By Valentine Amanze
The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) Worldwide has commended the Gbaramatu King, HRM, Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom over his historic visit to other kingdoms in Ijaw nation.
Mr. Roland Pereotubo Oweilaemi, the IYC President General, stated on Thursday that the royal father’s visits to other Ijaw kingdoms had provided the Ijaw people an opportunity to reflect on the importance and influence of traditional institutions in the pre-colonial and the colonial eras, where the kings paid royalties and visited one another to strengthen the bond of love that had existed among Ijaw kingdoms.
Oweilaemi maintained that from the late 80s down to this present age, traditional institutions in Ijaw land were virtually seen as dead due largely to lack of intra and inter-clannish cohesion, “unlike in the days of our forefathers, where the kings led the battles in the colonial and the pre-colonial eras for the emancipation of the Ijaw people from economic strangulation.”
The Ijaw youth leader lamented that in this modern era, the Ijaw traditional institutions had been found wanting as the people engage in the struggle for the emancipation of the people.
His words: “With the visits of the revered Gbaramatu King to other Ijaw kingdoms across the length and breadth of the Ijaw nation, the moribund traditional institutions in Ijaw land have been reawakened to the realities of our age-long struggle for economic-cum political autonomy.
“Indeed, his visit to other Ijaw kingdoms to celebrate with them in their moments of joy has not only promoted inter-kingdom harmony among the Ijaw people.It has also set a new order for the struggle, thereby bringing our revered kings to re-occupy the integral part of the struggle as the directing minds.
“The Ijaw nation is particularly grateful to Aketekpe and all his subjects in Gbaramatu Kingdom. This is a selfless service to Ijaw nation that wealth and riches cannot buy.
“IYC therefore humbly plead with His Majesty to continue the royal visits to as many kingdoms in Ijaw nation as he can visit. Your Majesty has not only redefined our history as people of one language and one destiny, he has also proven to the world that traditional institutions in Ijaw land have distinguished themselves.
