Stop abusing Itsekiri, Lori-Ogbebor warns Ijaw
Written by Daniel Gumm
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
LAGOS—PROMINENT Itsekiri chief, Mrs. Rita Lori-Ogbebor yesterday called on the Ijaw to stop forthwith the abuse and belittling tendencies of Itsekiri ethnic group that shares the same terrain with them.





http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jun/2/301.html

A fuming Chief Lori-Ogbebor, who said “enough is enough”—what she described as denigration and abuse of the Itsekiri by some Ijaw, also expressed her frustration over Ijaw claim that without their support for the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, he would not have been governor of Delta State.

The Warri chief said “the Ijaws are belittling every body, especially those of us in the Niger Delta, the Itsekiri. Every time something happens in riverine areas of the state, the Ijaw take it out on the governor. They abused the governor. They tell the governor but for them he would not have been there.

“They tell the governor they put him there and by so doing the Itsekiri feel belittled that we are nowhere and this is getting into all the Itsekiri. I am asking the Ijaw that enough is enough.”

She said that the on-going crisis between militants and the Joint Task Force (JTF), had nothing to do with the Itsekiri, because the Itsekiri did not know anything about the crisis.

“We read in the newspapers, about what was happening in Gbaramatu but the Ijaws were all over the place sending threatening text messages to every Itsekiri man abusing them and the governor that Itsekiri are in league with the JTF”.

According to her: “They were alleging also that the governor set up the whole crisis so that the JTF can clear all Ijaw out of Warri so that he could get his second term. That makes every Itsekiri feels bad.

“I want to tell the Ijaw that it is not everybody that likes violence. They should realise that they do not have monopoly of violence. They should leave the Itsekiri alone. They should leave the Itsekiri out of this Gbaramatu crisis, because the governor has his own trouble with the Itsekiri, since he had bent over backwards many times to please the Ijaw.”

She explained that the governor had purposely bent over several times to make the Ijaw happy but “the more you make them happy, the more they abused the governor. They tell the governor that the governor is nothing without them. This is getting down on all the Itsekiri. So they should stop it”.

Lori-Ogbebor noted that the Ijaw should realise that they cannot win the struggle alone without other tribes in the Niger Delta. “They need the support of all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta. If the they say they are fighting for the Niger Delta, they should learn to respect the other ethnic groups and not walk over them like that. They should learn to show mutual respect to the other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta,” she stressed.

The problem in the Niger - Delta is centered round the Ijaw nation who feel they are fighting for the region. Sincerely they are selfish because the other tribes in the Niger-Delta also fought for the struggle and they use their brains. Consult as at when necessary and confront when necessary but the Ijaws are purely militants.

Bitch needs to stop chatting shit. . . . who made this goat a Chief. . . . first it was the Oba banning palm-fruits, now this bitch wants to expose her small-mindedness to the whole world. . . . which kain Chiefs we get for Naija?. . . . even if Ijaws were doing all she claimed, this stupid diatribe of hers would only entrench hostilities. . . .



What is this:


We read in the newspapers, about what was happening in Gbaramatu but the Ijaws were all over the place sending threatening text messages to every Itsekiri man abusing them and the governor that Itsekiri are in league with the JTF

This bitch better stop generalising. Maybe one of her PDP cohorts in their chop-money gang sent her a text. I doubt the average Itsekiri man in the street is receiving threatening texts from his Ijaw friends.  If the average Ijaw man was pissed-off, he would have cracked some heads by now, not sending texts like e-gangsters. 


I want to tell the Ijaw that it is not everybody that likes violence.

Implying that Ijaws are generally violent?



They should realise that they do not have monopoly of violence.

Is that a threat? Someone in her position should know better. She thinks she can just fling words around like the average tout? Does she know how many people are influenced by her statements?



If she is doing the Governors bidding, she better say so, instead of flinging mud all over the place. Even if the Ijaw leaders are putting pressure on the Governor, she should address those leaders, not talk shit about the whole tribe.

