Why Warri Could Be the Lagos of Delta: A Case for Itsekiri Autonomy

I believe the Itsekiri can support carving out a Warri state on Ale Iwere while keeping all land under the Olu of Warri in council. They will not accept ceding territory or seeking Ijaw permission to use the sea, as their ancestors never did. Historically, Itsekiri was the lingua franca before pidgin English took over. Even Ijaw settlers without Itsekiri-speaking ancestors likely arrived later. Similar shifts occurred in Urhobo land and in Benin, both becoming cosmopolitan hubs. Every group should have autonomy on its ancestral land and secure those territories. Imposing a new status quo based on recent demographic changes undermines centuries of traditional sovereignty. If the Ijaw could not gain recognition in the twentieth century, why should recognized groups now relinquish their claims? True ownership resists outside alteration.

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