We lay the golden eggs, yet we are poor- Olu of Warri laments Itsekiri underdevelopment
By SUMAYYAH ADEFAKA
The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has called on the Federal Government, the Delta State Government, and major oil companies to execute more infrastructural projects in Itsekiri coastal communities of Delta State.
He expressed concern that the Itsekiri people have remained poor and neglected despite their contribution to Nigeria’s oil wealth.
The monarch spoke on Saturday after touring Jakpa, Tebu, Ajamita, Ebrohimi, Udo, Obaghoro, Gbokoda and Dibi oil fields located within Itsekiri riverine communities in Warri North Local Government Area of the state.
He decried what he described as “divide-and-rule tactics by oil companies prospecting oil from the fields,” noting that such practices had encouraged oppression, “amidst internal compromise and betrayal by a few among our own Itsekiri people, driven by greed, selfishness and wickedness.”
The monarch warned oil companies not to mistake the peaceful disposition of Itsekiri coastal communities for weakness.
“For over 60 years, the Itsekiri people have listened to figures — production numbers, revenue charts, academic explanations — drawn from oil produced on our God-given and legally recognised land.
“But today, we say clearly: those numbers no longer impress us, because they do not reflect the actual reality of the lives of our people on the ground.
“Yes, the records confirm what the nation already knows: this tribe called Itsekiri, in the western corner of the Niger Delta, is one of the geese that lay the golden eggs for Nigeria.
“Yet, paradoxically, our people remain poor, frustrated, and neglected.”
The monarch lamented the internal compromise and betrayal by a few Itsekiri people, saying it was the reason the communities remained neglected.
“This did not happen by accident. It is the result of previous indifferent and inconsistent regulatory attitudes; divide-and-rule tactics by oil companies, a culture that tolerates oppression; and most importantly, internal compromise and betrayal by a few among our own Itsekiri people, driven by greed, selfishness and wickedness,” he lamented.
The monarch said he could no longer remain silent on the situation.
“Today, for the sake of my people, I refuse to remain silent. I refuse to hide behind diplomacy. I refuse to dress this truth in ceremonial language.
“I stand before you, as overlord of the land, father of the people, custodian of the culture, and spiritual authority — and I say it plainly:
“My people are discouraged. My people are poor. My people are tired. However, my people will no longer accept being treated as though they do not matter.
“No external actor can truly undermine us, unless someone inside unlocks the door.
“Oil companies, be they international or Nigerian, take advantage of us only when they see that those who pose as leaders among us are willing to trade our collective destiny for their own personal gain.”
Ogiame Atuwatse III commended Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for the ongoing road project in Dibi, as well as the Trans Warri–Ode–Itsekiri Bridges and Access Road, urging the government to sustain infrastructural development in coastal communities to give residents a sense of belonging.
He also thanked President Bola Tinubu “for always giving us a listening ear, and considerate attention,” but cautioned the President to be wary of what he described as “usurpers, charlatans and opportunists who deal and trade in the name of our people.”
He added, “The tolerance for them has failed us. And now is the time for us to replace it with transparency, unity, and accountability, or remain victims of a system we secretly enable.”
