Why No Indigenous Tribe Should Ever Be Called a Settler — And Why Edo State Traditional Council Chairmanship Must Be Rotational for Fairness, Peace, and True Development


LECTURE FOR FACEBOOK LIVE

Title: Why No Indigenous Tribe Should Ever Be Called a Settler — And Why Edo State Traditional Council Chairmanship Must Be Rotational for Fairness, Peace, and True Development

Delivered by Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi

My good people of Edo State,
My respected traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, and lovers of justice worldwide—
I greet you all.

Today, I speak from a place of truth, history, and deep respect for the sacred identity of every indigenous group in our beloved Edo State.

This lecture is titled:

“Why Nobody Indigenous Should Be Called a Settler, Why Edo State Traditional Council Chairmanship Must Be Rotational, and Why Development Must Touch Every Nook and Cranny of Edo State.”

Let us begin.

1. Why No Indigenous Tribe Should Ever Be Called a Settler

What does it mean to call a people “settlers”?
It means you deny their roots.
You erase their history.
You insult their ancestors.
You delegitimize their identity.

But let me say this clearly:

Every tribe in Edo State has a traceable history, ancestral continuity, and cultural legitimacy. Nobody originated from the sky. Nobody arrived yesterday.

The Ijaws of Edo, the Afemai, the Esan, the Ivbie North tribes, the Bini, the Owan, the Akoko Edo people—all have lived on these lands before colonial maps, before modern boundaries, and before political calculations.

To call any of them “settlers” is:

  • Historically incorrect

  • Morally unacceptable

  • Politically dangerous

  • And spiritually disrespectful

No ethnic group is superior to another.
No group is second-class.
No group is temporary.
We are all children of this soil.

Our forefathers traded together, married each other, fought for each other, and defended their lands together long before modern politics attempted to divide us.

So I say:

**Stop calling any indigenous tribe a settler.

It is an insult to Edo history.
It is an insult to Edo unity.
And it must end today.**

2. Why Edo State Traditional Council Chairmanship Must Be Rotational

Let us face the truth:
Leadership becomes questionable when only one group or one zone is allowed to hold power indefinitely.

Power concentrated becomes oppression.
But power shared becomes unity.

The traditional council belongs to all indigenous communities in Edo State, not just to one ethnic bloc.

A rotational chairmanship will:

  • Reduce unnecessary rivalry

  • Promote mutual respect

  • Strengthen inter-ethnic trust

  • Give every group a sense of belonging

  • Prevent political manipulation of tradition

  • And align our leadership structure with modern equity principles

This is NOT about dethroning anyone.
This is NOT about disrespecting the Benin Kingdom or any established institution.

This is about fairness.

This is about representation.

This is about acknowledging that Edo State is multi-ethnic, and every indigenous group deserves a seat at the table.

When leadership rotates:

  • Everybody becomes a stakeholder

  • Decisions become more transparent

  • Peace becomes natural

  • Traditional diplomacy becomes stronger

  • And Edo State becomes one big family, not a house divided

**Rotational traditional leadership is not a threat to tradition.

It is an upgrade to unity, inclusion, and fairness.**

3. Why Development Must Reach Every Nook and Cranny of Edo State

Let me say this boldly:

Any development that focuses only on city centres while neglecting riverine, rural, and hard-to-reach communities is injustice dressed in asphalt.

True development must:

  • Reach the creeks

  • Reach the farmlands

  • Reach the riverbanks

  • Reach the villages

  • Reach communities without roads

  • Reach schools without roofs

  • Reach hospitals without doctors

  • Reach youths without opportunities

Edo State cannot claim progress when:

  • Some communities are still drinking from contaminated rivers

  • Some schools still use chalkboards on cracked mud walls

  • Some roads are impassable

  • Some villages have no electricity since 1960

  • Some indigenous tribes are politically sidelined

Development is not a privilege.
It is a right.

Every Edo child—Bini, Ijaw, Esan, Afemai—deserves equal access to:

  • Roads

  • Water

  • Healthcare

  • Security

  • Schools

  • Empowerment

  • Economic opportunities

If the oil in our creeks benefits the entire nation,
If the farms feed the cities,
If our youths defend the pipelines,

Then our communities deserve development.

**A state is only as strong as its smallest community.

If one area is neglected, the entire state suffers.**

Closing Words

My people,
This is the time to heal old wounds.
This is the time to embrace our cultural diversity.
This is the time to practice fairness, not just preach unity.
This is the time for Edo State to rise as one family.

Let us reject labels that divide us.
Let us embrace leadership structures that unite us.
Let us pursue development that reaches everyone.

**No indigenous tribe is a settler.

Rotational leadership is fairness.
Development must touch every Edo community.**

When we embrace these truths, Edo State will not only be great—
Edo State will be unstoppable.

Thank you.

I am Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi,
And this is my message for peace, justice, and equity.

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