Okpe People Have No Secessionist Intentions, Says Prof Igho Natufe

......Insists Okpe Is Okpe, And Not a “Clan” of Any Other Ethnic Nationality in Nigeria or Anywhere In the World


Being State of The Union Address on Pathway To Redemption In Okpe Nation By Prof. O. Igho Natufe President General, Okpe Union, On The 94th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The Okpe Union At The Headquarters Of The Okpe Union, 65 Moshalashi Streeet, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagosmay 18, 2024


Greetings. All Protocols Observed


Introduction


It is my honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 94th Anniversary of the Founding of Okpe Union. I welcome you on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Okpe Union, and of all our members in Nigeria and the Diaspora. With profound reverence we recognize the presence of His Royal Majesty Alaiyeluwa, Oba Engr. (Dr.) Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, Adegorushe V, The Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom, and Her Royal Majesty, Olori Kudirat Abosede Shotobi, The Treasure of Ikorodu Kingdom, who is a granddaughter of the Founding President of the Okpe Union, Pa Thomas Ometie Ake (of Blessed Memory). Our being here today is thanks to the vision of Pa Ake and his colleagues who had the foresight in establishing Okpe Union, which today makes Okpe Union the oldest registered ethnic organization in Nigeria. Pa Ake hailed from Mereje Town in present Okpe Local Government Area in Okpe Nation, Delta State. The seed he and his colleagues planted here in Lagos 94 years ago has mushroomed into multiple branches across Nigeria and in the Diaspora. Therefore, the presence of Her Royal Majesty at this event and the generous support that she and His Royal Majesty have rendered to the Okpe Union in Ikorodu and in Lagos State is a continuation of Pa Ake’s vision for the redemption of Okpe Nation. We are here because Pa Ake and his colleagues were there. They deserve to be honoured for their selfless services to Okpe Nation. Towards this end, I have asked Mr. Patrick Akpotor, the Immediate Past President General (IPPG) of the Okpe Union to head a 7-member Commemoration Committee to work out the modalities of immortalizing the Founding Fathers of the Okpe Union. Mr. Akpotor and members of the Commemoration Committee shall liaise with the families of our Founding Fathers for the erection of their statues in their respective towns, which shall be unveiled during the 95th Anniversary Celebrations in May 2025.


We also recognize the presence of other distinguished guests and Okpe nationals at this august occasion. We particularly recognize the presence of our Keynote Speaker, Dr. S. Enajite Enajero, who shall address us from Detroit, Michigan, USA. My Address will be incomplete without applauding the selfless services of the members of the Planning Committee led by Mr. Patrick Akpotor, the IPPG, and the Secretary, Arch. Patrick Redemi. I thank all of them. I also thank all those that generously contributed financially to the hosting of this event, from within Nigeria and in the Diaspora; a testimony to the global outreach of the Okpe Union.
The Okpe Nation of Delta State.


Okpe is the most populous monolithic ethnic nationality in Delta State. There are two Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Okpe Nation, namely: Okpe LGA and Sapele LGA. It is estimated that Okpe nationals residing in the neighbouring Uvwie LGA exceed the Okpe population in Sapele LGA. As stated by HRM Orhue l, Orodje of Okpe, two Okpe villages, Ohore 1 and Ohore 2 are incorrectly grouped in Uvwie LGA. It is imperative that a boundary adjustment be undertaken so as to return these villages to the Okpe Nation. (See, “A Keynote Address Delivered On September 1, 2007 By Hrm Orhue L, Ll.M., Cfr, Mni., Orodje Of Okpe Kingdom At The 3rd Annual Convention Of The Okpe Union Of North America Held At Marriott Hotel, College Park, Maryland, Md. Usa, August 31 – September 03, 2007” https://okpeunionng.net/tradition-and-governance/)
We share Delta State with the following ethnic nationalities, listed in alphabetical order:-
1. Aniocha
2. Ika
3. Ijaw
4. Isoko
5. Itsekiri
6. Ndosumili
7. Oshumili
8. Ukwuani
9. Urhobo
We also share the Delta Central Senatorial District with the Urhobo.


Our Neighbours: Our immediate neighbours are the Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic nationalities, with whom we have inter-reacted over the past centuries. We have maintained good neighbourly relations with both of them. The boundary between Okpe and Itsekiri is the Benin River towards the Ethiope River down to the Benin Creek (known as the Hole in the Wall Creek). This Hole in the Wall Creek runs through Ugbukurusu, Elume up to Ughoton/Ugbokodo boundary with Omadino in Warri South, LGA. On the east, the boundary between Okpe and Urhobo is the Ethiope River with Mosogar and Jesse on the East-Southern flank and Oghara on the East-Northern flank. The land boundary between Okpe and Urhobo on the East is between Aghalokpe and Okpara of Ethiope East LGA. On the Southern flank the boundary is at Erere Creek near Effurun Roundabout in Uvwie LGA. Lastly on the South-Eastern flank, the boundary between Okpe and Urhobo is the Okuokoko-Agbarho Bridge on the East-West Road (Effurun Ughelli Express Road). Its central location makes us to refer to the Okpe Nation as the Bridge of Delta State. The Okpe have excellent relationships with all ethnic nationalities in Delta State, as we are recognized as a peaceful, friendly, and an accommodating Nation. We are neither loud nor overbearing to other ethnic nationalities in Delta State.


Okpe and the Future of Nigeria: Okpe is one of the more than 400 indigenous ethnic nationalities that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These indigenous ethnic nationalities, including Okpe, are the core federating units of Nigeria. Thus, like other indigenous ethnic nationalities, Okpe has a voice in determining the future of Nigeria. As the umbrella socio-economic and non-partisan organization of the Okpe Nation, Okpe Union is in close collaboration with other indigenous ethnic nationalities and national organizations, including the Movement for the Reformation of Nigeria (MNR) and the TheRebirthGroup in crafting a new path for the restoration of federalism and good governance in Nigeria.


