A document written in 1957 describing the agitation for minority rights and state creation in Nigeria.

A very interesting read. Things you'll see there might surprise you.

This Adaka Boro Centre has scanned a copy of it and made it available here: http://www.adakaboro.org/thewillinkcomm

Parts 1 through 3 are available here (4.7 MB PDF doc): http://www.adakaboro.org/thewillinkcomm/doc_download/22-the-1958-willink-commission-report-parts-i-iii

This makes a lot of arguments useless.

The most important information from this report is that Port Harcourt is an Igbo town. It was founded on Igbo land and the early inhabitants were Igbo. The doubt started after the war I guess, and this makes me very angry with whoever tried to change these facts.

PH, an Igbo town.

You hear that people? Port Harcourt is definitely an Igbo town. ekt_bear, God bless you for showing this. I have came across this report before, but thank you for creating thread about it.

It also showed how one clan of Igbos, the Ikwere were worried about their hinterland brothers coming to their region. Which is very understandable!

Where is jason123? Where is NubiLove? Where is agitator? Where is Johndoe100?

Were they not saying earlier that Port Harcourt (Iguocha) is not an Igbo town?

I thought there are no indigenous Igbos in Rivers State? Stop the lies, because this report that was written before you and many of your fathers were born.

There is far more interesting stuff in there than the origins of PH. . . isn't really the main point of the report. And I was under the impression that part of PH also includes Okrika land.

ekt_bear:

There is far more interesting stuff in there than the origins of PH. . . isn't really the main point of the report. And I was under the impression that part of PH also includes Okrika land.

Well your opinion was wrong about Port Harcourt. The city just expanded into their land as the city grown, but it was originally an Igbo town.

However, you are right. There are more interesting stuff, especially the information about the North.

Another interesting aspect, is the Nupe were considered a ruling "tribe" along with the Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri.

The report also talked about the Yorubas in the North based in Illorin and Kabba divisions who were considered a minority and posed different problems for the colonial administrators.

When the British discussed the Igbo, even they recognized our land was too small to support us.  They seem to have a favorable view of the Igbo, but they recognize how our neighbors dislike us, because we spread in all directions.

It also talks about the jealousy of the people of Calabar and other coastal groups of the Igbo seen us as ignorant until we became educated in "Western" ways.

They also discuss how the minorities in the East have feared being overrun by the Igbos both politically and economically. So we Igbos should recognize this is a very old fear. That is why many supported the AG.

How can I copy sections of this report? I find it very interesting and it needs to be shared.

Interesting discussion about the Ijaws. As I have stated previously, the Ijaws are probably the old inhabitants of modern day Nigeria, but were pushed into the creeks by the Igbos and other big groups such as the Edo speaking groups and Yorubas. Interesting indeed. . . 

It also seems the Benin Empire claimed "overlordship" over the Ijaws.

The Itsekiri seem to be an interesting group, in which their language is similar to the Yorubas, but their culture and customs resembles Benin. Warri has always been a contentious place even back then. The seeds of the Warri Crisis could be seen, in which the Itsekiri did not want the other tribes in the city to vote or even participate in local government.

Came across this a while ago. Very informative and detailed. However it contains several questionable statements, generalizations, and unsupported conclusions, which betray that its authors only had a vague and general, rather than in-depth knowledge, of some of the things they chose to talk about.

EzeUche!:
the Ijaws are probably the old inhabitants of modern day Nigeria, but were pushed into the creeks by the Igbos and other big groups such as the Edo speaking groups and Yorubas.

I once fell for this claim. But honestly, where is the real evidence for this?

I have yet to see even a single bit of reasonable evidence that supports this claim. In fact, the claim isn't even sensible. It's like claiming most Arabs had to be "pushed into the desert" to be where they are now, just because the desert is considered a less ideal place to live, just as the riverine areas and the creeks are considered a less ideal place to be, from certain perspectives. Nobody pushed the Arabs into the desert. Nobody pushed the Inuit into where they chose to live, and there is no evidence that anybody pushed the Ijaws into anywhere.

The irony here is that in Adaka Boro's autobiography (which is also hosted by this website) he strongly argued against this stereotype/assertion, which had been promoted by a few historians without compelling evidence and was then accepted as gospel. He then quotes other historians who disagree with this claim to bolster his argument.

