Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State is a riverine Ijaw settlement in the Niger Delta region and reckoned as an oil producing territory, hosting multinational companies that contribute to the bulk of national oil revenues. The kingdom, presently under the paramount rule of its Pere, His Royal Majesty, Oboro Gbaraun II (JP), Aketekpe, Agadagba, is home to the prominent Niger Delta activist, High Chief Dr. Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, and a former deputy governor of Delta State, Dcn. Barr. Kingsley Otuaro who served during the governor Ifeanyi Okowa's administration (2015–2023).

As Deltans and Nigerians entered the new year with renewed expectations, PENGlobal looks back at three historic visits to the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom that were made in the year 2023 and what to expect from these visits in the year 2024.

◼️ NDDC Dr. Samuel Ogbuku's Visit and Development Pledge

As a significant stakeholder in the oil industry, the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom played host at its headquarters, Oporoza, to the Managing Director of the federal government agency, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku who was accompanied on the historic visit by the Executive Director of Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, and other Directors of the Commission, on June 10, 2023.

The host, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, set the ball rolling when he declared that: “As traditional rulers, we are worried that development is not moving as fast as we expected. We have played our own role by ensuring that there is peace in the Niger Delta region. Having provided a peaceful environment, there should be no excuse for not developing our region.”

The various existing NDDC projects in Gbaramatu Kingdom, as listed by the Fiyewei of the kingdom, High Chief Amb. Dr. Godspower Gbenekama (JP), include: the Warri-Amadino-Okerenkoko Road, the Seitorububou-Kurutie-Ubafan Road and bridges, the canalization of Oporoza Creek, the reclamation and sand-filling of Benikurukuru community, among others.

Ogbuku, in his address to the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom revealed that the Commission had reached out to Chevron Nigeria Limited, a major oil investor in the area, to partner with the American oil firm through a Public Private Partnership, PPP, model as an alternative source of funding for the Commission to expedite the construction and completion of the Warri-Omadino-Escravos Road, and to make it more accessible as the Escravos area is of special economic priority.

Ogbuku who had earlier inspected the canalization of Oporoza creek before meeting the Pere and his cabinet of chiefs, noted that the project would provide easy access and navigation for the communities and the oil companies operating in the kingdom, while he also gave the assurance that all other infrastructural projects would be completed to positively impact on the lives of the people.

◼️ Cementing Cultural Ties Between Urhobo and Ijaw

On the 27th day in October 2023, a delegation of Urhobo Traditional Rulers Forum in Delta State, led by the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, Abe I, paid an historic visit to the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom, and were received in audience at the Oporoza royal palace by the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

Among members of the delegation include: the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Monday Whiskey, Udurhie I; the Ovie of Arhawarien Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Solomon Okukeren III, and the Ovie of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Richard Oghenevwogaga Ebelle, Okorefe I.

The historic visit, according to the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, is for cultural collaboration between the Urhobo and the Ijaw ethnic nationalities as a way of promoting the tourism potentialities of the state and that the visit was “the beginning of better days ahead". He also stressed on the importance of peace, noting that investors will always be attracted to communities that were hospitable, citing the example of Amsterdam which was literally built on top of water.

Also speaking during the historic visit, the Udurhie 1 who was elated that the visit was happening during his lifetime noted that it would help to “also strengthened the ancestral roots between the Ijaws and the Urhobos, who would always remain one”, just as the Gbaramatu Kingdom spokesman, High Chief Gbenekama (JP), described the visit as a home coming of brothers, who were once part of the Gbaran dynasty. Both parties appealed that the cordial relationship between Ijaws and the Urhobos, particularly the Uvwie Kingdom, should not be broken.

◼️ Ooni of Ife's historic visit for synergy

On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ọjájá II) CFR, accompanied by an entourage of other dignitaries, paid an historic visit to Gbaramatu Kingdom and were received by the Pere of Gbaramatu, in company of other traditional Ijaw rulers such as the Pere of Tubutoru Kingdom in Ondo State, HRM Pere Gbebokedi Ajirioba, Oguruyeke, Okirimini 1; and the Pere of Furupagha Kingdom in Edo State, HRM Pere Roman Bohan, the Atunkpokubu.

The Ooni of Ife, who is the traditional ruler and monarch of the Yoruba kingdom of Ile-Ife and who ascended the throne of his forebears in 2015 as the 50th Ooni, disclosed that the visit is aimed at deepening the existing relationship between the Ijaw and the Yoruba ethnic nationalities, just as he commended the Gbaramatu people for securing national assets as well as accommodating Yorubas doing business in the area.

“We have a component of Ijaw people in Ife, Ondo, Lagos and some parts of Ogun state," said the Ooni of Ife. "Wherever you see water bodies you find the good people of Ijaw. Water is life. Am here to extend fraternal relationship between you people. We tell our government that there is nothing as good as local emancipation. We saw the great things Gbaramatu people have done,“ the Ooni stated.

The Pere of Gbaramatu while responding to the Ooni revealed that the Ijaws have continued to pay the price for the prosperity of Nigeria and others but that their sacrifices have not be recognised by the government as the area that feeds the nation continues to wallow in poverty and neglect. However, His Majesty reassured the Ooni of Ife that the Gbaramatu people and the traditional institutions would continue to promote peace in the country, but lamented the politicization of issues by some politicians who undermined the value of the traditional institutions and the roles they play in contributing to national development.

Corroborating the Pere of Gbaramatu, one of his subjects, Chief Sheriff Mulade also harped on the challenges of underdevelopment in Ijaw areas, urging the federal government to give special attention to its development and other riverine communities in the Niger Delta.

◼️ Expectations in 2024

Gbaramatu Kingdom, despite its status as host to oil exploration activities, has continued to suffer dearth of infrastructures such as lack of transport (roads and bridges connecting it with other neighboring settlements), poor telecommunication facilities (posing constraints in communication and limiting it from benefitting from the Internet), lack of constant power (as its communities rely on diesel powered generating plants to supply electricity in their homes for few hours), lack of potable water, health facilities, among a myriad of other challenges. In the height of its clamour for recognition by the govenment, the kingdom was once air bombarded by security agencies leading to loss of lives and properties, butcwhich till this date has not been compensated despite it seeking a landmark court judgement in its favour.

Therefore, it is expected that the NDDC would swing into action by fashioning out a blueprint plan of development for the neglected riverine kingdom and others in the Niger Delta region. Also, the Ooni of Ife's visit that was facilitated by the presidency is expected to enable the federal government to look at areas it could beam its focus on inorder to turn around the tide of underdevelopment that has for years raged against the kingdom. On that note the kingdom is expected to witness a new lease of life in the areas of housing, seashore protection (against shoreline erosion), funding for the maritime university at Okerenkoko, facilitation of gas turbine (for constant power supply to its communities), job creation opprtunities among others.

It is also expected that the visit of the Urhobo monarchs will further help boost the positive relationship between the two ethnic groups, especially putting to rest issues of eviction by the former to Ijaw settlers in their territories whenever dispute arises. The Ijaws are known for their positive contributions to the development of the Urhobo territories by their investments. The same cannot be said of the Urhobos, and this is a challenge to them. However, it must be stated that the backbone of Delta State are the riverine areas where crude oil have been deposited and have become a source of wealth to the state in general.

It is hoped that the year 2024 will be a turning point and the beginning of a new future for the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom and other oil producing riverine communities in the Niger Delta. The Goose that lays the golden egg should never be neglected but should be a partaker of its wealth, which unfortunately has become a manufactured human curse—not from God or from the gods!

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