WARRI VOICE NEWSPAPER HOLDS 4TH ANNUAL LECTURE …Fregene, Uduaghan,Odeli, Ajagbe, Nanna, Ugboegugun community,others get award

The popular Otonloye Hall, Ugbori-Warri was filled to capacity by people of different shades in the society who gathered for the 4th edition of the Warri Voice Newspaper Annual Lecture/ Award ceremony on Sunday November 24, 2013.

The publisher of Warri Voice Newspaper, Mr. Femi Odonmeta, who is also president of Delta Guild of Indigenous Newspapers Publishers, DGINP, in his welcome address, said his organisation initiated the annual lecture/Award ceremony four years ago to recognise as well as to encourage individuals and collective positive contributions towards building an egalitarian society. He commended all who petronise the paper and solicited for more support

On the topic for this year’s lecture, Mr. Odonmeta said it was chosen to excite a public discourse geared towards the attainment of better understanding amongst people of diverse opinions.

The Warri monarch, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse the second was represented by one of his Chiefs, the Ewolufun of Warri, Chief Roland Adi Omagbemi while the chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Ares Development  commission (DESOPADEC), Mr. Oritsuwa Kpogho slated for the chairmanship of the occasion was represented by the Chief Security Officer of the commission, Barrister Tsewo Edema.

Other dignitaries who graced the occasion include a university lecturer who is the founder and president of the Evangelical Spiritual Church of Christ Okere Warri, Rev. Dr. Jackson Ireyefoju who was the guest lecturer and his wife, the member representing Warri North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Mrs. Irene Imilar represented by Mr. Toju Ayu, a one-time member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Patrick Fregene, the Special Adviser to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, hon. Ojere Edeyibo, the interim chairman of Warri South Local Government, Hon. Dr. Augustine Uroye, Chairman, Delta State Council of the Nigerian Union of Joutnalists (NUJ), comrade Nobert Charzor, a Warri-based book author, Mr. Macualey Eyoyibo and Mrs. Tokunbor Yusuf.

The topic of this year’s lecture was “The Relationship Between Modern Religions And The Peoples’s Cherished Culture” which the representative of the chairman of the occasion Barrister Tsewo Edema described as timely considering a recent event in Warri Kingdom.

The guest lecturer, Rev. Dr. Jackson Ireyefoju said any conflict between modern religions which include Christianity and Islam and the people’s culture and tradition was condemnable as the people lived with their culture long before the advent of modern religions.

Eight distinguished individuals and three groups who have excelled in different spheres of endeavour received awards of different categories at the occasion.

The most Peaceful Oil Producing Community award went to Ugboegungun in Excravos, Warri South-West Local Government Area, while the best community leadership award went to Prince Ijala Akengboye of Oboghoro Decendants Union, Warri Branch. The award for the best female organisation for the year 2013 was won by the Association of Ugborodo Community Women led by Dorothy Ejuwa.

The individual recipients included Rev. Emiko Fregene, Amb. Toyin Agbolayah, Hon. Vincent Uduaghan, Mr. Mike Odeli and Mr. Brown Ajagbe. Others were Elder J.k Nanna, Comrade Hope George and Hon. Tosan Desmond Oyowe.