•Urged State and FG to ignore those fanning embers of discord in Tantita
Association of Urhobo Mayoral Family Crown (AUMFC)
••Association of Urhobo Mayoral Family Crown is incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
By Ogbagah Matthias
ABUJA – As controversy continues to trail the title of Mayor of Urhoboland, the title holder of the Mayor of Urhoboland worldwide, His Excellency Eshanekpe Israel Akpodoro, has reacted to insinuations in some quarters of Delta State, describing the critics of the mayoral title as confused, mischievous, and anti-Urhobo development people.
Reacting to publications by some disgruntled and self-styled elements, “Committee for Transparency and Good Governance (CTGG)” whose agenda from ages was to ridicule Urhobo nation in the comity of nations, he said, for record purpose and to educate the half-baked elements amongst the Urhobo nation so that they can be well informed, the Association of Urhobo Mayoral Family Crown (AUMFC) is well gazetted and incorporated with Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria.
According to him, the association is well-positioned to fight for the good development of the Urhobo nation and to promote Urhobo cultural heritage, to stand in the gap to agitate for the Urhobos both at home and in the diaspora, to fight injustice, and to support Nigeria, our country.
His Excellency Akpodoro, while lamenting the marginalization of the Urhobo nation over the decades by successive governments and oil explorations operating in Urhoboland, noted that Urhobo sons and daughters in government are not projecting the course of the Urhobo nation.
“Urhobo nation, as it stands today, has been marginalized in the scheme of things in the country. Our government leaders are not projecting the Urhobo course; they don’t stand for the Urhobo nation. Hence, Urhobo youths are the ones who bear the brunt of the hardship most among other ethnic nationalities in the country.
“If you take a visit to Okere prison in Warri, you will be shocked that the majority of the prisoners are from Urhobo extraction because the leaders of Urhobo do not know how to fight for their own, other tribes always stand by their people. I’m saying the truth to power and I will continue to say the truth to power”.
While condemning his critics for their ignorance and naivety, he cleared the air, saying he’s not a monarch, as some persons misunderstood him; he is the Mayor of Urhoboland. Monarchs are traditional rulers, while Mayors are modern rulers.
“There’s a distinct difference between a traditional ruler and a modern ruler. I created the title of Association of Urbobo Mayoral Crown (AUMFC), and I incorporated it with the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC); it is not a kingdom or anybody’s title”, he noted.
Akpodoro urged the federal government of Nigeria and the management of NNPCL to ignore those fanning embers of discord amongst the various ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region over the award of surveillance contracts to Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL).
Akpodoro, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday and made available to The Rainbow Newspaper, expressed displeasure over constant opposition to the federal government’s policies that benefited the generality of the people of the region.
Akpodoro noted that the recent outbursts and opposition to the surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo’s company by some disgruntled elements, asking the federal government to revoke surveillance of oil and gas pipelines in the Urhobo nation, to Urhobo sons and daughters, is bad taste and verbal exploitation of their hatred.
According to him, those fanning the embers of tribal discord, disunity, and disenfranchisement should remember that we only see the beginning of war; it won’t matter who was right, but who is left. The mayor of Urbobo warned.
