Okpe Kingdom vs. Urhobo: Abia Ex-Milad sparks debate on marginalisation

Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Frank Ajobena has ignited a fresh controversy among Delta political leaders with his assertion that the Okpe Nation is being marginalized in Delta Central.

‘’There is a pecking order in the state. 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 by those who think they are born to rule Delta State’’

Ajobena spoke in Lagos at the 95th anniversary of Okpe Union.

‘’The identity of a people is fundamental to their emancipation. If you look at the Bible, the issue of identity was the reason Jesus Christ came to the earth. If you look at Psalm 82, verses 5-7. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. Each time Jesus Christ tries to introduce man as a divinity, they try to stone him’’.

The military administrator of Abia State from 28th August 1991 until January 1992 maintained that Okpe was not an Urhobo.

‘’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 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 the Urhobo people. It further defines people who share the same language. We do not share the same language with the Urhobos. If you speak Okpe amid 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 stated that the political position of the Okpe Nation must be reviewed to save the kingdom from further backwardness.

‘’Whatever comes to the geographical space that is being referred to as Delta Central today is seen as an 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 have thrown the Okpe Kingdom into the back burner position in the political affairs of Delta Central.

‘’Urhobos are our friendly neighbors. We are not quarreling. We intermarry. I don’t see the reason for this apprehension’’.

He, however, warned those celebrating Okpe as the largest Urhobo ethnic nationality to admit their mistake and work for the recognition of Okpe identity.