The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, on Saturday appealed to the Federal and Delta State governments, as well as major oil companies, to intensify the execution of infrastructural projects in Itsekiri coastal communities of Delta State.
The monarch expressed concern that the Itsekiri people had remained poor, frustrated and neglected despite their significant contribution to Nigeria’s oil wealth, blaming years of regulatory inconsistency and poor engagement by oil firms.
Ogiame Atuwatse III spoke while addressing journalists after touring several oil fields in Itsekiri riverine communities in Warri North Local Government Area, including Jakpa, Tebu, Ajamita, Ebrohimi, Udo, Obaghoro, Gbokoda and Dibi.
He criticised what he described as divide-and-rule tactics allegedly employed by oil companies operating in the area, noting that such practices had fostered oppression and were sometimes aided by internal compromise among a few individuals within the Itsekiri community.
The monarch warned oil firms against mistaking the peaceful disposition of Itsekiri 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 Olu of Warri said the situation was not accidental, attributing it to years of regulatory neglect, corporate practices that tolerated oppression and internal betrayal driven by greed.
He said he could no longer remain silent in the face of growing hardship among his people.
“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.”
The monarch, however, commended Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for the ongoing road project in Dibi and the Trans Warri–Ode-Itsekiri Bridges and Access Road, urging the state government to sustain infrastructural development in the coastal areas to give residents a stronger sense of belonging.
He also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his openness to the concerns of the Itsekiri people but warned against individuals he described as “usurpers, charlatans and opportunists” who claim to speak for the community.
“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,” the Olu of Warri said.
