Chief Sam Essi Idesoh was born in 1860, the name of his father is Idesoh son of erhikpo son of Gborodje of Agbarha-ame Kingdom and his mother Madam Amutse from Igbudu she is allegedly also related to ekregwhero quarters in Otokutun Ughiewhen Kingdom (not confirmed) in Ughelli south local government.
As a young man the agile Chief Essi Idesoh travelled far and wide in search of greener pastures. These adventures took him to Gold Coast ( Now Ghana) during the Gold rush making him among the first Urhobos who left the shores of the country and returned, he also sojourned in Forcados, coastal ijaw land trading with the Europeans before finally returning to his home town igbudu community Agbarha-ame Kingdom.
Chief Sam Essi Idesoh was a great defender of the Agbarha-ame people. As the OLOTU (a position similar to field marshal in our traditional Urhobo military organization) he was the head of the IGBU (traditional Urhobo warriors) in Agbarha-ame Kingdom. In pre colonial times the Agbarha-ame people operates a militocracy style/type of government where the Olotu was the overall leader and protector of the people hence the position of the OLOTU is highly reverred.
The light skin Chief Sam Essi Idesoh as Olotu played a very vital role during the celebration of the Bi-annual IDJU- OVWURIE FESTIVAL of the Agbarha-ame people (popularly called Agbassa festival).
As can be seen when the idju-ovwurie festival is celebrated the OLOTU in his traditional Urhobo military regalia is a fearful sight to behold and Chief Essi reign as Olotu was unique, it is said that chief usually wield a particular short, double edged sword with which he did exploit with.
Chief Sam W. Essi Idesoh in his life time vigorously defended his Agbarha-ame people against expansionist (Dore Numa) who with the help of fraudulent British colonialist relentlessly try to encroach into Agbarha-ame land using principles that are alien to traditional african society.
Owing to the OMETAN VS DORE NUMA technical judgement of 1925 where the British colonialist fr@udulently gave overlordship of Agbassa (otovwodo) land to the Olu of itsekiri but the indigenous Agbassa (otovwodo) people remain the land owner, the expansionist was emboldened to encroach into Agbarha-ame land but were effectively resisted by Chief Sam Essi Idesoh.
A notable case is the present hausa quarter. In 1940 one Mallam Gambo approach the British district officer MR. L.L CANTLE with the intention of leasing land to build a quarter for his hausa kinsmen, and he prefers land in Igbudu community. The district officer arrange with him to get lease from the Olu of itsekiri (who as at that time resides in the creek town of Ode-itsekiri) owing to the fraudulent OMETAN vs DORE NUMA case which was litigated to the Privy court in London.
After getting the lease from the Olu of itsekiri the hausas decided to clear the bush to build their quarter but was stopped by the igbudu people led by Chief Sam Essi who told the hausas point blank that the Olu of itsekiri has no overlordship right over their land, this action drew the ire of the district officer MR. L.L CANTLE who summoned Chief Essi to explain his resistance despite the Privy court judgement from London.
Chief Sam Essi carefully explained to the district officer that igbudu town can not be part of the Privy court judgement, that before the crowning of the Olu of itsekiri in 1936 there was crisis over the ownership of igbudu land between his mother (madam Amutse) and an itsekiri trespasser and the matter went up to the Native court set up by the British though all the judges who presided over the matter were itsekiris yet they gave judgement in favor of his mother as the rightful owner of the land and Chief Essi handed the judgement to the district officer Mr.L.L CANTLE who was stunned and noticed that the fraudulent Privy court in London never takes into consideration the reality on ground in Agbassa and Igbudu, he has no choice but to advise Mallam Gambo to make a fresh lease with Chief Sam Essi as the original owner of the land which Mallam Gambo did.
Chief Sam Essi Idesoh in his life time consistently resisted the overlordship status of the itsekiri monarch over Agbassa (otovwodo) and Igbudu land, he instituted several court cases to that effect, few years after his death in 1975 the land use act of 1979 finally abolishes the fraudulent overlordship of land as such power was thus vested on the state governor and the May 28,1986 gazette of Bendel state of Nigeria effectively buried the fictitious overlordship and effectively put to rest the fictitious/ fraudulent OMETAN VS DORE NUMA CASE.
After several commission of inquiries was instituted to examine the cause of the frequent imbriglio in Warri south, in 1997 the Delta State governnent recognized Agbarha-ame Kingdom as an autonomous Urhobo Kingdom and the king (THE OVIE OF AGBARHA-AME) co-equal in status to any king in Delta state.
Chief Sam Warri Essi Idesoh was indeed a great hero and his name is immortalized in Wado City as the famous ESSI COLLEGE and the vast ESSI LAYOUT were named after him. He died at a ripe age of 115 years.
It is on the foundation laid by this GREAT WADO CITY HERO we are advocating for Wado City so as to permanently cement the effort of this great man.
He was born in Igbudu, he lived a meritorious life and was buried in Igbudu community Agbarha-ame Kingdom Wado City.
We will perfect your selfless labor with Wado City.
Source : Wado City connect page
