The Itsekiri Economic Summit which recently held in Warri, Delta state is designed to be a platform whereby foremost sons and daughters of Itsekiri land can come and proffer solutions for socioeconomic prosperity of the region.
The event is organized by the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) and the Igba of Warri, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor.
The recent edition saw two illustrious sons of the state, Bismark Rewane and Prof. Pat Utomi, unable to attend due to security reports. According to the organizers of the event, Prince Yemi Emiko and Chief Ayiri Emami masterminded scare tactics which caused double change of venue and deterred Bismarck and Utomi from coming to the event.
Chief Lori-Ogbebor, Itsekiri rights defender, had told participant at the summit that, “It is heartbreaking that interests close to the palace were at the centre of trying to thwart a well thought gathering by the younger generation, taking the initiative from the failures of our elders, to address the common problem of the drift into the culture of few Itsekiris stealing the people’s commonwealth.
“Incidentally, some of these same forces who had impoverished Iwereland in the midst of plenty are the ones who have tried to drag His Majesty into the mud over the bad politics of the Itsekiri Regional Development Council, IRDC, where billions of naira had disappeared and we are in court to recover all as they have failed to stop our right to sue them for every penny stolen.
“The Inspector General of Police had frozen N2.1 billion in the IRDC accounts. Now, we want to brainstorm on collective blueprint to use these funds and other Iwere resources to develop the land and Utomi and Bismarck told me they were called that their safety could not be guaranteed if they come.
“They threatened the management of the two different venues not to allow us hold the event. But it has held.”