PRESS RELEASE: CURTIS AND HIS BINI SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT SHOULD BE CALLED TO ORDER

PRESS RELEASE 

CURTIS AND HIS BINI SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT SHOULD BE CALLED TO ORDER

The attention of the Itsekiri National Youths Council (INYC) has been drawn to a publication by the Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) which appeared in Vanguard Newspaper of Monday, April 13, 2020 wherein a certain Curtis Ugbo and his co travelers spewed balderdash coated in displeasure against an adhoc committee set up by His Imperial Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri.

Since the protracted Ologbo crisis, the INYC has deliberately barred any Itsekiri youth or group from displaying such boorish idiocy by calling out or casting aspersions on His Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin as displayed by Curtis Ugbo and his crew against His Imperial Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri on all media.

Knowing how garrulous and shameless Curtis can be, we have decided to set the record straight before the unsuspecting public takes him and his BSM seriously. 

In his wisdom, our highly revered monarch, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri, like every other lover of peace in the world could not have truncated all efforts already put in place by some of his subjects who are lovers of peace and whom in their brief to him confirmed that all parties and critical/relevant stakeholders in the Ologbo crises have been sufficiently reached and the outcome of their consultations were to the extent that all parties to the crises were well disposed to the timely resolution of the crises in Ologbo. Hence,he gave his full blessings

The Itsekiris, in our nobility are not known to be insultive to monarchs and other traditional institutions. Hence, we will not join issues with Curtis Ugbo and his co-travelers to insult the Binis and their monarch whom we hold in high esteem. 

The Council is trying not to destroy the existing relationship between the Itsekiri and Bini kingdoms which dates back to over five centuries. However, if the Binis decide to bring all their criminals on social media to denigrate our traditional institution, we shall soon show to the world that no society is complete without all kinds of people. 

Ologbo, Ologbo, Ikara, Ajatiton, Kolokolo, Ajoki, Ajamimogha, Ogba, Ekete, Ekenwan, Ogbo, Osanmara etc are all indigenous Itsekiri communities in Edo State. They are exclusively Itsekiri names. They bear no linguistic connection with the Bini language. The establishment of Bini dukedom to oversee Itsekiri communities is totally alien to law and our culture.

Anyone interested in acquiring Itsekiri land in any of the aforementioned Itsekiri communities in Edo state and others should follow established legal processes of land acquisition either for individual or corporate use. Anything short of that is an invitation to anarchy.

The only panacea to genuine peace in Ologbo is for the duke and dukedom (Enogie system) which are alien to Itsekiri custom and tradition, to be Immediately dismantled. If other ethnic nationalities in Edo state accept dukedom, Itsekiri shall not.

Comr. Appearance Afejuku, 

National Secretary, INYC