By Peter Okhiria

Former Minister of Information, Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, has dismissed reports linking the Orodje of Okpe, Orhue 1, to the Leaders of Thought of Okpe Kingdom.

In a telephone chat with Vanguard yesterday, Prof. Oyovbaire said while members of the group met in Sapele, last weekend, to deliberate on issues relating to the development of the kingdom, the Okpe monarch, who is the royal father of all Okpe people, is not a member, neither is he associated with the group, Leaders of Thought, in any way.

The former Information Minister during the regime of former President Ibrahim Babangida said members of the group were some prominent natives of Okpe Kingdom with Second Republic Senator, Chief David Dafinone, as patron.

Vanguard gathered that part of the decisions reached at the closed door meeting was the setting up of a  reconciliation committee to resolve the differences among elected officials and political appointees in Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas.

The group also wants Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to be given a chance to review and complete all abandoned projects in the kingdom, particularly the Sapele market, Sapele Township Stadium and A.T&P road projects.

They also urged the governor to upgrade the Sapele Technical College to a polytechnic.