Re: Edo Federal Lawmakers’ Opposition to the Proposed Toru-Ibe State on Account of Ceding Edo Lands :- Murphy Osaro Omoruyi and Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion Have Lost Touch With History
Re: Edo Federal Lawmakers’ Opposition to the Proposed Toru-Ibe State on Account of Ceding Edo Lands
Murphy Osaro Omoruyi and Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion Have Lost Touch With History
The debate on the proposed Toru-Ibe State took an unfortunate turn yesterday when Mr. Murphy Osaro Omoruyi and Miss Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion offered submissions that were completely detached from historical reality. Their comments reflect a longstanding pattern of misrepresentation often used to diminish the rightful place of the Ijaw people in Edo State.
Once again, some Bini political actors have resorted to their familiar tactics of distortion and calumny simply because the Toru-Ibe State agitation has gained national attention. Listening to both lawmakers struggle to establish coherent arguments on the floor of the House was a painful reminder of how far some individuals are willing to go to sustain a false narrative.
Frankly, there is nothing new in their approach. Denial and distortion have always been deployed whenever the subject touches on Ijaw ancestral presence. What is worrisome is the level of historical ignorance displayed by public officials who ought to be better informed. This reinforces the urgent need for the Federal Government to restore History as a compulsory subject in our schools, so that future leaders do not speak from a position of embarrassing misinformation.
The Ijaw presence in present-day Edo State predates colonial administration. Our communities are not recent settlements; they are ancient, rooted, and well documented. Long before the arrival of European authorities, Ijaw settlements existed with distinct cultural, linguistic, and traditional identities completely different from those of their Bini neighbours.
During British rule, the intelligence report of H. F. Marshall and several other colonial documents formally recognized Ijaw settlements and traditional structures in the area. This recognition informed the establishment of three Ijaw Native Court Areas, which affirmed the Ijaw people as indigenous and distinct.
These include:
1. Ekenwa Native Court Area
2. Ofunama Native Court Area
3. Siloko Native Court Area
These court areas were not arbitrary arrangements. They were official recognition by the colonial government of the distinctiveness of the Ijaw people historically, geographically, culturally, linguistically, and socially. No amount of modern-day political revisionism can erase these documented facts.
The Ijaw people will not be provoked by the careless, uninformed, and provocative remarks of these lawmakers. But we will, without hesitation, explore every constitutional and legitimate avenue to ensure that no Ijaw ancestral land remains bound to Bini political claims once the Toru-Ibe State process fully materializes.
Customary ownership in Nigeria is recognized by first settlement and sustained occupation. The Ijaw people meet this criterion unmistakably. Those who pretend not to know this are either victims of historical erosion or deliberate propagandists.
Had Mr. Murphy and Miss Omosede taken time to study historical facts, they would not have embarrassed themselves before the nation with such hollow and prejudiced arguments. National issues demand informed contributions, not hastily assembled rhetoric driven by ethnic insecurity.
The committee handling the state creation process should remain focused, objective, and thorough. They must not allow themselves to be sidetracked by individuals whose submissions are motivated by bigotry rather than truth.
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