…says Urhobos have same with Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko in Delta South 

By Festus Ahon, Asaba

URHOBO APC Leaders / members in Delta South, have said that Urhobos of Warri South Local Government Area, have the same political rights accruable to the Ijaws, Isokos and Itsekiris in the Delta South Senatorial District. 

This is contained in statement signed by Mr. Benjamin Eboh and  Mr. Gabriel Okandeji on behalf of Urhobo APC Leaders / members who are Indigenes of Okere Urhobo and Agbarha Warri Kingdoms comprising six INEC Electoral Wards in  Warri South Local Government Area.

It stated this while reacting to a communique authored by Dr. Alex Ideh wherein he allegedly attempted to subvert the rights of the Urhobo Ethnic Nationality in Delta South Senatorial District by making statements that certain federal  appointments should only come to persons of the other three ethnic groups of Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko.

The duo in the statement, said: “Our attention has just been drawn to a “Communique”  authored by Dr. Alex Ideh and others purportedly on behalf of the APC in  Delta South Senatorial District following an illegal meeting of the party hosted by him. 

“In that illegal meeting, they attempted to subvert the rights of the Urhobo Ethnic Nationality in Delta South Senatorial District  by making statements that certain federal  appointments should only come to persons of the other three ethnic groups (Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri) in the Senatorial District excluding the Urhobo Ethnic Nationality in the Senatorial District. 

“They went further to list one Mrs Mary Obrutche as supporting / signing their warped “communique” on behalf of the Urhobo Ethinic Nationality in Delta South Senatorial District. This is  indeed criminal.

“We, indigenous Urhobos of Delta South Senatorial District occupy two legally recognized indigenous and independent kingdoms. These are the Okere Urhobo Kingdom of Warri South Local Government Area with our traditional ruler, the Oroseun of Okere Urhobo Kingdom and Agbarha Warri Kingdom of Warri South Local Government Area with our traditional ruler the Ovie of Agbarha Warri.

“In addition, our two urhobo Kingdoms in Warri have six Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delineated wards in Warri South Local Government Area out of the total 12 INEC wards in Warri South Local Government Area. We, indigenous Urhobos in the Okere Urhobo and Agbarha Warri Kingdoms with 6 INEC Wards in Warri South Local Government Area have the same political rights  accruable to the Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri indigenes in the Delta South Senatorial District. 

“In their desperation, Dr. Alex Ideh and the others with him exposed both their ignorance of the relevant laws on the appointment of persons, and of their puny selfish agenda, in their so called  “communique” laced with lies and innuendoes. To embellish his devilish agenda with a veneer of broad acceptance, Dr Ideh and his band even recruited one Mrs. Mary Obrutche to sign and endorse the so-called “communique” on behalf of the Urhobo Ethnic Nationality of Delta South Senatorial District. 

“Mrs. Mary Obrutche was not mandated by us, the Urhobos of Delta South Senatorial District, to agree to a Communique that proposes to exclude us from Federal appointments which is our right under the Nigerian Constitution. 

“Mrs. Mary Obrutche is not an Urhobo indigene of Warri South Local Government or Delta South Senatorial District. She is not from Okere Urhobo Kingdom. She is not from Agbarha Warri Kingdom. She is indeed from Uwheru in Ughelli North Local Government Area. She was never mandated by us to speak on behalf of us – the Urhobos of Delta South Senatorial District. She was never mandated by us to agree / sign a ”communique” proposing to exclude us from Federal appointments. 

“We, the Urhobo indigenes of Warri South Local Government  are entitled to equal political rights / federal appointments as all other indigenes (ijaws, isokos, itsekiris) in Delta South Senatorial District. We urge all stakeholders to ignore the provocative “Communique” from Dr. Alex Ideh and his gang. Their attempts to split our party into cliquish and clannish tendencies at a time the party seeks to build unity will not stand”.