A chieftain and chairman of the professional body of Izon-Ibe Welders and Fitters Association, Delta State chapter, Chief George Timiyan, has warned the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, to stop interfering in the affairs of the Ijaws and other ethnic groups in the Warri Federal Constituency over the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s, recent delineation exercise, describing the Yoruba group's action as an intrusion on issues outside its jurisdiction, a display of ignorance, and an invitation to anarchy.

Chief Timiyan's remark is coming in response to the OPC claims that the fresh wards delineation exercise as conducted by INEC across Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North local government areas making up the federal constituency was "flawed and biased".

Chief Timiyan, who is the custodian of the Miyenkeremowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Ibe-Disemowei of Ogulagha Kingdom traditional titles, further stated that the OPC, which is a Yoruba-based group in the south-west, is clearly violating the rights of the aborigines in the affected areas in the Niger Delta region by its inaccurate knowledge of the issues.

The Izon-Ibe Delta chapter chairman said the OPC intrusion is annoying and warned that its misleading comments could lead to anarchy in the area as the Yoruba group cannot claim to know more than the INEC that was on ground to conduct the exercise and released its report based on its findings.

"It is so annoying, and of course, we will not allow for some people or group of people from other State or states to intrude into another State's issues. We see no reason for it. If every State wants to partake in other State's issue, the President cannot sit on his seat to control the country because such act will breed confusion and anarchy.

"So, we will not allow it, especially this so-called OPC from Lagos State or from the Yoruba states, to interfere in Delta State issue. And if they continue to do that, we will have issue with Yoruba people in our lands," he warned.

Chief Timiyan also faulted the strategy of the Itsekiri ethnic group that often make use of the court as a tool to annex other ethnic group's territories, an act he alleged was successful in the past because of the ignorance of the people, particularly the Ijaws.

"I want to let the Itsekiri people know that you cannot get community through courts. You are a central community. You were born in that community; your forefathers were born in that community. There is no way community could be gotten by a court.

"If you bought a land, a section of a land, you can get that land from court, maybe through disputes. But a vast land of community cannot be gotten by Supreme Court. So all those claims of Ijaws changing the names of their supposedly-owned communities do not hold any water.

"All these were intimidation in the past because they knew that these people did not have the awareness. You cannot put your brother as a lawyer, your brother as the other person's lawyer, stand somebody there in your name and bring somebody to bear Ijaw name, then you go to court; from customary courts to high court, from magistrate court to high court, from high court to Supreme court and you judge a case," he claimed.

The double chief therefore called on Yoruba leaders in the south-west to call to order the OPC to desist forthwith with their attempt to sway the public with sentimental reasoning, stressing that Ijaws are not Yorubas, but a distinct ethnic group.

"If you don't know history, you find out. If you want to know, you go and look at the place. You can't just come and talk the way you like because you have social media news group to dispense whatever you like without verification. According to the Bible, you cannot hear from one person's mouth and conclude the case.

"So please, we are in Nigeria, we don't need crisis especially in Warri because what happened from 1999 to 2003, we are still trying to come out from it and if you are a bona fide member of this local government or these communities, you will not allow it to happen. So don't come and instigate people.

"We are warning them to stop this nonsense. I'm speaking under the platform of  the professional body, especially the welders and filters. What we want is jobs and development; we want progress not crisis," he stressed.

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