WARRI- Urhobos in Warri South Local Government Area have lamented over non-recognition as well as exclusion from in the Politics of Delta South 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 Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa.
Eboh said,”God has not made any mistake for bringing the Urhobos of Warri, the Itsekiris and the Ijaws together in this area. God will never make a mistake.”
In his words,”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. Everytime 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 will be 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.
Eboh also called on the Delta State Governor Arthur Ifeanyi 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 Council in Warri.
Eboh stressed that the every other local government have established and constituted the council in their areas since it was enacted in 1988.
He pointed out that the Warri South Local Government Council since inception has not constituted and established the traditional rulers council.
Eboh 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 be established and constituted because we all know that the chairman of the council is supposed to rotate from o e traditional ruler to the other at a particular time.
“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 we don’t know has not been shared to us.”
Eboh also claimed that the Urhobos of Warri are being marginalized when it comes to appointments in the council.
Eboh noted that the Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship position 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 also hailed Governor Okowa for his developmental strides in the State.
Delta State Governor,Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa in a response 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.”
Governor Okowa also appealed to the politicians to correct the political error in the area.
On the Traditional Rulers Committee,Governor Okowa said it will be reconstituted saying,”It is a law that must be obeyed.”
Earlier in an address, the Delta State Chairman of the Warri South Local Government Council,Hon. Michael Tidi commended Governor Okowa for his rapid development in the local government area.
