URHOBOS OF WARRI CRY OUT OVER MARGINALISATION IN DELTA SOUTH POLITICS
OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO
Urhobos in Warri South Local Government Area have cried out over non-recognition as well as exclusion from the politics of Delta South Senatorial District in Delta State.
Speaking on behalf Okere-Urhobo Kingdom in Warri South Local Government Area at the Town Hall meeting with Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State in Warri, Chief Wilson Eboh, Otota( Spokesman) of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom,Chief Wilson Eboh lamented that they are always being shortchanged and marginalized in the politics of the area.
According to Chief Eboh, “Your Excellency, I need to speak on some areas in the interest of peace, unity, fair play and justice in this area.
God did not make any mistake for bringing the Urhobos of Warri, the Itsekiris and the Ijaws together in this area. God will never make a mistake. The Delta South Senatorial District where we belong, others don’t seem to recognize us. Overtime, they will talk about 3i’s. I don’t know where the Urhobos of Warri fall into.”
Chief Eboh noted, “Your Excellency,if you look at this issue, the Urhobos of Warri do not belong to Delta Central. So, we share nothing from Delta Central. Your Excellency, we belong to Delta South Senatorial District and anytime they talk politically, the Urhobos of Warri are excluded. We always hear of 3i’s. Your Excellency, we will be happy if the Urhobos of Warri are accommodated always because we do not have any other place to call our own than the Delta South Senatorial District. We are also shortchanged and marginalized in terms of political appointments in Warri South Local Government Atea.”
The Otota of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom also called on the Governor to prevail on HON. Michal Tidi,Chairman, Warri South Local Government Area to constitute the Warri South Local Government Traditional Council in Warri, stressing that every other local government area in the state have established and constituted the council in their areas since it was enacted in 1988.
He disclosed that the Warri South Local Government Council since inception has not constituted and established the traditional rulers council.
Chief Eboh added, “we are respectfully appealing to your Excellency to please prevail on the Local Government Chairman to, in the interest of justice and Fairplay constitute the Warri South Local Government Traditional Rulers Council be established and constituted because we all know that the chairman of the council is supposed to rotate from one traditional ruler to the other at a particular time.”
He further added, “the 5% coming into that place, that has been accruing to the Local Government be paid into the traditional rulers council. We have a traditional ruler 1999-207. Such monies has not been shared to us.”
Speaking on the political equation and appointments sharing in Warri South Local Government Area, Chief Eboh has its to say, “the chairmanship and vice chairmanship position are elected but we want to be part of political positions sharing in Warri South L. G. A situation where the Secretary of the Local Government (SLG)and Secretary, Local Education Authority (LEA) is not given to us, we are not comfortable with this arrangement.”
Chief Eboh then commended Senator Okowa for his developmental strides across the State.
Responding, Senator Okowa blamed politicians in Delta South Senatorial District for creating the problems of non-recognition and exclusion in the area, saying, “we cannot wish the Urhobos in Warri South away neither can we call them people from another Senatorial district.”
The Governor appealed to politicians in the area to correct the anomaly and political error in the area.
Speaking on the Traditional Rulers Committee, Senator Okowa said it will be reconstituted saying, “It is a law that must be obeyed.”
Earlier in an address, Hon. Michael Tidi, chairman, Warri South Local Government Area commended Governor Okowa for his rapid development in the local government area.
