Warri: A Distressed And Dying City

 By Michael Owhoko

Who will restore Warri back to its glorious days? A city that was once the pride of all Wafarians is now a shadow of itself, rusty and reeking with aroma of poverty occa­sioned by systemic decline with peo­ple cocooned in deprivation and squa­lor. Warri is allusively known as Wafi, making the people and residents of the city identified as Wafarians. 

I was close to tears during my re­cent visit where I toured the length and breadth of Warri, covering Deco Road, Okumagba Avenue, Okere Road, McCiver, Odion Road, Market Road, Cemetery Road, Iyara, McDer­mott Road, Warri-Sapele Road, Upper and Lower Erejuwa, Ajamogha, Esi­si, and Warri Port. I stayed for over two months, the longest since my relocation to Lagos in 1984.

All I saw was a distressed and a dying city with shattered dreams, shrinking hopes, and diminished opportunities induced by capital flight and economic disorders. It is a metaphor for youth unemployment, dwindling aspirations, and social chaos, where people just labour un­der profound deficit constrained by rationed resources, owing to lack of fresh capital from investors.

Indeed, Warri is choking from se­vere economic dehydration, with all available spaces in front of buildings converted into small shops where peo­ple engaged in petty trading and POS businesses, making the whole streets look like mini-markets. This is fur­ther worsened by the large number of keke tricycles almost outstripping the populace with attendant heavy noise emission. Even the dead have no peace in Warri as the entrance to the only cemetery in the town has been overtaken by petty traders, and keke tricycles mechanics, leaving a small gate for entry.

How did such a once vibrant cos­mopolitan city that attracted global presence, including investors, and played host to several notable nation­al and international events, degener­ated into a rural enclave with dilapi­dated structures? What went wrong, and who created the mess which has betrayed the values and ideals that once held Wafarians together in unity and love?

While it is easy to link Warri’s stunted growth to the unending ethnic rivalry among the Itsekiris, Urhobos and Ijaws, for posterity, it is also important to specifically identi­fy those, whose actions, directly or indirectly, have contributed to the city’s appalling condition, which has brought shame and embarrassment to the collective psyche of Wafarians.

First, the opposition of Warri as capital of Delta State at the creation by Itsekiri leaders, led by His Royal Majesty, the Olu of Warri, Atuwatse II, has done more harm to the gen­eral good of Warri, and set the city backward. The deficit outcome has made the motive designed to protect the Itsekiri’s ethnic interests pale into insignificance. What is the gain of this stand within the context of de­velopment, other than fear of Urhobo domination, and the need to thwart it? This was an obvious delusion, and no amount of rationalization can jus­tify the mess that has eclipsed Warri. It was a miscalculation. Sacrificing the city’s progress on the altar of narrow ethnic interest was a tragedy.

Unfortunately, former military President, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), further complicated the matter when he failed to demonstrate objective governance, taking advantage of the Itsekiri’s disapproval of Warri as cap­ital to illogically site the capital of Del­ta State in Asaba, hometown of his wife. It was the height of absurdity in decision-making, and a study in bad leadership. Had the ethnic trust deficit in Warri been bridged and the ethnic groups united to demand Warri as capital, the city would have been better transformed with infrastruc­tural advantage typical of a modern capital city, attracting foreign inves­tors, to the benefit of all.

Second, the unending contention over ownership of Warri township among Urhobos, Itsekiris and Ijaws, over the years, has continued to pro­mote ethnic animosity and discord, contributing immensely to the back­wardness of the city. Those who started this tussle have since passed on, without adding any value to their respective ethnic groups. Sadly, this bitter ethnic rivalry is being passed on to succeeding generations, who have foolishly continued in this tra­jectory to spread hate rather than live in harmony as neighbours, to achieve enduring peace and development in Warri.

It should be noted that these own­ership claims are exercise in futility, as neither of these ethnic groups can practically dislodge one another to take physical possession of any habitation. For example, just as it is practically impossible for the Urho­bos to evict the Itsekiris from Okere, it is also unrealistic for the Itsekiris to dispossess the Ijaws of Ogbe-Ijaw land.

And so, brandishing colonial and post-colonial court judgements and papers as proof of ownership is insig­nificant and waste of energies. The three ethnic groups must bury their pride and ego and live together peace­fully as Wafarians, bound by common cultural affinity, so that Warri can ex­perience peace and progress again.

Third, ethnic leaders that directly or indirectly encourage and incite their youth to resort to violence, and sometimes, carry arms to threaten, destroy or kill their neighbours over land, have nothing to gain other than misery and poverty. Ironically, it is the innocent children of the poor that are used for such senseless conflict, while the children of the rich enjoy comfort in safe haven in faraway La­gos, Abuja, London, USA or Canada.

Besides, the parents of most of these gullible youths being used to perpetuate these crimes have no an­cestral root and properties in Warri township. Destruction and mayhem only leave in their trail economic decline, unemployment, anguish, suffering, hardship and poverty, as investors will flee with their capital from a hostile environment, as shown with the exit of numerous companies in the city.

Lessons ought to have been learnt from the Ijaw-Itsekiri conflict which lasted from 1997 to 1999 over siting of Warri South West Local Government Area Headquarters. At the end of that war, both parties counted only losses, no benefit, no value addition, and no reward. Regrettably, compa­nies that were hitherto sources of sustained fresh capital in Warri re­located to other cities, bringing lack and despair to Warri and its environs. There must not be a repeat of such a senseless ethnic war, as Warri may never survive a second experience.

The effect of the Ijaw-Itsekiri fight led to exit of companies like Pan Ocean, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Shell Petroleum Development Com­pany, (SPDC), ELF, Conoco-Phillips, Agip, WEAFRI, NISSCO, Globestar, McDermott, DBN, WESCO, Hercules Offshore Nigeria, Nigeria Dredging & Marine, LAMNALCO, and Dunlop. Others include Saipem, Seismograph Services Limited, Snamprogetti, Dowell, Anadrill, Baroid, Santafe, Oceaneering, Kingsway, Leventis, West Minster Dredging, John Holt, SCOA, Glorylux, United Afrian Com­pay (UAC), Mandillas, Nestoil togeth­er with maritime and shipping firms located inside the Nigerian Ports Au­thority, Warri.

The companies not only left with their investments; they also left be­hind high unemployment rate of approximately 80 percent in Warri. Except for Chevron Nigeria Lim­ited, and perhaps, recently, Tantita Security Services Limited, through which fresh funds are being injected into the economy of Warri, the con­dition of the town would have been catastrophic.

Fourth, those that engage in col­lection of “deve” (development) fee as precondition for commencement of project, and also, who forcefully de­mand employment and contract slots from companies, have also contribut­ed to the poor condition of Warri. By their actions, companies, including small business enterprises and indi­viduals, are frustrated and discour­aged from establishing businesses in the city, thereby compounding the unemployment burden.

Fifth, the non-operational Warri Port has also added to the econom­ic hardship in Warri. Ocean-going vessels that used to berth, servicing business interests in neighbouring Effurun, Udu, Benin, Onitsha, Asaba, and the environs, are no more. This is further worsened by the collapse of adjoining companies like the Delta Steel Company, Owvian-Aladja and Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, Ekpan, which has taken a huge toll on Warri life.

It is therefore imperative for the ethnic groups to redirect their ener­gies to promote peace and unity in order to restore investors’ confidence. The Ijaws, Urhobos and Itsekiris’ leaders can also leverage their com­mon cultural ties, as expressed in food, clothes, trade, history, and fes­tivals to boost Warri’s economy. 

*Dr. Owhoko, is a commentator on public issues