By John Egie
The people of Kantu community in Warri South West LGA of Delta State have retraced their ancenstory to Ijaw rather than Itsekiri ethnic nation as earlier misguided to believe and accept.
Rejecting the former claim of their accenstral roots to Itsekiri, Kantu people led by Pa Edwin Atikan Atemubagha, Ama-Okosuwei ( the traditional head of the Kantu people) said the founding ancestor of the Kantu people, Oweizibiri, was a full-blooded Ijaw man from Oporoza in Gbaramatu kingdom and debunked any historical narrative that seeks to distort the claim of their cultural identity other than the retraced cultural roots to Ijaw as their progenitor, way back to the 11th century.
The refutal was contained in a statement issued by Pa Atemubagha during a press conference held yesterday at the Kantu community town hall.
Pa Atemubagha explained that intermarriages between Oweizibirri’s male descendants and Itsekiri women over generations introduced linguistic influences, but insisted that such developments do not redefine their ethnic roots.
“Language adoption due to environment is not a transformation of heritage,” declared Mr. Windfree Atemubaghan, Chairman of Kantu Community who also spoke during the briefing.
“Our bloodline, origin, and allegiance remain Ijaw.
The Kantu people condemned the activities of some individuals seeking to affiliate the community with the Itsekiri nation, saying such actions only stir unnecessary conflict and threaten the peace and unity within Gbaramatu Kingdom and their broader Ijaw nation.
They warned that any attempt to alter Kantu’s historical and cultural identity would be resisted through peaceful and lawful means.
The Kantu people restated their loyalty to His Royal Majesty, Oboro Gbaraun II, Aketekpe, Agadagba, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom and called for unity among Niger Delta ethnic nationalities declaring,“Kantu was never and will never be part of the Itsekiri ethnic nation. We are Ijaw.”
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