Urhobos in Warri South Local Government Area on Wednesday lamented their purported non-recognition as well as exclusion from in the politics of Delta Central Senatorial District in Delta State.
The Otota (Spokesman) of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Chief Wilson Eboh spoke on behalf of the Okere-Urhobo and Agbarha-Warri Kingdoms at the town hall meeting with the state governor, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa.
Eboh said, “God has not made any mistake by bringing the Urhobos of Warri, the Itsekiris and the Ijaws together in this area. God will never make a mistake.
“Your Excellency, I need to speak on some areas in the interest of peace, unity, fair play, justice in this area.
“The Delta South Senatorial District where we belong, they don’t seem to recognize us. Every time they will talk, they will talk about 3I’s. I don’t know where the Urhobos of Warri fall into.
“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 hear of 3I’s Your Excellency, we do not have any other place to call our own than the Delta South Senatorial District.”
Eboh also called on Governor Okowa to prevail on the Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Hon. Michael Tidi to establish and constitute the Warri South Local Government Traditional Rulers’ Council in Warri.
He stressed that the every other local government have established and constituted the council in their areas since it was enacted in 1988.
The Otota pointed out that the Warri South Local Government Council since inception has not constituted and established the traditional rulers’ council.
He said, “We are respectfully appealing to your Excellency to please prevail on the Local Government Chairman to, in the interest of justice, constitute the Warri South Local Government Traditional Rulers Council 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.
Eboh also claimed that the Urhobos of Warri are being marginalized when it comes to appointments in the council.
He noted that the chairmanship and vice chairmanship positions are elected, saying, “But we want to be part of Warri South. A situation where the Secretary of the Council, and Secretary of the Local Education Authority, LEA is not given to us, we are not comfortable with it.”
Eboh however hailed Governor Okowa for his developmental strides in the state.
In his response, the governor blamed politicians in Delta South Senatorial District for creating the problems of non-recognition and exclusion in the area.
Governor Okowa said, “We cannot wish the Urhobos in Warri South away neither can we call them people from Delta South.”
He appealed to the politicians to correct the political error in the area.
On the traditional rulers’ council, Governor Okowa said it will be reconstituted saying, “It is a law that must be obeyed.”
Earlier in an address, Chairman of the Warri South Local Government Council, Hon. Michael Tidi commended Governor Okowa for the rapid developmental efforts of the state government in the local government area.
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