ReubenE:
THE COUNCIL OF TRADITIONAL RULERS OF EDO STATE NEEDS TO CAUTION THEMSELVES:

Posterity has always remained the judge and purnisher of men who comes to equity without clean hands. It is not without that that having their eyes on the benefits of the oil and gas found in the land of Ijaws in Edo State which they have been benefiting since 1963; they made the non-factual and baseless statements below however, they thought that the youths of today is as ignorant and bereft of academic capacity to investigate issues in society:

"The Council of Traditional Rulers in Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of Edo State has in solidarity thrown their weight behind the people of Benin Kingdom, the Oba and the State Government in the resurgence of the ownership claim of the oil rich and sea – side town of Gelegele by the Ijaws, and subsequent attempt to crown Godwin Ogunyiebo as ‘Pere’ of Olodiama Kingdom.

Condemning the act of the Ijaw people, the Council termed it as an aberration, abomination and unacceptable as it called on the security agents to urgently intervene, arrest and prosecute persons behind it to nip a looming anarchy in the bud. The Traditional Rulers briefed the media on Tuesday, 21 November, 2017 in Benin – City, the State capital.

The Onojie of Opoji, H.R.H Aidonojie Ehidiamen who is also vice Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, Edo State noted that from time immemorial, the area in contention has always been part of the Benin Kingdom. According to him, in the 14 – 15 century, the Portuguese accessed Benin through Gelegele as the only existing sea port and even built an up – stair there.

“In the old Mid – Western region, there existed two Provinces; Benin and Delta, Gelegele was part of the old Benin Province and there had never been any other Kingdom in Edo South apart from the Benin Kingdom with the Oba of Benin as the only recognized Monarch. “Eventually, the old Benin Province was transformed to the present day; Edo State with Gelegele as an integral part of it.”

Ehidiamen condemned Ijaw monarchs in Bayelsa and Delta States who allegedly were behind the attempt to crown a King in an existing Kingdom of Benin. An act he described as a misnomer and an abomination. Saying the alleged act is unacceptable, he added; “So we decided to come together to add our voice that government should not take this lightly.

“The Governors of Bayelsa, and Delta States should be contacted by Edo State Governor to talk to their People to stay in their territory.”

Now, the sophisticated ignorance of these men who has failed their generations and disgraceful to themselves is that:

(1) The Bini met the Ijaws in their current settlement when they left Ille-Ife courtesy of late Dr. Jacob U. Egharevba, an eminent traditional who him self is a benin in his book titled "A short History of benin Third Print :, 1968 page 1.

(2) there was no time that any part of Ijaw Land, Gelegelegbene inclusive has been part of Bini Kingdom because all European Explorers who visited the Binin Kingdom wrote that the Ijaws were not living under the authority of the Oba of Binin; British Consul Richard Burton wrote in his book (My Wanderings In West Africa) in 1863 that "in 20 minutes, we reached Gelegele a village of Ijaw-Men".

(3) According to the E.A. Kenyo in his book "the origin and the title of Yoruba Rulers" page 3. He wrote about: " The New people" the Bini thus" up till this time of Oba of {Benin} and his people were pure Yoruba and did not understand the language of the Aborigines who usually salute themselves and the new and the new people thus: "A Doo" "Dolo O" and wherever the Oba's people saw the Aborigines they used to call them "Ados" from were the name Edo was taken. The Adoo is an Ijaw prayer greeting from the root "UNDO" meaning"may you live long".

(4) According to prof. Allan Rider in his book "Bini and Europeans" 1485-1897, published 1967, page 27.
Which ever of the "Slave River" the portuguese frequented, the people they first met would have belonged to the Ijohs {Ijaws} which dominated the coastal belt swamp forest, extending inland to a depth of 30 to 40 mile in this region.

