*Decries Alleged Marginalisation Of Okpe Kingdom
A FORMER military administrator of Abia State, Air Vice Marshal Frank Ajobena (rtd), has insisted that Okpe people are not Urhobo, lamenting Okpe Nation is the least in the pecking order in Delta Central.
According to him: “Every time something good comes to Delta Central, it has to go first to the Ughelli people. The next in the pecking order are the Ethiope East people, the Agbon people. The Okpe, who are majority, are the least in the pecking order.
“You could see it even when the contest for the governorship was on. There was a gang up; they didn’t want an Okpe person to be governor. It took a lot of canvassing and the grace of God for the Okpe person to emerge as governor. That position is still being contested by those who think they are born to rule Delta State.”
Ajobena, who was the military administrator of Abia State from August 1991 to January 1992, speaking in Lagos at the 95th anniversary of Okpe Union, stated: “The identity of a people is fundamental to their emancipation.
“The issue of identity is fundamental. I don’t know why our brothers are apprehensive of Okpe establishing itself as a nationality. If you go to Google and you look at the definition of ethnic nationality, it is well defined. It is a people that share a common ancestry. We do not share a common ancestry with Urhobo people.
“It further defined people that share the same language. We do not share the same language with the Urhobos. If you speak Okpe in the midst of Urhobo people, they will say you are speaking in tongues. They don’t understand what you are saying.
“All these questions that Okpe is Urhobo is for political adventure and political gains. They want to project the Urhobo as a large ethnic nationality, so they use Okpe to feather their own nest.”
Ajobena said the political position of the Okpe Nation must be reviewed to save the kingdom from further backwardness, noting: “Whatever comes to the geographical space that is being referred to as Delta Central today is seen as Urhobo matter. The Okpe people are treated as second class citizens within that space.
“As long as we remain tied to the apron strings of Urhobo, we will not achieve anything. We need to let them know.”
He said the actions of leaders in the state had relegated Okpe Kingdom in the political affairs of Delta Central, adding: “Urhobos are our friendly neighbours. We are not quarrelling; we intermarry. I don’t see reason for this apprehension.”
He, however, cautioned those celebrating Okpe as the largest Urhobo ethnic nationality to admit their mistake and work for the recognition of Okpe identity. (Fidel Njamanze)