Nigeria problem is way bigger than tribe,it is misconceptions,even if you split the country into hundred places,it is going the same bullshit.People are so dumb.

The article or the chief are not credible, she doesn't represent any organisation. See the article for exactly what it is - a pathetic attempt by a state controlled media to belittle the niger delta struggle.

I do not know what Rita-Lori have gone through and i do not know if any Itsekiri got threatening Text messages, But Rita-Lori has also done her bit in the Nigerdelta struggles. So her concerns and her grievances should be discussed if it is true she made those comments.

My problem with the Ijaws is that they feel Niger-delta starts and ends with the Ijaws. They feel other tribes are either non existent or they are not important. When they fight they call it Niger-delta struggles, but when it is time to share political positions they remembers it is an Ijaw struggle. They want all the political appointments allocated to the Niger-delta.

I honestly do not understand how they feel they can win the struggles without the involvement and support of other tribes.

The Itsekiris are still recovering from the unprovoked attacks of 6 years ago because of the location of the headquarters of a local government, so if the Itsekiri lady has concerns, they should allay her fears instead of attacking her.

@Ibime
Why call her the B--- word, just because of her views. You can do better

My problem with the Ijaws is that they feel Niger-delta starts and ends with the Ijaws. They feel other tribes are either non existent or they are not important. When they fight they call it Niger-delta struggles, but when it is time to share political positions they remembers it is an Ijaw struggle. They want all the political appointments allocated to the Niger-delta.

Since its not yet time to reap the benefits, why not give them the benefits of doubt first and join forces with mend to win the war. Internal struggles are imminent but are not as disadvantageous as external ones.

Aloy.Emeka:

Since its not yet time to reap the benefits, why not give them the benefits of doubt first and join forces with mend to win the war. Internal struggles are imminent but are not as disadvantageous as external ones.

Some people here have said repeatedly that Ijaw was not part of Biafran struggle, so why are the same people knocking their heads on the wall because Itsekri, Igbo, and others don't want to be part of the Niger delta struggle?
As above, so below

Some people here have said repeatedly that Ijaw was not part of Biafran struggle, so why are the same people knocking their heads on the wall because Itsekri, Igbo, and others don't want to be part of the Niger delta struggle?
As above, so below

Who told you that itsekiri is not part of MENd?. They are only complaining because some Ijaws feel they are the only ones doing the job and they fear they may be sidelined by the ijaw after the war. Remember that ijaw is 10 times the size of itsekiri.

Never knew Rita-lori was an Itsekirian
Ijaw and Itsekiri @warri have been at loggerheads for sometime

I thought its Itsekiri and Urhobo and not Ijaw? .

Maybe

i hope it won't result to another war.

Aloy.Emeka:

Who told you that itsekiri is not part of MENd?. They are only complaining because some Ijaws feel they are the only ones doing the job and they fear they may be sidelined by the ijaw after the war. Remember that ijaw is 10 times the size of itsekiri.

That was exactly the situation between Igbos and Ijaws during the 1966 upheavals. Itsekiris are not the only ones complaining about Ijaws in MEND. Time will tell.

[b]That was exactly the situation between Igbos and Ijaws during the 1966 upheava[/b]ls. Itsekiris are not the only ones complaining about Ijaws in MEND. Time will tell.

How was that the situation when Ijaws wasn't at the frontline of the Biafran war?. Biafran war frontliners were Igbos, Efiks and Ibibios.

Aloy.Emeka:

How was that the situation when Ijaws wasn't at the frontline of the Biafran war?. Biafran war frontliners were Igbos, Efiks and Ibibios.

Frontline
Ijaws actively sabotaged Biafra, sacrificing their Igbo, Efik, and Ibibio brothers to the Hausa man. Many Ijaw people still don't regret their action against Biafra as we speak.
You reap what you sow; the Niger delta is made of other tribes apart from Ijaws, so any complaint from any of those tribes against Ijaw people will be reflective.

naijaking1:

Frontline
Ijaws actively sabotaged Biafra, sacrificing their Igbo, Efik, and Ibibio brothers to the Hausa man. Many Ijaw people still don't regret their action against Biafra as we speak.
You reap what you sow; the Niger delta is made of other tribes apart from Ijaws, so any complaint from any of those tribes against Ijaw people will be reflective.

