Lagos – The Federal and Delta State governments have been urged to adequately reward Niger Delta indigenes under the aegis of the Okpe Union with appointments and siting of projects in the area as compensation for its contributions to national economy.
The National President General of the Union, Patrick Akpotor and General Secretary, Kingsley Edesirin Akpederin made the appeal at a World Press conference held shortly at it’s National headquarters in Lagos.
According to the duo, the delegates at the national conference and General Assembly appealed to the Federal Government to adequately reward Okpe people, being one of the highest oil and gas producing ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region.
It appealed to the Federal Government to upgrade the Sapele Technical College, one of the oldest in the country to a Federal University or Polytechnic to create capacity among the teeming youths of the area and generate employment.
The delegates also urged the Delta State government to complete the Delta State Polytechnic, Elume, Sapele, which construction began during the administration of immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan.
In a communique read by the President to newsmen, “The delegates also declared that the Union was neither factionalised nor at loggerheads with any group or individuals”.
It frowned on the recent imposition of some persons as interim leaders of the Okpe Union, who it said, were given unauthorised powers to preside over the affairs of the union for two years and unanimously rejected the imposition of the interim leaders.
“Delegates at the conference noted that without prejudice to anyone whom the authority to usurp the powers of the duly elected National Executive Committee was derived, the 2020 National Conference, which is the highest decision making organ of the Okpe Union mandated the national leadership to communicate resolutions reached at the conference held on November 14, 2020,” the communiqué reads.
The delegates however passed a vote of confidence on the Patrick Akpotor-led executive and rejected the purported dissolution of the union’s National Executive Council and the imposition of a nine-member interim National Executive Council for two years, insisting that it was unconstitutional, illegal and null and void.
They also nominated 15 Okpe indigenes to be recommended to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as members of its Board of Trustees (BoT) and extended the tenure of the current leadership by five months, as well as nominated a five-man electoral committee to conduct a credible, free and fair election in compliance with the Okpe Union’s constitution and the wishes of majority of Okpe people.
The delegates also gave the present national executive members additional six months to organize a befitting, free and fair national election to usher in new executives.
