From Omovie Etakebuebu ( South South Bureau Chief, The New Diplomat)
The factional President-General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Engr. Joe Omene, has reacted to an allegation leveled against him by an aide to Delta State Governor, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to the effect that he (Chief Omene) is responsible for the crisis in UPU because the UPU under his leadership in 2015 endorsed Chief Great Ogboru as the choice of Urhobo nation in the 2015 governorship election.
An aide to the governor, Mr Fred Oghenesivbe, who is an Executive Assistant to the State governor on Communication had reportedly accused Chief Omene of taking a unilateral decision to endorse Chief Ogboru, an action he alleged threw up crisis the UPU. But while speaking with The New Diplomat’s South South Bureau Chief in his Mosogar country home, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Omene explained that he was not in any way provoked by the allegations leveled against him by the Governor’s aide because he is not someone he would like to dignify with a reply.
According to Omene, he only chose to clarify some of the issues especially, the allegation against him that he as the President-General of the UPU, unilaterally endorsed Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, as Urhobo choice for the 2015 governorship election in Delta State. Chief Omene who said he couldn’t have done such a thing insisted that the initiative came from some Urhobo elders and it was subsequently subjected to wide consultation among all relevant stakeholders in Urhoboland, and a decision was collectively arrived at.
While debunking the accusation , he noted that it is a ironic that he is being accused of been responsible for Ogboru’s endorsement in 2015 when everyone could verify from those Urhobo elders who were responsible for the initiative as they are still alive, adding that it was a collective decision of all. He said: “As for the endorsement of Chief Ogboru… the only thing I want to say is that it was a collective decision of all Urhobo people, not UPU alone. If there are doubting Thomases as to who and how Ogboru was endorsed, it was a collective decision.
“I, Chief Joe Omene will not just wake up to say, this is what Urhobo should do. There must be wide consultation. As to who to choose between Ogboru and Emerhor, that idea did not come from the UPU. The idea came from Urhobo Elders and Leaders Forum. And in the Urhobo Elders and Leaders Forum, you have Chief Godwin Ogbetuo. He is still alive; you can find out from him. You have Chief Dr. Salubi, you have Justice Dugbo and you have Dr. Obakponovwe.
“These were the people that came to UPU to say, look, we should not allow Emerhor and Ogboru to contest for the governorship and that we should pick one of them and tell Urhobo that this is the person Urhobo should vote for. It was not the brain child of UPU. I have documents to that effect.”
Explaining his case further, Chief Omene said he recalled that all the various groups and stakeholders in Urhoboland were consulted and their opinions sought before the formal endorsement of Chief Great Ogboru as the choice of Urhobo for governorship of Delta State in 2015.
He explained in details: “So, we the exco of UPU now asked them, who in their opinion should we endorse? And they mentioned Chief Great Ogboru. So, we now told them that it is okay, but we have to make a widespread consultation to get the opinions of other stakeholders. We now invited the Forum of Presidents-General of Urhobo kingdoms which was headed by Dr. Obakponovwe again and Chief Kenneth Iwhewhe, the President General of Ughelli kingdom, as the Secretary of the Forum. When they came, just like we did to the Urhobo Elders and Leaders Forum, we asked them for their choice of candidate…. Dr. Obakponovwe spoke on their behalf, and they said they want Urhobo to endorse Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru. We then invited the Eghweyan (women forum) of Urhobo, they also said the same thing.”
“We also invited the Ighele (Youths) forum of Urhobo, they said the same thing. We also invited the association of Urhobo clergies. But the clergies said they cannot mention who to endorse between the two Urhobo sons because doing so will divide their churches. That was what happened”, he said.
Explaining further, Chief Omene said that the UPU would also have been accused of sitting on the fence, and allowed two illustrious sons of Urhobo to fight themselves on who should be the Urhobo governorship candidate in that 2015 election.
“But we decided to consult and seek the opinions of a broad spectrum of the Urhobo nation before the endorsement of Chief Great Ogboru.
“So, in a situation like this, if the UPU did not do anything, despite the plea of the Urhobo Elders and Leaders Forum, the Presidents-General of the kingdoms, the Eghweyan and the Ighele (Youths wing), and we allowed the two of them to contest, the UPU would have also been accused of sitting on the fence allowing two Urhobo sons to fight themselves”, he said.
Chief Omene who provided insights on how the formal endorsement of Chief Ogboru took place explained that a date was set aside for the formal endorsement during which the various groups consulted were invited to a meeting at the President General’s home. According to him, at the end of the meeting, a communique was issued which was duly signed by representatives of the various groups including the UPU executives.
He said: “So, for the so-called Latimore to allege that I, Chief Omene, brought in Chief Ogboru for the UPU to endorse, whoever cares to know the truth should go and find out from these people I have mentioned. And I’m a very clever person, on the date set aside for the endorsement, all the various groups whom we have met with at different times were invited to a meeting with the President-General and his exco. There, we laid the matter bare.
“The Forum of Urhobo Leaders and Elders were there; the one of Presidents-General was there; the one of Eghweya and Ighene were all there. And so, they came up with a communique endorsing Chief Great Ogboru. Like I keep saying, the idea of say let us pick one candidate for Urhobo to endorse did not originate from the UPU. It originated from the Elders and Leaders Forum. It was they who brought the matter to UPU and we listened. The only thing we did was to consult widely by seeking the opinions of different groups that constitute the Urhobo nation.
“Then, like I said, a communique was issued. The communique was signed by Chief Dr. Salubi and Chief Ogbetuo for and on behalf of the Elders and Leaders Forum. It was also signed by Dr. Obakponovwe and Chief Kenneth Iwhewhe as Secretary. The communique was also signed by the President and Secretary of the Women body and it was also signed by the President and Secretary of the Ighene group.
“And then on the part of the UPU, I signed as the President General and Chief Akpomudjere SAN, who was the Secretary also signed. So, I’m taking my time to give the background to the allegation against me by that political prostitute called Latimore who thought he could use my name to attract food on his table.”
Chief Omene who vowed not to respond further to the series of attacks on his person said everyone knows who he is in the State as regards his ability to speak the truth, lay facts down and they could verify from all the people he has mentioned in his own account of what transpired in 2015.