My friend stop chatting shit!

Is that the revisionist history that your elders taught you?. . . . meanwhile my pops lost three friends fighting for Biafra. . . . listen mate, even your Igbo commanders have written books on the war lauding the effort of the Ijaws during the war. . . . look, don't talk about what you don't know about. . . . if Ijaws were against Biafra, PH would be the first city to fall, yet all Igbo cities fell before PH. . . . I only pray you get rid of your Ijaw hatred. . . , if some Ijaws fought for Naija, that is their own business. . . . they do not speak for Ijaws. . .each to his own according to his belief. . . before worrying about the Ijaws, it is best to worry about your Ikwerre, Etche and Ndoni brothers. . . . it is well known that up until 10 years ago, all Ijaw villages were kindgoms unto themselves. . . .there was nothing like the Ijaw nation and no centralised structure. . . . Okrika spoke for itself, ditto Nembe, Bonny, Kalabari etc. . . . me whole family fought for Biafra, only to come here 40 years later and hear this nonsense from you. . . . thunder fire you!

PH actually had the largest group of Biafra supporters in Enugu during demonstration right b4 the war started. The problem is that the anti Biafra ppl among the Ijaws were the loudest and overshadowed the ones in support of Biafra. You hear more of Edwin Clark, Adaka Boro than Frank Opugo, etc who led their own people in support of Biafra till the end.

Ibime,
why is it that the anti-Igbo / Biafra leaders of Ijaw extraction are now the ones who seem to be speaking for the IJAW and are given publicity? I believe that the silence of the Ijaws who are not in support of the hate promoted by them is unfortunately making it seem like the Ijaw people as a whole are troublesome and hateful of their neighbors.

My friend stop chatting shit!

Is that the revisionist history that your elders taught you?. . . . meanwhile my pops lost three friends fighting for Biafra. . . . listen mate, even your Igbo commanders have written books on the war lauding the effort of the Ijaws during the war. . . . look, don't talk about what you don't know about. . . . if Ijaws were against Biafra, PH would be the first city to fall, yet all Igbo cities fell before PH. . . . I only pray you get rid of your Ijaw hatred. . . ,  if some Ijaws fought for Naija, that is their own business. . . . they do not speak for Ijaws. . .each to his own according to his belief. . . before worrying about the Ijaws, it is best to worry about your Ikwerre, Etche and Ndoni brothers. . . .  it is well known that up until 10 years ago, all Ijaw villages were kindgoms unto themselves. . . .there was nothing like the Ijaw nation and no centralised structure. . . . Okrika spoke for itself, ditto Nembe, Bonny, Kalabari etc. . . . me whole family fought for Biafra, only to come here 40 years later and hear this nonsense from you. . . . thunder fire you!

The guy obviously knows nothing about Biafran war.

Aloy.Emeka:

The guy obviously knows nothing about Biafran war.

Nah. . . . I think YOU know nothing about the Biafra war except the lies you have been fed. . . . listen to your brother. . .

udezue:

PH actually had the largest group of Biafra supporters in Enugu during demonstration right b4 the war started. The problem is that the anti Biafra ppl among the Ijaws were the loudest and overshadowed the ones in support of Biafra. You hear more of Edwin Clark, Adaka Boro than Frank Opugo, etc who led their own people in support of Biafra till the end.

udezue:


Ibime,
why is it that the anti-Igbo / Biafra leaders of Ijaw extraction are now the ones who seem to be speaking for the IJAW and are given publicity? I believe that the silence of the Ijaws who are not in support of the hate promoted by them is unfortunately making it seem like the Ijaw people as a whole are troublesome and hateful of their neighbors.

