By Daniel Gumm

WARRI—OUTGOING Financial Secretary of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, Mr. Roland Yomere, has appealed to Mr. Austin Oniyesan to ignore the advice of those urging him to flout the orders of the Olu of Warri regarding the leadership of IRDC, saying they are only trying to destroy the good image he built over the years.

Yomere, an Omadino Community leader, who gave the advice in Warri during an interview recently, declared that the people of Omadino are in support of Mr. Oti Edukugho, “who transparently emerged via ballot as the possible next Chairman of the incoming IRDC executive, based on the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli’s decision.”

While claiming that the Warri monarch promised to back Omadino community in Warri South Local Government Area to produce the next IRDC Chairman, Yomere admonished Chevron, banks, the Itsekiri nation and other stakeholders of IRDC to ignore purported moves by the controversially sworn-in Oniyesan-led IRDC executive to do any financial transaction with them in the name of IRDC,  warning that whoever deals with the Oniyesan leadership which doesn’t have the Olu of Warri’s consent, does so at his or her own risk.

On speculation making the rounds that some Omadino indigenes are planning to head to court based on the Olu of Warri’s order, Yomere declared, “Omadino indigenes migrated from Ijebu-Ode centuries ago and were adopted and integrated by the then Olu of Warri, Ijijen. Based on that relationship, Omadino people relinquished their land to the lordship of the Olu of Warri.”