ABIA EX-MILAD DENOUNCES MARGINALIZATION OF OKPE KINGDOM
· RECOUNTS HOW OBOREVWORI EMERGED AS GOVERNOR
· ATTRIBUTES URHOBO AGENDA TO OKPE BACKWARDNESS
· SLAMS UGHELLI LEADERS OVER SCRAMBLE FOR GOVERNORSHIP SLOT
· URGES OKPE LEADERS TO BRACE UP FOR 2027 CHALLENGES
Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Frank Ajobena may have stirred another round of controversy among Delta political leaders when he observed that the Okpe Nation was the least in the pecking order in Delta Central.
‘’There is a pecking order in the state. Every time something good comes to Delta Central, it must first go to the Ughelli people. The next in the pecking order are the Ethiope East people, the Agbon people. The Okpe, who are the majority, are the least in the pecking order. You could see it even when the contest for the governorship was on. There was a gang up. They didn’t want an Okpe person to be governor. It took a lot of canvassing and the grace of God for the Okpe person to emerge as governor. That position is still being contested by those who think they are born to rule Delta State.
Ajobena spoke in Lagos at the 95th anniversary of the Okpe Union.
The identity of a people is fundamental to their emancipation. If you examine the Bible, the issue of identity was the primary reason Jesus Christ came to earth. If you look at Psalm 82, verses 5-7. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. Each time Jesus Christ tries to introduce man as a divinity, they try to stone him.
The military administrator of Abia State from 28th August 1991 until January 1992 maintained that Okpe was not Urhobo.
‘’The issue of identity is fundamental. I don’t know why our brothers are apprehensive of Okpe establishing itself as a nationality. If you go to Google and look at the definition of ethnic nationality, it is well defined. It is a people that share a common ancestry. We do not share a common ancestry with Urhobo people. It further defined people who share the same language. We do not share the same language with the Urhobos. If you speak Okpe among Urhobo people, they will say you are speaking in tongues. They don’t understand what you are saying. All these questions that Okpe is Urhobo is for political adventure and political gains. They want to project the Urhobo as a large ethnic nationality. So, they use Okpe to feather their own nest’’
Ajobena stated that the political position of the Okpe Nation must be reviewed to save the kingdom from further backwardness.
‘’Whatever comes to the geographical space that is being referred to as Delta Central today is seen as Urhobo matter. The Okpe people are treated as second-class citizens within that space. As long as we remain tied to the apron strings of Urhobo, we will not achieve anything. We need to let them know.
He said the actions of leaders in the state have thrown Okpe Kingdom to the back burner in the political affairs of Delta Central.
‘’Urhobos are our friendly neighbours. We are not quarrelling. We intermarry. I don’t see a reason for this apprehension.
He, however, warned those celebrating Okpe as the largest Urhobo ethnic nationality to admit their mistake and work for the recognition of Okpe identity.
ABIA EX-MILAD DENOUNCES MARGINALIZATION OF OKPE KINGDOM