For the same reason that all Igbos who led Biafra during the war are now silenced. . . .those who fought for Naija were rewarded with political power, allowing them to rise to a position of prominence. . . . .those who fought for Biafra are either dead, abroad or keeping a low profile just like the Igbos.

For the same reason that all Igbos who led Biafra during the war are now silenced. . . .those who fought for Naija were rewarded with political power, allowing them to rise to a position of prominence. . . . .those who fought for Biafra are either dead, abroad or keeping a low profile just like the Igbos.

Like who?. Zik was prominent before the Biafran war.

I don't need to answer that question. Was Zik involved in the war for either side? It follows that those who fought for Naija rose to prominent positions in Rivers and Delta State. I don't need to mention their names cos they are our heroes also, for other reasons than the Biafran war. Really, I am perplexed at the hatred Igbos have toward Ijaws. Growing up in PH and being around my extended family (which is a royal family, thus indicative of the will of my people), I don't know anyone who did not support Biafra. All this shit is news to me, courtesy of Nairaland. However, since the war, a lot of Igbos have been chatting shit. . . . forcing a lot of Ijaws to take the other side of the debate.

I don't need to answer that question. Was Zik involved in the war for either side? It follows that those who fought for Naija rose to prominent positions in Rivers and Delta State. I don't need to mention their names cos they are our heroes also, for other reasons than the Biafran war. Really, I am perplexed at the hatred Igbos have toward Ijaws. Growing up in PH and being around my extended family (which is a royal family, thus indicative of the will of my people), I don't know anyone who did not support Biafra. All this shit is news to me, courtesy of Nairaland. However, since the war, a lot of Igbos have been chatting shit. . . . forcing a lot of Ijaws to take the other side of the debate.

Just like some Ijaws sometimes come here and chat shit about igbos or Yorubas or hausas, will I conclude that Ijaws hate these people?.  Should you conclude that itsekiris as a whole  hate Ijaws because of Lori ogbebor's comment?. How did you suddenly conclude that igbos hate ijaws because Naijaking expressed his ignorant views about the war?. Should we conclude that Yorubas hate igbos because of Becomerich?. The truth is that the average igbo man including me knows ijaw by name but may not point out who is ijaw or not among the riverine tribes. How can you hate what you don't know?. Was it not from someone here[may be you] that I learnt that kalabari is ijaw?. May be I hate my friends Tekena and Ibiso because of a war neither of us knew when it happened. My friend, I don't hate you and I don't have any reason to hate you for what its worth. Enough of these juvenile tantrums going on here, it's getting boring.

Aloy.Emeka:

Just like some Ijaws sometimes come here and chat shit about igbos or Yorubas or hausas, will I conclude that Ijaws hate these people?.  Should you conclude that itsekiris as a whole  hate Ijaws because of Lori ogbebor's comment?. How did you suddenly conclude that igbos hate ijaws because Naijaking expressed his ignorant views about the war?. Should we conclude that Yorubas hate igbos because of Becomerich?. The truth is that the average igbo man including me knows ijaw by name but may not point out who is ijaw or not among the riverine tribes. How can you hate what you don't know?. Was it not from someone here[may be you] that I learnt that kalabari is ijaw?. May be I hate my friends Tekena and Ibiso because of a war neither of us knew when it happened. My friend, I don't hate you and I don't have any reason to hate you for what its worth. Enough of these juvenile tantrums going on here, it's getting boring.

Nah mate. . . . sorry, I should say that some Igbos like Naijaking etc keep chatting shit. . . . anyway, you know what I mean. . . don't misconstrue me cos me sef I be omo Igbo

Nah mate. . . . sorry, I should say that some Igbos like Naijaking etc keep chatting shit. . . . anyway, you know what I mean. . . don't misconstrue me cos me sef I be omo Igbo

Now answer my previous question: Are Urhobos and isokos part of Ijaw?. What and what make up Ijaw because Ijaw sounds like a concept?

Aloy.Emeka:

Now answer my previous question: Are Urhobos and isokos part of Ijaw?. What and what make up Ijaw because Ijaw sounds like a concept?

