Socio-Cultural group, Okpe Union has said the exclusion of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, from the defunct Bendel State, deprived communities in Okpe of comparative development as well as bursaries and scholarships for its students.
The National Executive Council of the Okpe Union, led by Prof. Igho Natufe made the claims at a press conferenc in Warri.
Natufe told journalists that “The deprivation of an Executive Director in DESOPADEC which all ethnic nations recognized by DESOPADEC law are entitled to, as well as an exclusive commissioner, further shortchanged the Okpe nation.”
The Okpe Union expressed the beliefs that,”both the Urhobo and Okpe nations have been shortchanged by fusing the two ethnic nationalities, which it said resulted in the two sharing from same pot of government empowerment, slots, appointments, and many more, whereas smaller nationalities receive about same quantum as sharing is mostly per group.
“The recognition of Okpe would therefore be a win-win for both the Urhobo nation and the Okpe nation, Natufe said.”
The union also warned that,”To mortgage the future of a people for a miscalculated perceived political narrative is dangerous for the survival of such people.”
It urged Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to make moves to correct the error of the recent political past of grouping Okpe nation under another ethnic nationality.
The Okpe Union also debunked claims by Isaac Itebu and Robert Onome, former President General of Okpe Union and 1st Deputy President General of Urhobo Progress Union,UPU and others that Okpe is Urhobo by tribe.
The group in a statement during the press conference said,”the classification of Delta State as having five major Ethnic Nationalities which all other ethnic groups must be conscripted into, since the Chief Felix Ibru era, has been dismantled with the official recognition of the Ika and Ndokwa as distinct Ethnic nations. For example, under the DESOPADEC law, even though the Governors Ibru and Ibori policies grouped them as under Anioma, one of the erstwhile five classifications.”
While commending Governor Oborevwori for the imminent take off of the Southern Delta University Campus, Orerokpe, the Okpe Union also called on him to consider the completion of the “Proposed Sapele Polytechnic,” Deghele, Elume which so much resources of the State Government has already gone into.
