Ogbe-Ijoh Youths have described the purported resolution allegedly passed by some members of the Legislative Arm of the Warri South Local Government Council in Delta State on Tuesday, claiming that "There are no indigenous Ijaw communities in Warri South Local Government Area" as a "preposterous and deliberate misrepresentation of concord facts" that "constitutes a flagrant abuse of office" as well as “a futile attempt to undermine the authority of the Delta State House of Assembly and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The youths who further declared that the resolution is a complete waste of time and "a theatrical performance designed to mislead the public" also lambasted the legislators involved for their inability to understand their legislative functions, reminding it that it has "absolutely no power to determine the indigenous status of any ethnic group" in the state.

The Ogbe-Ijoh youths reaction is contained in a statement signed by the President General of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Amb Victor Akemotubo, during a press briefing in Olabrakonpre Community Town Hall in the Kingdom on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Other members of the youth body that also appended their signatures are Comrade Beriyaide Moses (Chairman, Olabrakonpre Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Preye Dazi (Chairman, Loitiebiri Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Ebikeneye Tikiri (Chairman, Ogbokone), Emomotimi Azebri (Chairman, Kemekedoume Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Mr. Timi Kaskara (Chairman, Bulouama Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom), Jacob Gbokou (Chairman, Eweingbene Community, Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom).

Speaking on the official functions of legislators, the youths said, "The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) clearly sets out the functions of Local Government Councils, including matters relating to markets, motor parks, primary education, sanitation, and local infrastructure. Nowhere does the Constitution empower a Local Government Legislative Council to determine whether an ethnic nationality or tribe exists or does not exist.

"That function is reserved for the State House of Assembly and other competent authorities, all of which have repeatedly affirmed the Ijaw presence in Warri South LGA through various laws and official documents spanning decades," they clarified

Further backing up their claims, they said, "The Delta State House of Assembly has already enacted laws that recognise the Ijaw as one of the three principal ethnic nationalities in Warri South LGA, a fact that the Itsekiris and their newfound Urhobo allies from Agbarha are fruitlessly trying so hard to ignore and distort.

"Furthermore, the Traditional Rulers Law of Delta State profoundly recognises the Ogbe-Ijoh King, the Pere Amaokosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, as an autonomous monarch, who controls his land within the Warri metropolis.

"Successive laws, including the Chiefs Law of 1957 and the 1979 Bendel State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, have always excluded Ogbe-Ijoh areas from the claims of other monarchs, thereby affirming the autonomy of the Ijaw people in Warri South LGA," they revealed.

Ogbe-Ijoh youths therefore expressed their disappointment on the naivety of the legislators, noting that "the resolution passed by the local government legislators is a nullity, a complete waste of legislative time, and we are astonished that in this 21st century, these are the leaders representing Warri, a group of men and women so gullible that they cannot distinguish between a legislative function and a childish fantasy.

"It is a waste of public time and resources, and the public should disregard it entirely, just as they have disregarded the countless other frivolous claims made by the Itsekiris over the years in their endless quest to dominate others through falsehood and manipulation."

The Ogbe-Ijoh youths in their statement however applauded "the courage and integrity of the Councillors representing the Okere Wards in the Warri South Legislative Arm, who refused to be part of this shameful charade despite intense pressure from the Itsekiri-controlled establishment.

"These honourable councillors stood for the truth and refused to be part of this shameful charade, demonstrating that there are still men and women of conscience who prioritise justice over ethnic sentiment.

"Their commitment to fairness and justice is commendable, and we salute them for standing on the side of the law and historical reality, even when it was politically inconvenient and personally risky to do so," they declared.