. . . they are not Ijaws, but they came from Ijaws. . . . Itsekiris for example are a mix of Ijaws and Yoruba but they take their language more from the Yoruba side. . . . Isokos are the closest to Ijaws both in blood and in friendly relationship. . . . Ijaw is a conglomerate of seperate kingdoms. . . . the common thread is the Oru language of which many words remain in all the different Ijaw languages. . . infact, many Igbos are Oru, especially the riverine Igbos e.g. Abagworo, although they have fully adopted Igbo language and customs. . . . Ijaws have not historically identified themselves as one tribe, but they have never gone to war against non-Ijaws without each other. . . . they live by the water and trade with each other. . . and they all migrated from Warri eastward. . . .the period of migration spanned 500 years, so some Ijaw languages are distinct from others. . . . but some are very similar. . . . . an Ijaw man would never identify himself as an Ijaw man until recently. . . . they were all Kalabaris, Okinans, Ibani etc. . . . however, over the last 50 years, they have been coming together to form one people. . .

Ibime:

My friend stop chatting shit!

Is that the revisionist history that your elders taught you?. . . . meanwhile my pops lost three friends fighting for Biafra. . . . listen mate, even your Igbo commanders have written books on the war lauding the effort of the Ijaws during the war. . . . look, don't talk about what you don't know about. . . . if Ijaws were against Biafra, PH would be the first city to fall, yet all Igbo cities fell before PH. . . . I only pray you get rid of your Ijaw hatred. . . , if some Ijaws fought for Naija, that is their own business. . . . they do not speak for Ijaws. . .each to his own according to his belief. . . before worrying about the Ijaws, it is best to worry about your Ikwerre, Etche and Ndoni brothers. . . . it is well known that up until 10 years ago, all Ijaw villages were kindgoms unto themselves. . . .there was nothing like the Ijaw nation and no centralised structure. . . . Okrika spoke for itself, ditto Nembe, Bonny, Kalabari etc. . . . me whole family fought for Biafra, only to come here 40 years later and hear this nonsense from you. . . . thunder fire you!

This quarrelsome tantrum you're throwing is quite unnecessary, it tends to obstruct the issue. The issue, my friend is that you have written volumes about why and how the Ijaw people betrayed Biafra, in one instance, you said it was because of Ojukwus attitude that drove Ijaws. You're on record for saying that Ijaws prefered to deal with the Hausaman than the Igboman.
All of a sudden, you have a family filled with Biafran heros
PH did not fall, because the Hausa people promised to give it to Ijaw people as abandoned property, so it was largely spared the type of destruction other Biafran cities suffered---- Not because the Ijaws were busy defending it
The rate at which you revise previously held positions on the issue of Biafra and Ijaws are very alarming, however, it tells you that you're a lier/a cheat/and a back-stabbing Ijaw man.

Naijaking, stop being a juvenile!

naijaking1:

The issue, my friend is that you have written volumes about why and how the Ijaw people betrayed Biafra, in one instance, you said it was because of Ojukwus attitude that drove Ijaws.

Yeah. . . . and?. . . . I told you why Edwin Clark, Saro-Wiwa et al went with Naija. I didn't tell you that they were supported by a critical mass of Ijaws or Ogonis or myself or my family members (who did indeed fight for Biafra), so stop being facetious.

naijaking1:

You're on record for saying that Ijaws prefered to deal with the Hausaman than the Igboman.

Not me mate!

naijaking1:

PH did not fall, because the Hausa people promised to give it to Ijaw people as abandoned property, so it was largely spared the type of destruction other Biafran cities suffered---- Not because the Ijaws were busy defending it

If the Ijaws en masse wanted to kick Biafra out, it wouldn't take more than a month. . .

naijaking1:

The rate at which you revise previously held positions on the issue of Biafra and Ijaws are very alarming, however, it tells you that you're a lier/a cheat/and a back-stabbing Ijaw man.

. . . . it is OK to call me a liar, cheater and backstabbing, but adding "Ijawman" for effect says more about you than me!