Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

The need for Ijaw intellects to put her stories in the right perspective in the media took the centre stage recently at the inauguration of a body known as Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), in Warri, Delta State.

The IPF is a body made up of Ijaw media entrepreneurs who aimed at narrating the Ijaw stories from the right perspective to the world in the media.

The colourful inauguration ceremony attended by ‘who-is-who’ in the Ijaw nation, had in attendance the immediate past deputy governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro; His Royal Majesty, Pere Stanley Luke-Kalanama VIII, Pere of Akugbene-Mien kingdom; APC deputy governorship candidate in the last election in Bayelsa State, Chief Joshua Maciver; High Chief Kestin Pondi who chaired the occasion.

Others are: Chief Favour Izuokumor; Executive Director of Social Services, Delta Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC); Hon. Spencer Okpoye, Commissioner representing Ijaw ethnic nationality, DESOPADEC, ; Hon. keyness Oromoni, Senior Special Assistant to Delta State governor on Oil & Gas; Chief Sheriff Mulade, CEO, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, among others.

The Paddle of Niger Delta and Ijaw highlife super star, Barrister Smooth was also on ground to thrill guests as attendees particularly elated newly inaugurated members of executive of the IPF danced to his melodious Ijaw tones.

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The newly inaugurated executives are: Comrade Austin Ozobo, President; Comrade Oyinbi Onduku, Vice President; Comrade Tare Magbei, Secretary; Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, Public Relations Officer; Comrade Friday Mingo, Treasurer; Comrade Mike Ugedi, Financial Secretary; Mr. Francis Abai, Senior Policy Analyst/Chief Researcher, and Prince Bibaikefie Peretengboro, Assistant Public Relations Officer.

In his opening speech, Chairman of the occasion and Managing Director, Tantita Security Network, Engr. Kestin Pondi, said it’s high time Ijaw told her stories to the world herself, insisting that no man can best tell a man’s story better than the man himself.

L-R: The newly inaugurated executives are: Comrade Austin Ozobo, President; Comrade Oyinbi Onduku, Vice President; Comrade Tare Magbei, Secretary; Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, Public Relations Officer; Comrade Friday Mingo, Treasurer; Comrade Mike Ugedi, Financial Secretary; Mr. Francis Abai, Senior Policy Analyst/Chief Researcher, and Prince Bibaikefie Peretengboro, Assistant Public Relations Officer, during the inauguration in Warri.

High Chief Pondi, represented by Chief Joshua Maciver, Bayelsa State Coordinator, Tantita Security Network, urged Ijaw elites particular members of the IPF to put right all the misconceptions and wrong narratives about Ijaw people in the media.

The Chairman of the occasion who said a body like IPF was long over due because of the critical role it will play in the days to come, urged members of the body to embark on research about the Ijaw people and make sure the wrong narratives are corrected.

He said: “One problem we have as a people, and of which other ethnic groups have gone far ahead of us, is research. I mean we seem not to have researchers in the Ijaw ethnic nationality, and if we have, then thet must be very few.

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“I want to therefore appeal to the forum to encourage and promote education among the Ijaw ethnic nationality, and also go into research about Ijaw, without research we cannot go far.
With research you will know the truth about the Ijaw nation.

He urged the forum to also promote and preserve the Ijaw cultural heritage through their media work.

“People have wrong perceptions about our tradition, so, please encourage it and take it seriously,” he advised.

In his goodwill message, immediate past deputy governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, while appreciating those who initiated the idea of bringing Ijaw media practitioners under one umbrella, pledged his support to the body.

According to him, a body like the IPF is needed to put the Ijaw stories in the right narratives in the media.

Earlier, in his inaugural speech, the newly sworn president of the body, Comrade Austin Ozobo, said the IPF aimed at promoting ethical standards and professionalism among Ijaw publishers, writers and others.

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He added that the Ijaw nation is in need of a strong indigenous media presence to articulate its common challenges, hence the setting up of the IPF.

Ozobo expressed the belief that stories of the Ijaw man will be better narrated by Ijaw sons and daughters , considering “how our common enemies manipulated the foreign media against the Ijaw people, leading to the continuous bombardment of Ijaw communities, killing of innocent people.”

“You will agree with me that the Ijaw nation is in need of indigenous media presence to articulate its common challenges revolving around balkanization, deprivation, marginalisation and internal slavery suffered by her people in the Niger Delta.

“Not only that,the media being the Fourth Estate of Realm needs a strong and balanced Ijaw-based media that will aid the development of Ijaw nation, reshaping Niger Delta’s intellectual Struggling for our people and will stand as a check and balance for the activities of the government and other stakeholders in the region and the country at large.”

He, therefore, “appealed to Ijaw leaders, private businessmen and political office holders to support and assist these Ijaw media volunteers and comrades to build a strong mainstream media and stay in the business “