It also seems the Benin Empire claimed "overlordship" over the Ijaws.

You actually believe that?

Where's the source?

That is just one of several unsupported assertions and conclusions in this report.

PhysicsMHD, before I read that report I had the vague impression that agitation for the Midwest region actually had some sort of firm basis. Some sort of theft of money/transfer of resources, unfair political representation, ethnic domination, etc.

But from reading that report, the opposite seems to be true. Especially the economic stuff (cocoa vs rubber). Very likely there was a net subsidy in the direction of the Midwest. Seems the biggest failing of the Western Region was spending slightly less per mile on road in the Midwest than it did in the West. Compare this with the litany of complaints/concerns raised by the minorities of the Eastern or Northern regions, for example.

In fact, from reading that report, it seems to me that minorities had the best lot in the SW region and the worst lot in the SE.

Does this report paint an accurate picture? Or does it ignore certain grievances?

The truth is that the Willink Commission was a failure and the authors were very naively and unthinkingly biased in favor of the three main groups in Nigeria. If they had acquiesced to most of the implementable requests of the different groups - from Ijaws and Igbos (Anioma) in the Western region, to minorities in the North, to the peoples in what is now Rivers state and many others- instead of refusing to do so for mere "administrative convenience," an enormous amount of strife and conflict (political, social, and military) would have been avoided, whether we're talking about the 1960s or about modern rebellion and agitation today. Anybody who is really honest and reads this report thoroughly will see how mere naivete and ignorance on the part of some British officials helped to cripple Nigeria (a British creation) before it was even independent.

ekt_bear:

PhysicsMHD, before I read that report I had the vague impression that agitation for the Midwest region actually had some sort of firm basis. Some sort of theft of money/transfer of resources, unfair political representation, ethnic domination, etc.

But from reading that report, the opposite seems to be true. Especially the economic stuff (cocoa vs rubber). Very likely there was a net subsidy in the direction of the Midwest. Seems the biggest failing of the Western Region was spending slightly less per mile on road in the Midwest than it did in the West. Compare this with the litany of complaints/concerns raised by the minorities of the Eastern or Northern regions, for example.

In fact, from reading that report, it seems to me that minorities had the best lot in the SW region and the worst lot in the SE.

Does this report paint an accurate picture? Or does it ignore certain grievances?

It left out some things. I'll respond thoroughly in a while, but it's pretty late right now.

PhysicsMHD:

It left out some things. I'll respond thoroughly in a while, but it's pretty late right now.

Alright, thanks.

@op, u've really done a nice work here to debunk some claims

Ijaws have always been a Riverine people and were not forced down by any group.The truth is that most tribes came via river while the Ijaw were already settled by the banks.Many people who call themselves Igbo were Ijaw and many people who call themselves Ijaw were Igbo but what matters is what you see yourself as today.

From my own knowdledge of Rivers State,the commission did a very nice job in observing the ethnic make up of Rivers State and the possible crisis that might arise from its creation.Rivers State should have been created excluding Ikwerre and other Igbos to give the real minorities a State of their own.

Original PH was from Aggrey Road to Nnamdi Azikiwe road. 80% of original PH is Okrika land whilst only Diobu-Rebisi ws Ikwerre land. Contrary to the assertion of fake-PH boy EzeUche, PH never extended into Okrika land. PH extended into Ikwerre land. You cannot expand into water. There is no Ikwerre settlement beyond Diobu, whilst the Colonial buildings on Aggrey Road should tell you that was the administrative hub of old PH.

PhysicsMHD:

I once fell for this claim. But honestly, where is the real evidence for this?

I have yet to see even a single bit of reasonable evidence that supports this claim. In fact, the claim isn't even sensible. It's like claiming most Arabs had to be "pushed into the desert" to be where they are now, just because the desert is considered a less ideal place to live, just as the riverine areas and the creeks are considered a less ideal place to be, from certain perspectives. Nobody pushed the Arabs into the desert. Nobody pushed the Inuit into where they chose to live, and there is no evidence that anybody pushed the Ijaws into anywhere.

