Okuama: Ewu-Urhobo Monarch Pays Thank -You Visit As Gov Oborevwori Inaugurates IDP Management Committee In Asaba

Succour will soon come the way of the displaced people of Okuama community,  Ughelli South Local Government, Delta state following the development recorded in Asaba on Wednesday,

A statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com  noted that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori inaugurated  the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Management Committee in Asaba, the state capital, on Wednesday while adding that the committee has a veteran journalist and former Editor of The Guardian Newspaper, Mr Abraham Ogbodo as Chairman and Director of Personnel Management, DPM, Ughelli South Local Government Council, Chief Austin Emaduku as Secretary. 

Other members  of the committee include; Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Hon. Festus Utuama, Hon. Reuben Izeze, Dr Richard Kofi, Chief Oviri Uto, Hon. Josephine Oduaran, Obukohwo Henry Ediyo, Karo Ovemeso and Austin Ohwofaria who will serve as Camp Commandant. 

Inaugurating the Committee at Government House , Asaba, Governor Oborevwori urged the Committee to carefully plan the resettlement and rehabilitation of the innocent citizens of Okuama community. 

Oborevwori said: ‘I welcome all of you to the inauguration of  the committee tasked with planning and coordinating the settlement and rehabilitation of our people at Okuama. 

Much as we condemned in strong terms the dastardly act that took the lives of our gallant officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army. 

We will do everything we can to reduce to the barest minimum the attendant effects on the common man in Okuama community. 

Innocent people have been displaced, their homes and properties destroyed, this was, and still is, an unfortunate and most unexpected development. 

Like I said when I visited Okuama the other day, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and the military agreed that innocent people in Okuama should not be made to suffer needlessly. 

This is why we sincerely believe that sooner than later, the innocent ones will be allowed to return to their homes. 

It is now right for government to set up a committee to plan their resettlement and rehabilitation ahead of their return. This is the minimum we owe our people, we have to reassure them to have a sense of belonging as we make adequate arrangements for their settlement and rehabilitation. 

Note that you have been carefully chosen based on your previous antecedents, we are therefore confident that you will do a transparent, thorough and selfless job that not only the people of Okuama but every Deltan will be proud of you as you make adequate arrangements of receiving them and lessening their pains. 

I urge you to attach a sense of urgency to this assignment. We must demonstrate the highest degree of love and responsibility towards our people. That is the least we can do for them’.

Responding on behalf of members of the committee, the Chairman, Abraham Ogbodo, expressed appreciation to the governor for finding them worthy to serve in the committee. 

He said their appointment as members of the committee is an opportunity to serve the people and assured the governor and other  Deltans that, by the grace of God, they would live up to expectation by delivering the needed services to the people. 

Members of the committee, he added,  would work with the sense of urgency that the state assignment requires, assuring that they would be transparent, thorough and selfless in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Okuama.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has  also urged the Ovie of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom, Ughelli South Local Government , Delta state, HRM, Clement Oghenerukevwe lkolo, Urukpe l, to unite the people of his kingdom. 

The governor gave this advice when the Ewu-Urhobo monarch and his wife visited him at the Government House, Asaba  to express  their appreciation for the role the state Chief Executive played while he was in military custody. 

The governor ,who congratulated the monarch for his release, noted that God had delivered him,  while adding that the task before him is to put the people of Ewu-Urhobo together to strengthen sustainable peace and unity in the area. 

Governor Oborevwori also told the monarch that he has inaugurated the Ewu IDP Camp, which would be open soon. 

He, therefore, assured him that the innocent people in his kingdom would not suffer, adding that his administration will do its best to ensure that the displaced persons in Okuama return  to the community, which , he noted,  would however be a gradual process. 

‘Firstly, I want to congratulate you for your release. God has delivered you. When this incident happened, I told the President General when he called me to go and submit himself to the police. 

I couldn’t reach you. But when you saw your name among those declared wanted, you went and submitted yourself and because you are innocent, you have been released. 

There is nothing to fear. I told the traditional rulers that anyone that connived with the perpetrators of the heinous crime will face the wrath of the law. 

The charge before you today is to put Ewu together. Let your people be united and you should also unite with them. 

Yes, we made effort, different stakeholders made efforts to make sure that you are released. The role that you need to play now is to put Ewu together. 

I have gone to visit the place. I was told that even you don’t know Okuama. You should know all the villages in your kingdom and unite with them. 

Today, I inaugurated the Ewu IDP camp and as from next week, the camp will be open. First, is to bring them to the IDP camp and work with the military to see how they can be taken back to their community. 

I want to assure you that the innocent people of your kingdom will not suffer. We will do our best to resettle them but it is a gradual process. So, congratulations and welcome back’ Oborevwori added. 

Earlier, the Ewu-Urhobo monarch, who was accompanied by members of Delta state Traditional Rulers Council led by the Chairman of the Council and the Orodje of Okpe, HRM,  retired Maj-Gen Felix Mujekpero , said he was in Government House, Asaba, to express his profound appreciation to the governor for the role he played towards his release from military custody. 

He, also, applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the immediate past governor of the state,  former Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the three senators from Delta state as well as others for their collective and individual efforts that facilitated his release by the military. 

While condemning the tragic Okuama incident that led to the demise of four military officers and 13 soldiers, the monarch reiterated that he knew nothing about the dastardly act, while commending  his people, the Urhobo nation, Deltans and other Nigerians for their prayers and solidarity during his trying moments. 

Also speaking during the visit, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Orhue l, who presented the released monarch to the governor, said traditional rulers in the state were deeply touched by the trauma that one of their own went through in the hands of the military for three weeks. 

He, therefore, sued for peace in Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom and other parts of the state so as to fast-track sustainable development in all sectors of economy of Delta state- Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you