuals driven by greed and selfish interests.
“For the sake of my people, I refuse to remain silent. I refuse to hide behind diplomacy,” the monarch declared. “My people are discouraged. My people are poor. My people are tired.”
While condemning the actions of oil firms, the Olu said the Itsekiri people must also confront internal challenges undermining their collective progress.
“No external actor can truly undermine us unless someone on the inside opens the door,” he said, adding that intervention agencies and companies exploit divisions only when individuals posing as leaders are willing to trade the people’s destiny for personal gain.
He accused such figures of acting as middlemen who benefit privately while instigating conflict between communities, oil companies and government.
“These so-called leaders have been enriching themselves while exploiting our people. They worship only one god, and that god is their stomach,” he said.
The monarch, however, commended the Delta State Government for ongoing infrastructural projects, particularly road construction in Dibi and the Trans Warri–Ode Itsekiri Road, and urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to extend more development to riverine communities.
He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his willingness to listen to the concerns of the Itsekiri people.
Declaring a turning point, the Olu warned that the era of silence, fear and blackmail was over.
“Today, we resist those chains and we break them,” he said. “It is time to replace tolerance for exploitation with transparency, unity and accountability.”
He issued a stern warning to anyone who continues to place personal interest above the future of the Itsekiri people, saying such actions would attract grave consequences.
“If you insist on selling your people for personal gain, you will bear the consequences of your actions,” the monarch concluded.
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