This new path is predicated on the retrieval of our independence that was illegally extinguished by the British Colonial government and subsequent post-colonial Nigerian governments. As forcefully argued by my friend and colleague, Prof. E. Kolawole Ogundowole, it is worthless constructing a new path in Nigeria without the retrieval of the independence of the respective indigenous ethnic nationalities. This retrieval process involves a battle of ideas within each indigenous ethnic nationality and their respective external allies. Thus, the battle for the unity of a nationality has to contend with its opposite members of the polity, who postulate contrary views to the retrieval agenda. This unity and struggle of opposites is a dialectical law of social development. We are certain of victory in crafting a pathway to the redemption of the Okpe Nation, no matter how tedious and painful the struggle might be. But first, we need to sensitize fellow Okpe nationals on the imperative of retrieving our independence in accordance with the historical foundation of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality.
This distinctiveness informs us that Okpe is Okpe, and not a “clan” of any other ethnic nationality in Nigeria or anywhere in the world. As stated elsewhere, “When a people do not know who they are, or equivocate about their identity and seek coverage under the identity of a different ethnic group or a nation, then they are as good as lost in the wilderness”. (See, “The Okpe Nation In A Multiethnic Nigeria”. A Keynote Address Delivered By Professor O. Igho Natufe At The 8th AGM Of The Okpe Union Of North America At Houston Marriot At Hobby Airport Houston, TX., USA. May 27 – 29, 2016). We, Okpe are not lost. We have for ever extinguished the sarcastic saying that “Okpe a mẹ rhen”, (“Okpe are asleep,”), a sarcasm which has hurt the consciousness of the Okpe in so many ways. We proudly declare that Okpe i rhọ-mọn nẹ (Okpe have awakened).


It was on the basis of this historical fact that we sought the recognition of Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality in our letter to the (then) Governor of Delta State, H.E. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in June 2021. We have decided to re-submit the letter to his successor, H.E. Okakuro Sheriff Oborevwori in due course. An Elder Okpe statesman, Mr. Moses Akpobasah, has succinctly captured this in his congratulatory message to us on the 94th Anniversary of the Founding of Okpe Union.


He opined: “All Okpe need to brace up and seize this opportunity to support the Okpe Union so that it can stand up to the challenges facing our country and be in a position to represent Okpe interest well in the comity of Nigeria's, indeed the world's ethnic nationalities. The drive for greater Okpe identity is crucial and timely. One cannot be born an Okpe man and become non-Okpe in his life time, except by choice of an insignificant few who live outside the homeland or indeed outside the Country. I am yet to see one though. We must therefore defend who we are and pass a better nation to our successors. The Okpe Union and the Okpe People’s Forum must collaborate to lead the way”. (Exchange of WhatsApp messages. May 16, 2024).
We firmly believe that all indigenous ethnic nationalities, irrespective of their population size and territorial vastness are equal partners in ensuring the survival, growth and development of Nigeria. We also firmly believe that the oppression or subjugation of one indigenous ethnic nationality is an assault on the sovereignty of all indigenous ethnic nationalities. This solidarity underlines the commitment of the Okpe Nation in constructing a democratic structure anchored on the recognition of the independence of indigenous ethnic nationalities and the Rule of Law in the polity, jointly shared by all ethnic nationalities that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is in the spirit of this solidarity that we join the Ijaw Nation in celebrating the 56th Boro Day in honour of late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, whose gallantry in 1966 placed the plight of Nigeria’s minority ethnic nationalities on the national agenda. We need more Isaac Adaka Boros in Nigeria.


Nigeria is currently facing an existential crisis engineered by the failure of its leaders to successfully grapple with the problems of nation-building in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious polity. Over the past two decades, the federal government has systematically forfeited its responsibility of safeguarding the well-being and security of Nigerians, as Fulani herdsmen, bandits and terrorists have become a parallel government in the country, especially in several communities in the northern states of Nigeria where kidnapping, raping and killing of thousands of persons with some of them be-headed and burnt alive, have become an accepted practice. Several indigenous ethnic nationalities in central Nigeria, especially in Benue and Plateau states, have been forced into internal refugee camps as the invading Fulani herdsmen, bandits and terrorists have seized their farmlands and villages. We are in solidarity with these indigenous ethnic nationalities, and other ethnic nationalities across Nigeria that are experiencing similar actions of internal colonization.


This leadership failure is replicated in all 36 states of the Federation and the 774 local government councils, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The challenges that confront us in Nigeria are located in the gross failure of two mutually reinforcing properties that have conspired to mismanage and embezzle the wealth of the nation, and impoverish the citizens in the process. These are the elected/appointed political leaders and traditional rulers that constitute the ruling politico-military class. The second category consists of a proportion of the citizenry that is vociferous in its defense of corrupt politico-military leaders at all levels of government. The critique of poor leadership by the conscious citizenry is dismissed as “dissident” and “mischievous” by the politico-military class, a stratagem to silence reason and logic in policy formulation and to impose anti-democratic regime in the polity. The ruling governing parties, at local, state, and federal levels, irrespective of their ideological strips, employ scores of senior special advisers whose primary assignment is to literally expel the bearers of objective criticism from the public space, by tagging them as the “enemies” of the state. We condemn this state sanctioned practice that stifles debate as an agent of critical thinking and social development. When governing political parties suddenly become the custodians of knowledge and wisdom in a polity, democracy and ethics begin to lose their values in that polity.