The Itsekiri National Association in Canada (INAC) has alleged that there is a plot to attack the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, during his planned visit to Itsekiri communities in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The association also called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and security agencies to take proactive steps to ensure the monarch’s safety.
According to INAC, the Olu of Warri is scheduled to pay a traditional royal visit to the Itsekiri community of Ugbolokposo in Uvwie Local Government Area, in line with Itsekiri customs.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Fiogho Tonwe; Secretary, Owen Fregene; and members Tosan Eyide and Oritseweyinmi Adodo-Obadoni, the association alleged that some individuals were determined to prevent the monarch from visiting his subjects.
The group described any attempt to stop the royal visit as “a provocative action designed to inflame inter-communal tension for the sake of political visibility.”
It maintained that the Olu of Warri has a legitimate historical and traditional responsibility to visit his subjects wherever they reside.
“A visit to Itsekiri communities within Uvwie, which have co-existed peacefully with their Urhobo neighbours for generations, is neither an encroachment nor an act of aggression. It is the exercise of a sovereign’s duty of care to his people. To frame it otherwise is to distort history and manufacture grievance where none exists,” the statement said.
While acknowledging that not everyone in Uvwie supported the planned protest against the monarch’s visit, INAC condemned what it described as attempts by some individuals to exploit communal sensitivities for personal and political gain.
The association also expressed concern over what it described as the silence of the Delta State Government and the wider Urhobo political leadership.
“At a moment when a clear, authoritative voice is needed to de-escalate tension and reaffirm the rights of all communities to practise their traditions freely, that voice has been absent.
“Silence from those in authority is not neutrality; it is, in effect, permission. It emboldens those who incite and abandons those who suffer the consequences,” the group stated.
INAC called on Governor Oborevwori to “speak publicly and unambiguously in defence of peaceful coexistence and the legitimate rights of the Itsekiri people within his jurisdiction.”
It also urged the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and other Urhobo traditional and civic organisations to distance themselves from those allegedly promoting division and to reaffirm their commitment to the longstanding peaceful relationship between the Urhobo and Itsekiri peoples.
The association further appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure the safety of the Olu of Warri, members of his entourage, and the Itsekiri communities he intends to visit, while calling for anyone involved in acts of intimidation or violence to be held accountable.
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INAC also appealed to the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria to take note of the situation and, where necessary, intervene to uphold the dignity and freedom of movement of recognised traditional rulers across the country.
“The INAC stands unequivocally with our people at home. We are watching. The international community is watching. And we will not be silent when our heritage, our monarch and our communities are subjected to intimidation disguised as civic action.
“Peace is possible. It has always been possible. But peace requires courage from those in leadership — the courage to speak, to intervene and to refuse to be silent when silence itself becomes a form of complicity,” the statement added.
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