By Sunday Apah - Ughelli
Town unions are increasingly becoming important in the development of the nation at the grassroots. This is more so given structure of the Nigerian federation in which the government at the centre controls a very large part of the country’s resources.
It was in the bid to realise the objectives of town union that the people of Ughievwen Clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday January 25 held her rescheduled Annual Conference/Election, which saw Olorogun Michael Akponokan emerging the new president general of the clan.
Others who were elected along Akponokan were Chief Okuna Dafiaghor, Vice president general; Mrs. Daji Eunice Okoh-Oguma, secretary-general; Chief Michael Badiama, assistant secretary-general; Peter Muayor, treasurer; Abel Ejiro, financial secretary; Samuel Djevwudu, social secretary; Sunny Djoma, auditor; Abraham Erhuen, legal adviser. Others elected were Chief Dickson Aghwarhievwie, public relations officer; Chief Andrew Majemite, ex-officio; John Kpekpeduke, ex-officio, and Chief Edward Ugbudia, ex-officio.
In his address during the conference held at Oginibo town, Ukpedi Kingdom, immediate past president-general of the clan, Chief Bernard Jamaho, stated that his emergence as president-general of Ughievwen Union in 2006 was as a result of the failure of the then led Olorogun Luman Gbemre administration to convene a meeting of Ughievwen Union for over two years.
He explained, “At the time we came on board, the people of Ughievwen had almost forgotten that they have a union. Our task, therefore, was to bring back the Ughievwen Union to the consciousness of every Ughievwen son and daughter. We came into office as orphans but today the Ughievwen Union’s name is now a household name in Urhobo, Delta, Nigeria as well as in the United Kingdom and United States of America.” He added, “That the Ughievwen Union hoisted its flag for the first time in the U.S.A. was made possible by Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, who single-handedly sponsored my trip to the Urhobo Progress Union conference in August, 2013”.
Jamaho noted that his administration’s first achievement was the championing of the campaign of the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Prof. Amos Utuama, in his joint ticket with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan during the 2007 governorship election, adding that another major stride of his administration was the convocation of an annual conference in February 2008, which created led to the launch of the Ughievwen Multi-Purpose Unity Hall project, which he saidUduaghan attended.
Jamaho said, “out of the money realised during the launch, the union bought a three-acre parcel of land opposite the Ughelli South Local Government secretariat with the total expenditure for same amounting to N7, 770,000.00. The union also released the sum of N4,500,000.00 to the building committee set up on the orders of Prof. Amos Utuama, SAN, Deputy Governor, Delta State, which committee has Dr. Adogbeji Ideh as the chairman and Olorogun Emmanuel Bikogha as secretary. The building committee could hardly build the hall up to DPC level despite the colossal sum given to it”.
He stated that his administration embarked on trips to Port Harcourt and Asaba branches of the union, the swearing-in of the deputy governor, the inauguration of the Technical Committee on Niger Delta at the Presidential Villa, with Jamaho as member and the swearing-in of Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi as Minister of State for Education at the Presidential Villa for the advancement of the union.
In his maiden speech, Akponokan stated that he felt very happy to have been elected-president general of Ughievwen Union. He thanked the people of Ughievwen in the United Kingdom, especially Gbagi, for giving them the opportunity to serve.
Akponokan assured that the new executive would do their best to bring about quality leadership to the Ughievwen people, adding that they have a lot to do to unite the four kingdoms created out of Ughievwen clan.
According to him, “In the actual fact, we have a lot to do. The new executive has a purpose and that purpose is to unite the four kingdoms already created. We want to see how we can appeal to the state government and other authorities to give staff office to the four kings. It is paramount because we have having been lagging behind. I believe that if we maintain the four kingdoms, we will be able to bring development to the people”.
In his remarks, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, former Minister of Education for State, said, “In 2007, when it was very glaring to the authority of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the party governorship primary election could no longer be held at Asaba for security reasons, the venue was shifted to Ogwashi-Uku and it was successfully done there”.
He added, “Also the recent Delta Central Senatorial eye-election was shifted from Ughelli to Asaba for security reasons, so I see nothing wrong in shifting the Ughievwen conference to Oginibo, one of the towns of Ughievwen clan”.
Olorogun Wilson Esha, chairman of the conference, in his speech, while advising the newly elected executive to always consult before taking important decisions, he urged the Ughievwen people to support the new executive.
He thanked the Ughievwen people for maintaining peace during the election. He urged the newly elected president-general and other members of the executive to always carry the people along in course of discharging their duties.
The conference was attended by community chairmen, youth leaders, women and president-generals of the four United Kingdoms.