‘Minorities must be treated fairly’

Itsekiri High Chief Ritalori Ogbebor, in this interview with Musa Odoshimokhe, speaks on restructuring, underdevelopment in oil-producing areas and the future of the country. 

Will the restructuring of the country promote the interest of the minorities?

This debate had been on-going for a long time, and when we look at the various responses and positions taken by Nigerians on the topic, one could say that some people do not actually understand what the topic is all about.

I want to make it clear that restructuring does not mean the country will fall apart. It is not a call for separation or disintegration of the country as being speculated. It is simply the call for us to get things right. The call is to ensure justice, fairness and equity in Nigeria. There is no sense in how the country is currently being managed because lots of injustices permeate the land.

This is a country where minorities are living like second class citiz ens or slaves. Those who belong to the dominant ethnic groups dominate the political life of the country and the system seems not recognise the minorities position. Minorities don’t have a say on how the country is run. The minorities have been relegated, to the extent that the resources they produce are being managed with impunity and this must stop. They must be allowed to benefit from their God given mineral resources. In my place, the Itsekiri land, where the oil is being extracted, the whole land had been desolated due to the after effect of the oil exploration. Agricultural products cannot do well, aquatic life is almost zero and the fishing communities are finding it difficult to survive. The environmental pollution and human degradation caused by the refinement of the crude oil in the minorities’ belt is aching.  We do hope that restructuring will correct the imbalance in the way resources are allocated because what is good for the goose is good for the gander.  When justice, fairness and equity become the barometer to govern Nigeria, thing will be better. The situation has degenerated to the extent that local collaborators do not want the situation to change; some are even seeking the instrumentality of the law to perpetuate the heinous crime on their people.

Could that form part of the reasons why you took some Itsekiri leaders to court over the management of funds meant for your community?     

This is the second injunction I have obtained to safeguard the money meant to develop Itsekiri land. But incidentally, some people are still mismanaging the funds. I obtained the injunction to protect the Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC). The funds amount to N2.1b, which was given by Chevron to develop the communities. These are areas being exploited by the oil companies. It is meant to bring the people back to normal business life, since their lands have been rendered almost useless due to oil spillages and air pollution. The funds are expected to provide schools, build clinics or hospitals for the people, and grow the cottage industries for people. These are the things that the money is meant for, but unfortunately, after over 10 years, these people are yet to see any meaningful developments despite the money given to the leaders of the communities. The negative deed of those whose hands the money fell is weighing on the people. We are brothers and sisters and that is why we marry foreigners easily because most of us are so related that we cannot marry ourselves. And for them not to feel for the people, shows how callous they are.  So, whatever misdeed carryout from one community affects the other communities. When the money is sent, the so-called elders collect the money for their personal use without following due process. This is the reason, young and promising people are moving to the city for greener pasture. Our land is losing its shine because the youths are not willing to remain in the place. Youths who manage to remain there have become vagabonds, they are now beggars, this is making people like me, to begin to get agitated and fully prepared to save the community from further destruction. We are all saddened by this development, where is the future of our children and those not yet born.

Do you have the support of other leaders on the fund issue?

The situation was so unpredictable until the new Olu came on the throne. What the Olu did when he came on the throne was to say that all those who have been in charge of managing the money for the development of the communities without any visible project to show for it should hand off. I think that was the best thing a leader must tell his followers. This is something that we all had been wishing; he came on the throne and set about correcting the shortcomings that had devastated the communities. There were these so-called leaders who disagreed with the Olu’s position; they wanted to continue to have the money without bothering about the people that the money is meant for. They do not have the fear of God. They do not have conscience and are not worried of the greater consequences of their action. The next thing they did was to take the Olu to court, they did not only institute a suit against him, but they ensured that they took him out of his kingdom over the matter, where he would have to be travelling to defend the suit against him.  Now, the Itsekiri people are aggrieved that they cannot take the Olu to court because when the Olu speaks from the throne of his forefathers, whatever he says is binding. It is our duty to implement what the Olu has said; it was unfortunate that about three chiefs are in this matter.

So, what is the implication of taking the monarch to court?

At council meeting, I told them that they should remember that they pledged to support the Olu in order to promote the welfare of the people. They should remember that the day they were made chiefs, that was the day they pledged their loyalty to the throne. Those who betray the Olu betray Itsekiri land and whatever prayer given to them by the Olu would be reverted, if they betray him and that becomes a curse. All these do not mean anything to them; they are just after the money. They went to court to stop the Olu, when we found that we could not condone the situation, we went to court and they beat us over the matter. They striped the women naked, when we protested that the court was not in our jurisdiction, they took the matter from Asaba to Ughelli and from there to Agbor. They finally took it to Effurun and I found this really nauseating. That of course was indiscipline in Itsekiri land, nobody should tolerate it. I told them when they were breaching the laws of the land and the palace that they were undermining the credibility of the Olu. You don’t play with the credibility of the throne because the throne of Itsekiri stands for credibility. There are certain thrones in the South which nobody should play with. You don’t joke with the Benin throne, Olu of Warri throne, the Alafin of Oyo throne and the Ooni of Ife. These are thrones that have stood the test of time, these thrones are very important to the society as the case may be. The emirate has it throne, so when I saw this negative trend and as a chief, I have to defend the custom.

What has been the government response to the situation?

These boys are using their political parties’ affiliation to oppress the throne. They have more respect for the parties than the throne. They are even ready to dethrone an Oba. They use their political power against the throne and these are the things I will not accept. It will not be in my time and in Itsekiri land will descend so low. I saw them undermining and disobeying the throne, so I went to court myself. This time I want to prove to them that they are thieves and criminals. It is not the throne that is at fault, they are the one at fault. I reported the matter to the police, EFCC and to other law enforcement agencies. That was when the Police found that seven different accounts were illegally opened. They have been misusing the money for 10 years but, I felt I should not condone that as a mother. They can bribe anybody to look the other way when things like that happen, but not me. I told the Olu that the throne has to be strong. And for the throne to be strong the people must be strong and if the people are not strong, the strong cannot be strong.

I want to use this medium to appeal to all Itsekiri wherever they are that they cannot abandon their home because of the fear of some people. They must join hands to ensure that our villages and communities are developed. We have N2.1 billion and we still have other money that Chevron has not paid.

 

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