The irony here  is that in Adaka Boro's autobiography (which is also hosted by this website) he strongly argued against this stereotype/assertion, which had been promoted by a few historians without compelling evidence and was then accepted as gospel. He then quotes other historians who disagree with this claim to bolster his argument.

Remember I once made the assertion that the Ijaws were the earliest settlers of Nigeria, before the major groups arrived. That is why their language is not similar to the languages spoken by the Yoruba, Edo speaking groups, Igbo, Idoma and Igala. There language is also not similar to the Ogoni, Efik, and Ibibio speaking groups either. That is why I made that assertion.

Their language is also very hard, by their sentence structure. Subject-Object-Verb. Very confusing.

It would seem like I am not the only one who believes this. And if we go by some fact that was stated in the report, it would seem that from the beginning, there were more Ijaws east of the River Niger instead of West even though many of my Igbo brothers believe they are mere recent settlers.

I find it great to see that the question of Port Harcourt has been put to rest. Port Harcourt will remain an Igbo town. The British who took wonderful notes, noticed that the people spoke IGBO, not IJAW or OGONI. They also mentioned how the Igbos of PH kind of resented Igbo cousins from the hinterland moving into the city, which is quite understandable.

PhysicsMHD:

The truth is that the Willink Commission was a failure and the authors were very naively and unthinkingly biased in favor of the three main groups in Nigeria. If they had acquiesced to most of the implementable requests of the different groups - from Ijaws and Igbos (Anioma) in the Western region, to minorities in the North, to the peoples in what is now Rivers state and many others- instead of refusing to do so for mere "administrative convenience," an enormous amount of strife and conflict (political, social, and military) would have been avoided, whether we're talking about the 1960s or about modern rebellion and agitation today. Anybody who is really honest and reads this report thoroughly will see how mere naivete and ignorance on the part of some British officials helped to cripple Nigeria (a British creation) before it was even independent.

I don't think the British were being naive. They knew exactly what they were doing. The minority agitation, was simply a mere inconvenience for them. It was more easier for them to allow the major groups to handle these minority groups instead of them, so that is why they did not listen to the minority agitation. They believed that the major groups would deal with them in time.

The British favored numbers as you can see in the report. That is why they rarely mentioned Cross River state, which had population of 50,000, but 11 different language groups! I see some forshadowing in this report though. Especially as it pertains to the Ndigbo. They knew our land was not sufficient to handle our growing population, which continues to grow. They saw how other groups viewed us, because of our embrace of Western education.

Ibime:

Original PH was from Aggrey Road to Nnamdi Azikiwe road. 80% of original PH is Okrika land whilst only Diobu-Rebisi ws Ikwerre land. Contrary to the assertion of fake-PH boy EzeUche, PH never extended into Okrika land. PH extended into Ikwerre land. You cannot expand into water. There is no Ikwerre settlement beyond Diobu, whilst the Colonial buildings on Aggrey Road should tell you that was the administrative hub of old PH.

I grow tired of your people and their mixed heritage. PH will always be an Igbo town. The Willinks Report is proof enough. If you don't like that, then build up that city built on a swamp, Yenagoa. We Igbos built PH, and we were there from the beginning. 

Now enjoy some Duncan Mighty - Port Harcourt Son. In Igbo. . .


[flash=425,349]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79hPWO2Vbqc[/flash]

How many people named in that song do you know personally, fake PH Boy?

That song is for PH boys. We all know each other. Duncan Mighty is a Port-Harcourt son, you are not, just an interloper.

I can see why Ikwerre people would be annoyed by Igbo people.

Ibime:

How many people named in that song do you know personally, fake PH Boy?

That song is for PH boys. We all know each other. Duncan Mighty is a Port-Harcourt son, you are not, just an interloper.

I am a PH son. My family hails from Arochuku, but PH is our home. Now come back to reality and realize that PH is an Igbo city. It has always been, and it always will.

Ibime:

Original PH was from Aggrey Road to Nnamdi Azikiwe road. 80% of original PH is Okrika land whilst only Diobu-Rebisi ws Ikwerre land. Contrary to the assertion of fake-PH boy EzeUche, PH never extended into Okrika land. PH extended into Ikwerre land. You cannot expand into water. There is no Ikwerre settlement beyond Diobu, whilst the Colonial buildings on Aggrey Road should tell you that was the administrative hub of old PH.