(5) He went further to state in page 28 thus: ""The Bini Edo lived now as they seem then, outside swamp forest area... and there are no reasons for believing that it ever extended to the coast. Nor are the Bini ever river farers or canoe men"

Thus it is cheer stupidity and the worst form of traditional perfidy for these traditional rulers with what now seem a lack of academic capacity even in advisory level to have said that the Governors of Delta and Bayelsa States should call their people to order as if Ijaws in Edo State came to take permission from them before settling there whereas they met the Ijaws in Edo State there when they came from the North-East and South-West of Nigeria respectively. Again, it is clear that they know nothing about the origin of Ijaws and so should stop making baseless statements for the interest of peace, they should know that Ijaws can be found in 6 States of Nigeria and that any attack on a single Ijaw community no matter the state it is located, is an attack on the entire Ijaw Nation and Ijaws will retaliate with maximum force!!

The outright claim by some entities that Ijaws are tenants in Edo State is not only a dangerous lie but also a slap on history and intelligence.
Peace and violence are not exclusive to one group, neither are they bound by time and geography. Massaging our fists online and throwing tantrums will not solve the impasse.

Franklin Roosevelt once said, the hottest part of hell is for those that sit on the fence with a loud mouth during the times of crises.

bright007:
save us all this your history and go and tell the court judges who have ruled up to the supreme court that Gelegele belongs to the Benin kingdom.
You can go to court and challenge the judgement of the court instead of preaching baseless history on nairaland.

1shortblackboy:
if there has been a court judgment on this then everyone should obey the courts judgment and let peace reign there is too much violence and tension in this country already we no go rest ?

ReubenE:

Peace is what everyone desire but it is clear some people are not interested in that.....about the parochial judgement, it is a discussion for another day

bright007:


According to land grabbers like you, the judgement is parochial.

Three times you guys went to court over ownership of Gelegele and three times you were defeated.
Unfortunately, many of you can only come online chest-beating and play drums of war. After that, you go back into your hole and cool off .

At the moment, Gelegele is part and parcel of Benin Kingdom and everything be it man-made resources or natural resources in that land , the royalties due to the Oba of Benin gets to him whether you lots like it or not.

1shortblackboy:
if there has been a court judgment on this then everyone should obey the courts judgment and let peace reign there is too much violence and tension in this country already we no go rest ?

EternalTruths:
The Binis should not allow the greed for oil & gas push them to try to steal the inheritance God gave to the Ijaws.


The Binis should be rest assured that disaster awaits them if they try to do so.

Gelegele is not a Bini word and history never recorded that Ijaws invaded Bini lands in the past.


If history is right, then Binis must ask themselves why their Forefathers never fought the Ijaws over Gelegele land for more than 1000 years of peaceful coexistence.

EternalTruths:
The Binis should not allow the greed for oil & gas push them to try to steal the inheritance God gave to the Ijaws.


The Binis should be rest assured that disaster awaits them if they try to do so.

Gelegele is not a Bini word and history never recorded that Ijaws invaded Bini lands in the past.


If history is right, then Binis must ask themselves why their Forefathers never fought the Ijaws over Gelegele land for more than 1000 years of peaceful coexistence.

AdaFonju:

Wrong, there is no such judgment making the entire gelegele-Ijaw community part of bini, that's is total falsehood, gelegele is Ijaw and we continue to be till Jesus comes, channels went to gelegele and guess who they met there? IJAW people not even one single bini so all this claim of gelegele being bini is only on nairaland.com
Stop misinforming people gelegele is and will always be an Ijaw community

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC7Q_0I3-yw

bright007:

[s]Stop typing from your anus and do some research . I know you were not born when all this happened but Google is your friend, take your time and ask it some questions.


The matter went through the High Court of Justice and Federal Court of Appeal in Benin and the Supreme Court -in Lagos.

The Benins secured victory all the way. The following suit numbers are material evidences to buttress our claim to the land at Gelegele and environs

1. High Court of Justice, Benin Judgment delivered on the 22nd December 1978 by .Justice. Ekeruche J in Suit No. B/I44/1970.

