The indigenes of Ijaghala (Zou-Ala Uba) Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta say they originated from Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The leadership of the coastal community declared this on Friday at a press briefing held in the community.

The briefing was to correct the age-long misrepresentation of Ijaghala (Zou-Ala Uba) Community as an Ugborodo Community.

The statement was endorsed by seven members of the community leaders including: Chief Sam Eyengho (the Tieyemienwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom), Mr Sunday Akpafundlire, Mr Wilson Abeson (youth president), Mrs Dolor Utseoritselaju and among others

The leaders said that IIjaghala used to be a fishing and palm wine tapping camp of Gbaramatu forebears before Egbegha was born.

They added that prior to the existence of Ugborodo, it had been called Zou-Ala Uba because of the distance from the entrance to other adjoining creeks and creeklets.

They said that Ijaghala (Zou-Ala Uba) Community had an ancestral lineage with Gbaramatu kingdom and would continue to affirm and remain in the traditional institution of Gbaramatu kingdom

According to them, Oweizibiri, the father of Egbegha had earlier settled with other Ijaw indigenes in Amadino (Omadino) before he left his kinsmen to settle in Ikantu.

"After several years, Egbegha relocated from Ikantu to Oporoza from where he moved to Zou-Ala Uba and lived permanently.

"Despite the fact that so many great men of Gbaramatu Kingdom had lived in Zou-Ala Uba and engaged in their natural occupation of fishing, hunting and palm wine tapping, Egbegha's permanent stay in Zou-Ala Uba, made him known as the founder of the community.

"He died as an old man and was buried in Oporoza, the Traditional Headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

"After Egbegha had settled at his new found community, he took a wife from Ugborodo by name Erigbawewenimara and the marriage had two children namely Egogo and Asako.

"While growing up these children were more closed to their Ugborodo mother who spoke Itsekiri dialect with them. In turn, Egogo also married Itsekiri women and brought them to Ijagbala (Zou-Ala Uba).

"Egogo through his marriage gave birth to a number of children, who also spoke Itsekiri dialect. This is how the Itsekiri dialect became spoken by some of Ijaghala people and thus the community became affiliated to Itsekiri ethnic group," they said.

The community leaders urged the general Public, Local Government, Federal Government and the International Community to note that ljaghala (Zou-Ala Uba) Community was an Ijaw community from Gbaramatu Kingdom.

"ljaghala (Zou-Ala Uba) Community is an Ijaw community and is never, was never and will never be part of Itsekiri ethnic nationality.

"This press conference is in tandem with our earlier publication made by tjaghala elders about the history of Ijaghala people published (Sunday Vanguard Page 20, November 2, 2008).

"To our greatest dismay, some of the descendants of Egbegha and Egogo still engage in alienating their paternal ancestral Gbaramatu land to their maternal Ugborodo Community.

"We strongly condemn the attitudes of these persons which has been causing problems among our kiths and kin in Oporoza Community, Gbaramatu Kingdom and the larger Ijaw nation," they said.

The community, therefore, pledged its loyalty and allegiance to His Royal Majesty, Oboro Gbaram II, (JP) Aketekpe, Agadagba, The Pere of ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom.

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