Why did Fredrick Lugard refer to the port as 'Diobu' and 'Iguocha' and not 'Okrika'?

ezeagu:

I can see why Ikwerre people would be annoyed by Igbo people.

Maybe you should say I understand why Ikwerre (Igbo) would be annoyed by hinterland Igbo.   Even during the Willinks Report, Ikwerre were already being outnumbered by their hinterland brothers. 

As people can see, PH is a contentious flashpoint. If Nigeria did break up, I do not think any Igbo would allow Port Harcourt to leave an Igbo nation. Just like Warri, it would look like Jerusalem or Beirut.

EzeUche!:

Remember I once made the assertion that the Ijaws were the earliest settlers of Nigeria, before the major groups arrived. That is why their language is not similar to the languages spoken by the Yoruba, Edo speaking groups, Igbo, Idoma and Igala. There language is also not similar to the Ogoni, Efik, and Ibibio speaking groups either. That is why I made that assertion.

Their language is also very hard, by their sentence structure. Subject-Object-Verb. Very confusing.

It would seem like I am not the only one who believes this. And if we go by some fact that was stated in the report, it would seem that from the beginning, there were more Ijaws east of the River Niger instead of West even though many of my Igbo brothers believe they are mere recent settlers.

I find it great to see that the question of Port Harcourt has been put to rest. Port Harcourt will remain an Igbo town. The British who took wonderful notes, noticed that the people spoke IGBO, not IJAW or OGONI. They also mentioned how the Igbos of PH kind of resented Igbo cousins from the hinterland moving into the city, which is quite understandable.

EzeUche!:

Interesting discussion about the Ijaws. As I have stated previously, the Ijaws are probably the old inhabitants of modern day Nigeria, but were pushed into the creeks by the Igbos and other big groups such as the Edo speaking groups and Yorubas. Interesting indeed. . . 

It also seems the Benin Empire claimed "overlordship" over the Ijaws.

this boy. . .

ezeagu:

I can see why Ikwerre people would be annoyed by Igbo people.

I understand why any people would be annoyed in such a situation.

ChinenyeN:

this boy. . .

I knew our truce would not last. Instead of saying, "this boy," explain how my assertion is wrong.

What truce? Anyway, explaining to you means talking too much, and I don't have the time for that, as of now. I just said "this boy" to allow your mind to process the possibility (reality) that your assertion is wrong, and prompt yourself into doing some actual research on the various groups.

@ EzeUche,

See you head like PH Boy. Your family bought properties in PH whilst we have it handed down ancestrally. Who knows you in PH? Ikwerre and Okrika boys don't bother themselves with inane arguments over who owns what, only upland interlopers like yourself. Imagine pulling up Duncan Mighty song. Did you not know that everyone named in Duncan Mighty's song is from the old Rivers State? If you are a real PH boy, you should know at least 2 people name-checked in the song. Please speak to Abagworo if you need educating. We have PH boys amongst us even from Anambra, we all grow up together. My guess is you only visit PH, never been an indigene.

Ibime:

@ EzeUche,

See you head like PH Boy. Your family bought properties in PH whilst we have it handed down ancestrally. Who knows you in PH? Ikwerre and Okrika boys don't bother themselves with inane arguments over who owns what, only upland interlopers like yourself. Imagine pulling up Duncan Mighty song. Did you not know that everyone named in Duncan Mighty's song is from the old Rivers State? If you are a real PH boy, you should know at least 2 people name-checked in the song. Please speak to Abagworo if you need educating. We have PH boys amongst us even from Anambra, we all grow up together. My guess is you only visit PH, never been an indigene.

My people have been dealing with the people of Iguocha since the slave era. Most of Eastern Nigeria had contact with the Aro. That is why you have Aro-Ikwerre to this day and even our own president claims descent from Aro traders. We Aro feel at home anywhere. It doesn't matter if it is in Anambra, Rivers, Cross River or even in Cameroon. Just realize that PH will always be an Igbo town and you mixed Okrika people will have decide if you want to be with the Igbos or the Ijaw.

Igbos have been far too kind to minorities. Sometimes I wonder about my brothers.

How can we deal with the Hausa and the Yorubas, when our own region is not secure?