Urhobo monarchs in the Niger Delta have been gravely angered by the fact-finding visit of President Muhammadu Buhari’s deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to the region.
Urhobo is the major ethnic group in Delta state, and produces the highest oil and gas in the State while also playing host to the Warri Refinery and the Nigerian Gas Company.
Delta state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, host to the VP, had assembled Urhobo leaders, monarchs and opinion leaders at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun at about 11 am to receive the VP, but on the VP’s arrival at the Osubi airstrip, he immediately left for the palace of the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, where he had a closed door meeting with Ijaw monarchs and leaders, including ex-militant leaders.
He also later had a town hall meeting with the people of the kingdom, and inspected the facilities at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, and also visited the Olu of Warri at his palace, where he met with Itsekiri people, before leaving for the PTI Conference Centre reaching there at about 5 pm.
Trouble, however, started at the Conference Centre when Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark and His Royal Majesty, Alfred Diete-Spiff the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass in Bayelsa State walked in into the Centre, and were immediately ushered to sit at the high table.
These developments infuriated 33 monarchs of the Urhobo nation, including others from her neighbouring Isoko kingdom, who have been seated since 11 am, not at the high table.
The monarchs were visibly angry, and expressing their displeasure on the shabby treatment melted to them, the monarchs led by the Orodje of Okpẹ Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Major-General Felix Mujakperuo (Rtd), Orhue I staged a walkout.
However, some of the monarchs were coaxed to return to the conference centre venue by the Secretary to the State government, Chief Ovie Agas, and other Urhobo political appointees. Not able to stomach the humiliation, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom left the venue when he sensed that his fellow monarchs returned to the venue out of fear of losing their monthly stipends from the State government.
In order to pacify the Urhobo monarchs, two of them were later reluctantly given a place at the high table chaired by Chief Clark.
Reacting to the development, former Minister of State, Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, said the Vice-President and the organizers of the visit took the Urhobo nation for granted, and dismissed the visit as fruitless.
“You don’t take the Urhobo for granted and we cannot accept a situation where our traditional rulers are treated like second class citizens in our own land,” Gbagi said, adding that “it was against the grain of reason for the Vice President to visit other ethnic strongholds without stopping over at Ughelli, the political headquarters of the Urhobo nation”.
Meanwhile, Urhobo youths led by Francis Arhiyor have presented the position of the Urhobo people on the Niger Delta development issues to include: Fiscal federalism, equity and justice; let there be light in Urhobo land; ports and waterways development; building of industries and development of agricultural programmes; construction of highways and railways to link States of the Niger Delta, and education and students loan scheme.
“Urhobo youths are in full support of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) to negotiate with the Federal Government to ensure sustainable peace in the region,” Arhiyor said.
Earlier while addressing stakeholders at the PTI conference hall, VP Osinbajo stated that it was unfortunate that despite the huge contribution of the Niger Delta to the development of the country, there was little to show for it.
No Nigerian can be proud with the state of development in the Niger Delta; we are all beneficiaries from resources from the region but we cannot have instability and be able to carry out speedy development of the region when there is no peace, the Vice President said.
He called for synergy among federal, state governments and civil society organizations to solve the numerous challenges in the Niger Delta region.
Osinbajo who tagged his visit as “We must prepare for the future” said this is the time to prepare for the future. He stressed that the Niger Delta Development Commission and other commissions set up by government had not met their mandate.
“The Federal Government cannot solve the problem of Niger Delta alone, it required the collaboration of the state, National Assembly and CSOs,” he said.
Gov. Okowa believes the visit would bring changes to the region. “I urged you to give peace a chance to bring development to our region,” he pleaded with Niger Delta youths.