Ijaw, Itsekiri leaders fight dirty over citing of Maritime Varsity

Leaders of Gbaramatu Community, an Ijaw speaking area and Omadino Community, an Itsekiri speaking area, both in Delta South Senatorial District of Delta State, on Tuesday, clashed during a public hearing at the Senate, over the citing of the Maritime University of Nigeria.

Trouble started when the Senate Committee chairman on Tertiary Education, Senator Jibrin Barau, invited representatives of the two feuding communities to make their submission during the public hearing on a bill to establish the Maritime University.

The University is currently located at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu Community, but Itsekiri leaders are urging the Senate to relocate it to Okerenghigho in Omadino Community, in line with a valid court judgment.

Chief Fedude Zimughan who spoke on behalf of other Ijaw leaders, accused Itsekiri representatives at the public hearing of obtaining a ‘black market’ court judgment.

He said the judgment in question has been set aside by another court and that the case will come up for hearing soon.

“They got a black market judgment and it cannot stand. The judgment has been set aside. We have filed a brief. It will be prejudicial for us to comment. But it is insulting for them to rubbish us when we took the Itshekiris in when they needed help,” Chief Zimughan, the Ijaw leader alleged.

Mr Edward Ekpoko who spoke on behalf of Itsekiri leaders of Omadino Community, said though they support the establishment of the university, he said the current must however be changed, in line with a court judgment which was given in their favour.

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He said: “The Itshekiri people are not opposed to the establishment of the Maritime University. There are three issues that brought us here. The first is the issue of the land. The land is owned by Itshekiri people and supervised by the Olu of Warri. A judgement was given in favour of the Itshekiri.

“This issue has been settled by the judiciary. It was first settled in 1951. In 1975, they appealed the case and it was dismissed by the Supreme Court. We must follow the law. We cannot see the law and do the opposite. The name of the place should be changed to Okerenghigho and not Okerenkoko.”

Registrar of the University, Mr Nathaniel Anho, who stood in for the Vice Chancellor, took sides with Ijaw leaders and urged the Senate not to relocate the institution.

In his intervention, the Senate Committee chairman on Tertiary Education, Senator Barau, said lawmakers will do the right thing and find a way to resolve the lingering differences.

Barau said: “We will do the right thing. We will get the best judgment to this issue. No one is against the establishment of this school. The bone of contention is the location of the school and the issue will be adequately addressed by the Senate.”

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