Representatives of Okpe Union Worldwide briefing newsmen at High Chief Dr. Government Ekpemupolo a.ka Tompolo Press Centre on Wednesday
By Samuel Ogude
Okpe Union(Worldwide), a socio-cultural organization of the indigenes of Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas of Delta State has come up to debunk the claim by one Chief Isaac Itebu, Chief Robert Onome and others that Okpe Ethnic Nationality is an Urhobo. This position was known by the representatives of the National Executive of Council of Okpe Union while briefing the newsmen at High Chief Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompolo Press Centre 3, Eburu Street off Okumagba Avenue Warri, on Wednesday.
In a press statement signed by Engr.Francis O.Redemi, (1st Deputy President General), Mr Omamurhomu Ayaruja (2nd Deputy President General), Dr Lucky Akpere(3rd Deputy President General) and others, all of Okpe Union Worldwide and representatives of Okpe Apex body said, the press conference(statement given) organized on the 30th of July 2025 at Orerokpe, Delta State by one Chief Isaac Itebu who is the 1st Deputy President General of Urhobo Progress Union and Secretary of Delta State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)and one Chief Robert Onome who is the former President General of the Okpe Union and Mr Harrison Ekeleme, the immediate past President General of Amuokpe District of Okpe Kingdom who was Secretary of the Sapele LGA chapter of PDP – that have decamped to All Progressive Congress (APC) political party and others, who claim that Okpe people are Urhobo should be disregarded as all what they said in that press statement is false.
According to the group, none of the organisers of the press conference or issuance of the press statement, signatories and the attendees is qualified to speak on behalf of Okpe people as neither Chief Robert Onome nor Mr. Ekeleme is in the office to speak for Okpe people in that press conference. According to the body, in a key note address delivered on September 1, 2007, by HRM Orhue I, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom at the 3rd Annual Convention of Okpe Union of North America which was held at Marriott Hotel, College Park Maryland, MD, USA, the Orodje referred to Okpe as being a unique Ethnic Nationality with distinct roots in ancient history, tradition, culture, custom and language.
Part of the statement reads:” That Chief Robert Onome has become an anathema in Okpe People’s Forum(OPF), a body registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC), which Chief Robert Onome was a registered member, announced his suspension from the organization through a circular dated 3rd of August, 2025 after the report that he signed a press statement that Orodje was Urhobo… Mr Ekeleme had completed his tenure as President General of Amuokpe District of Sapele Local Government Area and handed over to his elected successor, Hon. Eruteyan Ohiambe on the 6th of April, 2025 … Mr Harrison Ekeleme, during his tenure which ended on the 6th of April, 2025, paraded himself as the Chairman of the Forum of Presidents General of the 13 Okpe Kingdom Districts … How logical is it for any one to accept it that the same person who had handed over to his successor nearly four months ago would still parade himself as the Chairman of an arranged Forum of Presidents General of 13 Districts of Okpe Kingdom? Is that not misrepresentation and fraud taken too far just for the sake of politics and blind loyalty to political hustlers?”
According to the body, it was reported that the likes of Chief Onome and Ekeleme’s target is to scuttle the teaching of Okpe language in the primary and Junior secondary schools of the two local government council areas of Okpe Kingdom which, they said is a treasonable felony against Okpe Nation and Kingdom just as the body said, it is a sellout to say Okpe is not a language but a dialect of Urhobo language which attempts to slight the work done by Udogun Okpe Education Committee which was earlier headed by Prof.Sam Oyovbaire and later, by late Prof. Emurobome Idolor.
The body said, the British of Colonial Government of Warri (Later Delta ) Province which named and created areas of then Warri Province which is now known today as Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial District as well as Ukuani Area of Delta North Senatorial District which groups the different peoples together is for administrative conveniences not on ethnic basis.
Group photograph of the Representatives of Okpe Union Worldwide that briefed newsmen at High Chief Dr. Government Ekpemupolo a.ka Tompolo Press Centre on Wednesday
While the body condemned the attack on Prof. Igho Natufe, the President General of Okpe Union (Worldwide), who was duly elected by delegates from the various branches of Okpe Union in the last two Election General Assemblies as he is doing well, the body commended the likes of Prof. Kenneth Efakponana Eni of Niger Delta University, Prof. Evans Akpo, former General Secretary, Okpe Union of North America and others, for defending the course of Okpe in this direction, just as the body sued for more unity and oneness among Okpe people to defend the integrity of Okpe Nation.
Part of the statement reads:” While we ask those who have some influence in them to prevail on them to apologize to the Okpe Nation for attempting to desecrate the sacrosanct legacy of district ethnicity of Okpe Nation, we point it out to the world that Okpe Union shall not waiver nor quiver its determination to correct errors of the recent past about the distinct ethnic status of Okpe Kingdom…”
The body used the medium to commend Governor Oborevwori of Delta State for the good job in the state just as they appeal to him to effect the immediate take off the Southern Delta University campus at Orerokpe, the completion of Sapele Polytechnic, Deghele Elume. They also urged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to review the situation of Sapele Sea Port, the reopening of Nigeria Television Authority(NTA) at Amuokpe in Sapele Local Government Area which has been abandoned for some time now, and effect repairs on Benin-Sapele and Warri-Sapele Highways which have caused hardship for the people and grounded the economy of Okpe Kingdom in particular and Delta State at large, to a halt.