By Our Correspondent, Warri
The Voice of Warri Kingdom Women Initiative has raised strong objections to what it described as the “illegal and provocative inclusion” of the Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area, calling on both state and federal authorities to enforce longstanding court judgments in favor of the Itsekiri people.
Speaking during a press conference held at Otonloye Hall, Sapele, the President of the group, Mrs. Vivian Eric Mene, said the development poses a grave threat to peaceful coexistence, security of lives and property, as well as the territorial integrity of the Itsekiri people.
According to her, judicial pronouncements spanning nearly a century — including landmark rulings in 1928, 1956, 1964, and even at the Supreme Court of Nigeria — have consistently affirmed the Itsekiri as the rightful owners of Warri South Local Government Area.
She recalled that in 2013, the then Chief Judge of Delta State, Late Hon. Justice Marshall Umukoro, dismissed a fresh suit by the Ijaw, describing it as an attempt to re-litigate settled matters.
“These are undeniable facts rooted in law and history which cannot be erased by social media propaganda,” she said.
The group accused the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh and his people of attempting to create unrest through “criminal occupation and cultural incursion” into areas such as Miller Waterside, Main Market, and McIver Market.
“Let it be clear: this provocation threatens peace, security, and economic stability in Warri South Local Government. Not an inch of our ancestral land will be surrendered,” Mrs. Mene declared, stressing that the Itsekiri remain resolute in defending their heritage and territorial integrity.
The Warri Kingdom Women Initiative urged the Delta State Government, the Federal Government, and the chairmen of the three Warri Local Government Areas to enforce all court judgments in favor of the Itsekiri.
“Enough is enough. We are a law-abiding people, but all judgments must now be implemented without delay,” the group insisted.
Turning their focus to Chevron Nigeria Limited, the women accused the oil giant of neglecting its host communities in terms of employment and social responsibility.
Mrs. Mene lamented that the company’s employment ratio of 10 out of 100 for Itsekiri indigenes was “an insult,” alleging that management — which she claimed is dominated by non-Itsekiri staff — relegates indigenes to “slave jobs with no benefits and poor wages” in their own land.
“We say no to unemployment of our people,” she declared.
The group further likened Chevron’s operations in Warri to the infamous Rikers Island prison in New York, describing the company’s management style as oppressive.
They called for an “open camp policy” by Chevron, which they argued would boost economic opportunities for host communities.
According to them, such a policy would create local business opportunities, with more reliance on community-supplied goods and services such as food, water, laundry, transport, and entertainment, while also generating jobs in camp management, including cleaning, catering, security, and maintenance.
Mrs. Mene reaffirmed the women’s unity and determination: “We stand firm, we stand united, and we stand ready to defend our land, our heritage, and the economic rights of our people.”
The Voice of Warri Kingdom Women Initiative has raised strong objections to what it described as the “illegal and provocative inclusion” of the Ijaw of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area, calling on both state and federal authorities to enforce longstanding court judgments in favor of the Itsekiri people.
Speaking during a press conference held at Otonloye Hall, Sapele, the President of the group, Mrs. Vivian Eric Mene, said the development poses a grave threat to peaceful coexistence, security of lives and property, as well as the territorial integrity of the Itsekiri people.
According to her, judicial pronouncements spanning nearly a century — including landmark rulings in 1928, 1956, 1964, and even at the Supreme Court of Nigeria — have consistently affirmed the Itsekiri as the rightful owners of Warri South Local Government Area.
She recalled that in 2013, the then Chief Judge of Delta State, Late Hon. Justice Marshall Umukoro, dismissed a fresh suit by the Ijaw, describing it as an attempt to re-litigate settled matters.
“These are undeniable facts rooted in law and history which cannot be erased by social media propaganda,” she said.
The group accused the Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh and his people of attempting to create unrest through “criminal occupation and cultural incursion” into areas such as Miller Waterside, Main Market, and McIver Market.
“Let it be clear: this provocation threatens peace, security, and economic stability in Warri South Local Government. Not an inch of our ancestral land will be surrendered,” Mrs. Mene declared, stressing that the Itsekiri remain resolute in defending their heritage and territorial integrity.
The Warri Kingdom Women Initiative urged the Delta State Government, the Federal Government, and the chairmen of the three Warri Local Government Areas to enforce all court judgments in favor of the Itsekiri.
“Enough is enough. We are a law-abiding people, but all judgments must now be implemented without delay,” the group insisted.
Turning their focus to Chevron Nigeria Limited, the women accused the oil giant of neglecting its host communities in terms of employment and social responsibility.
Mrs. Mene lamented that the company’s employment ratio of 10 out of 100 for Itsekiri indigenes was “an insult,” alleging that management — which she claimed is dominated by non-Itsekiri staff — relegates indigenes to “slave jobs with no benefits and poor wages” in their own land.
“We say no to unemployment of our people,” she declared.
The group further likened Chevron’s operations in Warri to the infamous Rikers Island prison in New York, describing the company’s management style as oppressive.
They called for an “open camp policy” by Chevron, which they argued would boost economic opportunities for host communities.
According to them, such a policy would create local business opportunities, with more reliance on community-supplied goods and services such as food, water, laundry, transport, and entertainment, while also generating jobs in camp management, including cleaning, catering, security, and maintenance.
Mrs. Mene reaffirmed the women’s unity and determination: “We stand firm, we stand united, and we stand ready to defend our land, our heritage, and the economic rights of our people.”
