| Urhobo Historical Society |
| WARRI LAND, OVERLORDS & LAND RIGHTS |
| (OMETAN Vs DORE NUMA) |
| FACT, FICTION & IMPERIALISM By D. A. Obiomah |
| Originally published in Warri by GKS Printers. Published in URHOBO WAADO by permission of Mr. D. A. Obiomah. © D. A. Obiomah 1987, 2002 |
APPENDIX III
PETITION:
GOVERNMENT POLICY ON APPOINTMENT
| The Agbarha Community, C/o Mr. D. A. Obiomah, P.O. Box 408, Warri. 16th March, 1984 |
| The Military Governor, Brigadier J. T. Useni, Military Governor’s Office, Benin-City. Dear Sir, |
GOVERNMENT POLICY ON APPOINTMENT
1. The object of this letter is to highly inadvertent discrimination arising from Bendel State Government’s good intention to treat all persons and communities equally without discrimination. Also, in critical times such as these, we as a people, should not be by-standers excluded by the government but, should zealously participate in the efforts to tackle the problems besetting Bendel State and the Nation. While we appreciate how busy our Military Governor and his administration are at present, we must point out that Warri Local Government Area is always unfairly made the exception to the rule in Bendel State. As a result, it has often been necessary to modify general policy to suit it.
2. In making appointments, the Governor endeavours to ensure that all ethnic groups are represented. Appointments based on ethnic representation give monopoly of such appointments to Itsekiris only in Warri Local Government Area, as is already happening. The Itsekiri tribe is concentrated in Warri Local Government Area. They get ethnic representation in the area. But three ethnic groups urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw comprise the people of the Warri Local Government Area. However, other Ijaws have Burutu and Bomadi Local Governments while other Urhobos have Okpe, Ethiope and Ughelli Local Governments. If one Urhobo Commissioner is appointed from the three Urhobo Local Government Areas and represents the interests of all Urhobos, similarly one Ijaw from the two Ijaw Local Government Areas, the implication is either Urhobos and Ijaws within Warri Local Government Area are without representation in their only Local Government Area, or that the two Commissioners have their areas of authority extending ethnically into Warri Local Government Area from the Urhobo and Ijaw Areas. If this is the official thinking, the Urhobo and Ijaw Commissioners should be advised accordingly after all the implications have been weighed.
3. The Itsekiri Commissioner is Mr. Abel Emiko, a brother to the Olu of the Itsekiri and it is a known fact that the perennial feud between the Urhobos and Ijaws on the one hand, and the Itsekiris on the other, has been getting more acute on ethnic and political grounds. The Urhobos and Ijaws within Warri Local Government Area whom he (Emiko) supposedly represents, quite justifiably cannot have confidence in
4. It is our humble prayer to the Military Governor therefore to make it a policy that appointments in respect of Warri Local Government Area should reflect the tripartite ethnicity of the Area rather than an Itsekiri monopoly. After all, Warri Town which is the hub of the Local Government Area is Urhobo. We have always been a law abiding people and will remain so and continue to support your Government. It is from such genuine intentions that this petition is made to state a full picture of our plights so that our rights can be protected and we should be given a chance to help the Military Governor in the successful governance of our nation, rather than being treated as onlookers who are being made to feel that government is not concerned about us in the scheme of things. While we look on, we must expect the Itsekiris, as usual, to use their participation in government and our absence from government to undo us:
SIGNED:
| Chief Omatseys Bazunu OGWUVWIE OF WARRI | Chief Richard A. Ugberikoko OLOWU/EDJE OF WARRI |
| Chief J. A. Eyuren Otota of Warri | Chief Augustine Osio THE OCHUKO OF WARRI |
| Chief M. O. Okandeji OKPAKO OF OKURODE | Chief Thompson Itero LEADER IN IGBUDU |
| Chief C. O. Ejemudaroh | |
| LEADER IN EDJEBA | |
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