By Reggie Akpata
One thing you'll realize in this world is that some people are completely insatiable.
One thing you'll realize in this world is that some people are completely insatiable.
As a people Ijaws have a state; this state is called Bayelsa, heaven knows the Edo people that formed the town today called Nembe - in current day Bayelsa State - aren't asking for it back this despite our cultural links being so strong that on coronation day we always expect a delegation from Nembe.
In the shrinking of the empire that was Ogborua and Ewuare all we have left is the area towards the West Bank of the Benin River, of this there is no doubt.
Historical documents and maps severally detail a river town called "New Benin"; severally it is described as being ~4 miles from the mouth of the Benin River on the West Bank, of this there is no doubt. (See attached maps and book references from then eye witnesses).
New Benin gained a name beyond its size because Ovoramwen permitted British merchants to operate 4 oil palm processing mills there.
Rather than see with the 10 million global Edos that this is Edo land, the ever mischievous Federal Government of Nigeria instead commissioned a boundary adjustment commission, and for reasons associated with "treasure" calmly assigned our homeland including the ancient port city of New Benin to Delta State.
To compound this mistake, the FGN's have elected to entertain the burgeoning Ijaw Nation eager to assign itself yet another state beyond Bayelsa which enjoys hundreds of miles of coastland; it is our land they hope to make Toru Ibe state.
What have we done to them we must ask, to earn this persistent hollow reward.
See attached maps and excerpts from books.
(Satellite map, image #7 is New Benin today)
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