INTERNAL CRISIS AMONG THE VARIOUS CLANS IN IHIMA

The objective of the stakeholders’ gathering was to:

1. Establish the immediate and remote causes of the crisis in Ihima
2. Determine the point at which it all started
3. Provide a transparent platform for all clans to openly table their grievances
4. Obtain suggestions for consideration towards arriving at resolutions satisfactory enough to restore a lasting peace and development to Ihima community

PREAMBLE
Ihima Elites Initiative (IEI) is an organisation formed by notable elites of Ihima for the primary purpose of ensuring the Development, sustainable Peace and Social Wellbeing of all Ihima Sons and Daughters and the entire community.

Having observed overtime the persistent crisis and misunderstanding amongst the people of Ihima community as orchestrated by claims of controversial nomenclatures, clannish title supremacy, as well as political alignments and collusions which keeps worsening the negative impacts on the development of our dear community and by extension, pointing towards doom on the fate of the upcoming generations, IEI after an extensive consultation decided to step in and summon a meeting among the entire clans that constitute Ihima Community to brainstorm through various contributions for the purpose of agreeing on a mutual understanding required for a permanent solution to the current persistent crisis that have, over the years, plagued mutual Trust/Confidence and hence, disunity amongst the Sons and Daughters of Ihima.

OUR APPROACH
While the Leaders of Anigwerre and Akuta were invited to the consultative forum, the Ohi of Ihima and all the Traditional heads of the Six(6) major clans in Ihima (Emani, Ure, Ohueta, Odumi, Ohionwa, Idu-Oha) were consulted and physically visited individually in their palaces to solicit for their support and blessings towards the vision and intentions of IEI and the need to kick start the process of reconciliation for the peace of the land.

The Traditional heads did not only gave their blessings, but also went ahead to facilitate the assembly of three representatives each from the six clans to kick start with us, the round table discussion for the long-awaited enduring peace.

The principal officers of each clan council so endorsed to commence the joint meeting/deliberations with IEI Executives includes…

~The Clan council Chairmen
~The Clan council Secretaries
~The Youth Leaders
~Representative of Akuta clan
~Representative of Ngwerre clan

ATTENDANCE
All the clan council officials that attended were as follows:

EMANI
1. CHAIRMAN Jimoh Lawal
2. SECRETARY Jacob O Anuma
3. YOUTH LEADER Abdulrahman Aliu

URE
4. CHAIRMAN Adaviriku Ipemida Mumuni
5. SECRETARY Pastor S O Odeyiani
6. YOUTH LEADER Hon Yakubu Suberu

OHUETA
7. CHAIRMAN Anako Abdul
8. SECRETARY Saka Sule
9. YOUTH LEADER Abdulmalik H Aduvi

ODUMI
10. TREASURER Alh Siyaka Lawal
11. SECRETARY Bello Sheidu
12. YOUTH LEADER Hassan Jimoh

OHIONWA
13. CHAIRMAN Aliyu Ohida
14. SECRETARY Obojo Julius Anda
15. YOUTH LEADER Suleiman O Yunusa

OHA
16. CHAIRMAN Aminu O Rufai
*** SECRETARY ABSENT
17. YOUTH LEADER Gbenga Mathew

*** AKUTA LEADER ABSENT

18. NGWERRE LEADER Ojapah Stephen Ajayi

DELIBERATIONS/SUBMISSIONS:
The followings are the highlights of the deliberations and submissions by the representatives of the various clans present:

From the interactive session among the delegates, it was unanimously admitted that:

~The crisis in Ihima is real

~There’s a need to establish the immediate and remote causes of the crisis and at what point it all started

~Ihima Sons and Daughters have lately, kept relocating and resettling where they could find peace outside Ihima

~The brewing hostility in Ihima has continued to drain her population to Eika, thus boosting their political advantage against Ihima

~IWA needs to step up her activities to serve the interest of all the Sons and Daughters of Ihima

~Enough is enough; The time for Peace and Unity in Ihima is now

From the structure, antecedent and body language of Ihima Elites Initiative (IEI), it was admitted that:

~IEI is genuinely out for a peace mission
~The intention of IEI is clear
~IEI is Non political, Non Religious and Non clannish
~Her neutrality is not in doubt

~There is a need for urgent revival of our educational system, ..especially ICSS.

~Youth idleness in Ihima has continued to worsen

~The bad boys and all the External influence backing them must be exposed for necessary discipline.

VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS
The following Recommendations were made:

~Every IEI executive member to continuously work on his own clan head all through this reconciliation exercise

~Immediate stoppage to the mindset; “Ihima 5 vs 1”

~Each person to see self as a Peace Ambassador

`~Council leaders across all the entire Clans to form a WhatsApp group for exchange of ideas with some IEI EXCO as members. The Two WhatsApp groups to be formed are:

1. All Clan Chairmen/Secretaries
2. All Clan Youth leaders

~Issues of discipline and responsibility failure on the parts of parents was identified for more attention

~Urgent reform of masquerade operation in Ihima was suggested by the delegates while possible outright stoppage was also considered

~Feeding each other’s ears with history and sharing various version of Ihima stories by individuals on social media must stop

~There’s need for establishment of Library/ICT centre/Bank in Ihima.

~Conscious step to minimize unemployment through encouragement in establishment of factories or cottage industries for youth employment in Ihima must be considered

~Need for NDLEA to step in and curb drug abuse among youths

~IEI to partner with Okehi LG chairman in seeing to the revival of the Peace and Security committee in Ihima

AGREEMENT REACHED
The following agreement was reached:

1. Every clan representative present did not only pledge that they will be willing to forgive, but they also went ahead to plead for forgiveness from every other clan as the need might arise

2. We musn’t bequeath the current mess to the next generation

3. We are all children of one family -Ihima, and as siblings, No one has the moral right to see the other as a stranger; We are all Anihima.

4. The need to address the issue of titleship and nomenclature is a key deliverable

5. Every traditional head must be responsible for peace within his area

6. The old glory of Ihima must be restored, and the time is now

7. We must stop allowing outsiders to penetrate us for their own selfish motive

8. Delegates agreed to establish a central Ihima Unity leaders forum

9. All clans and traditional heads must unite; No more usage of numbers to describe clans in Ihima such as “Ihima 5 vs 1”

10. Rewarding of Laziness/begging in our youth must stop

11. Masquerade in Ihima must be reformed and transformed into a culture that will attract visitors within and outside Ihima environs and not necessarily banned

12. All clan representatives resolved to go back and brief their respective councils exactly as deliberated here without any form of falsehood,

13. All clan representatives also resolved that It shall be their primary responsibility to ensure that their council gives IEI the needed support required for success in the Mediation/Peace project

14. The possibility of engaging political leaders at all levels for the support of the peace initiative being championed by IEI shall be explored

15. Each clan shall..
a). Document all their grievances against others
b). State their recomentions/prayers under each item
c). Submit their position to IEI secretariat on or before the last day of July, 2025

Details about the next meeting shall be communicated by IEI to all clans in due course.

IEI OFFICIALS AT THE STAKEHOLDERS FORUM

EXCO
1. Engr Abdulkareem Jatto
Ag President/Forum Chairman

2. Mr Sunny Ozi-Akande
Secretary General

3. Pharm Aliyu Ibrahim
Director of Finance/Forum Coordinator

4. Alh Yahaya Aliyu
Public Relations Officer

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
5. Alh. Mohammed Bello
  Chairman BOT