Photo Chief Lori and his mother

Chief Lori and his mother Igba (the founder of Ajigba and great grandmother to Rita Lori the Igba of Warri Kingdom), in Warri, Southern Nigeria early 1900's or earlier.

REYENIEJU TO EMAMI: YOU ARE A KNOWN MISCHIEF MACHINE

Me: ITSEKIRIMI, IT IS FINISHED!!!

Daniel Reyenieju wrote:

The Federal Lawmaker representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Daniel Reyenieju, has advised the Itsekiri traditional leadership to caution members of the Warri Traditional Council and other Itsekiri leaders to desist from denigrating the Itsekiri nation by employing their positions as a tool for exploring personal political space and relevance through deliberate misinformation and malignant innuendoes.

Speaking to our correspondent yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport yesterday in reaction to an interview granted to the Saturday Vanguard by Chief Ayiri Emami, Reyenieju legislator specifically warned Chief Emami and others he described as his co-travellers to stop abusing the privileged positions they occupy within the Itsekiri traditional hierarchy for deliberate mischief, politicking and dirty blackmail.

He particularly lamented that by the development of this nature, the Itsekiri ethnic group is being portrayed in bad light with the possibility of generating such ripple and boomeranging effects of further polarizing the Itsekiris with the consequence of endlessly exacerbating the already entrenched division created by Emami’s installation as ‘Ologbotsere.

He said that since the nomination of Ayiri Emami as Ologbotsere late last year was greeted with widespread protests it should have been a development sufficient to inspire the Chief to at least attempted to prove his critics wrong by acting in ways and manners as to promote the unity of the people rather than inflaming the body polity by his current acrimonious conduct.      

Speaking further, the federal lawmaker noted, ‘While I am not oblivious of the fact that his aridness, cerebral limitations and impecunious level of exposure would have largely informed his making the allegations in issue against the Governor and Government of Delta State, it is preposterous and most malignant to indirectly accuse the present Government of the state as being responsible for the comatose state of the Warri town. It should be obvious to any right thinking person that such misfortunes predating the current administration can be attributed to  the unfortunate exit of Shell Development Corporation of Nigeria (SPDC) and other related oil companies from Warri, non functionality of the Warri ports to mention but a few of culprits that remain largely responsible for the present of extremely low commercial activities in the area.”

Continuing, he said, “Whatever can be attributed as the causal factor of the present state of Warri clearly predates the present government of Delta State. For example, part of the factor responsible for the present state of non-commercial utilization of the Warri Port squarely rest on the shallowness of the Escravos Bar and security concerns; all of which are being addressed and require the cooperation of all and sundry including traditional rulers who ought to be playing their roles as peace makers and partners in progress. 

“On my part, I have successfully secured a parliamentary resolution on the dredging of the Escravos Bar and have exchanged series of correspondences with the President on this with what is left being for the federal government to implement. Therefore, I am urging Chief Emami to exploit his position within the All Progressive Congress to get the federal government to expedite action.

“In the same vein, I urge Chief Emami to note that Warri Port is under the Federal Ministry of Transport and he should also use his said close relationship with the Minister of Transport to turn around the fortune of Warri port, which will immediately ipso facto turn around the present fortune of Warri and environs.

‘While any responsible and responsive government like the Delta State government would as usual welcome constructive criticisms, what is being flaunted by Chief Emami, is laced with bias, misinformation and crass ignorance, the Chief should be schooled on the economic situation of the state and by extention national economic growth. While we will continue constructively engage the state Government for meaningful development due us as Itsekiri people.

Concluding, Reyenieju, in an emotional message to his Itsekiri ethnic group, said  “The  preponderance of Itsekiri persons (including myself) expressed strong reservation about the Chief Emami being selected for the post of Ologbotsere of the traditional Warri Kingdom because of his very notorious attitude of cheap blackmail, promoting disaffection, telling lies and other mischiefs. A higher level of intellectual background for the Ologbotsere may have saved us from this mess which is unfortunately poised to continue for a long time. Regrettably, a few of those within the Itsekiri traditional gentry, who also hold the acme of traditional authority in Itsekiri thought otherwise. I am sure that with the extant disastrous outing by Chief Ayiri, they should be able to overcome the spell by now and begin to realize that the proverbial chicken has come home to roast”