2. Federal Court of Appeal judgment delivered on the 16th December1981 by Abdul Ganiy Olatunji· Agbaja and 2 others in Suit No. FCA/B/82/80.

3. Supreme Court unanimous Judgment delivered on the 19th ‘August 1983 by Muhamedu Lawai Uwais, former Chief Justice of the Federation and 4 others in Suit No. SC.131/1982"

bright007:
keep ranting . Let any of you misbehave on that land and see how you will be used as target practice.

AdaFonju:

Empty threats, Ijaws have been living there for thousands of years, the sign boards land marks are all in Ijaw, the indegenes are all Ijaw and you are here typing "misbehave on that land"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC7Q_0I3-yw

bright007:

You are fighting a lost battle. All odds are stacked against you. If you can't maintain status quo as settlers in Edo state, I repeat , you will be used as target practice

AdaFonju:

Here we go with the empty threats, target pratice with you keyboard athink? You think war is space shooter, I thought you will more concerned about your brother & sisters being sold in Libya

This is worth a protest or two dont you think
He also disclosed that about 560 Nigerians are expected to be repatriated into the country from Libya this week, while some of the female victims, who were recently evacuated from Libya, are said to be pregnant after being raped by their captors while in detention in Libya.


https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2017/12/over-70-of-the-libya-returnees-are-from-edo-state-comrade-solomon-okoduwa.html

https://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/general/685311-about-70-of-libya-returnees-are-from-edo-state-some-of-the-girls-are-pregnant-comrade-solomon-okoduwa-raises-alarm.html

This is what I call true helotery, thraldom, subjugation, vassalage.

bright007:


You can keep trying to deviate from the subject of discussion. It doesn't change the fact that Obaseki as governor of Edo state will do the needful when the need arises.
Until you can produce a governor in Edo state who is ijaw , forget about having any headway in grabbing our land.

AdaFonju:

You always make shaky arguments, from talking about libyan edo returnees to talking of producing governor, anyways i'll bite, is the office of governor meant to be used as a tool to fight other indegenous ethnicities, the Ugly man can't do jack, why hasn't he arrested the Pere of olodiama kingdom as he claimed earlier, do you think we are in the 17th century

bright007:

You should ask yourself if your brain is working. Who brought about Libyan returnees into the discussion in the first place.

As for you inconsequential king , he hasn't been arrested because he has been humble ever since he was warned.
Very soon there will be a seaport in Gelegele and guess who takes royalties from there, the Oba of Benin and the state government.

bright007:


According to land grabbers like you, the judgement is parochial.

Three times you guys went to court over ownership of Gelegele and three times you were defeated.
Unfortunately, many of you can only come online chest-beating and play drums of war. After that, you go back into your hole and cool off .

At the moment, Gelegele is part and parcel of Benin Kingdom and everything be it man-made resources or natural resources in that land , the royalties due to the Oba of Benin gets to him whether you lots like it or not.

bright007:

Stop typing from your anus and do some research . I know you were not born when all this happened but Google is your friend, take your time and ask it some questions.


The matter went through the High Court of Justice and Federal Court of Appeal in Benin and the Supreme Court -in Lagos.

The Benins secured victory all the way. The following suit numbers are material evidences to buttress our claim to the land at Gelegele and environs

1. High Court of Justice, Benin Judgment delivered on the 22nd December 1978 by .Justice. Ekeruche J in Suit No. B/I44/1970.

2. Federal Court of Appeal judgment delivered on the 16th December1981 by Abdul Ganiy Olatunji· Agbaja and 2 others in Suit No. FCA/B/82/80.

3. Supreme Court unanimous Judgment delivered on the 19th ‘August 1983 by Muhamedu Lawai Uwais, former Chief Justice of the Federation and 4 others in Suit No. SC.131/1982"

bright007:
save us all this your history and go and tell the court judges who have ruled up to the supreme court that Gelegele belongs to the Benin kingdom.
You can go to court and challenge the judgement of the court instead of preaching baseless history on nairaland.