The National President of the Traditional Chiefs of Urhobo Land Association, TCULA, Chief Joe Orode Omene has reacted to a recent communique issued by the Forum of Urhobo Kings “Ukoko r’ivie,” under the leadership of His Royal Majesty Dr Emmanuel Sideso, OON, Abe I, Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, banning all forms of parallel Chieftaincy Association in Urhobo Land.
The Forum of Urhobo Kings, in a statement through their spokesman, His Royal Majesty, Obukowho Monday Whiskey, Udurhie 1, the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom, said they do not have any group called Traditional Chiefs of Urhobo Land Association, insisting that no Urhobo Chief is allowed outside his Kingdom to form a parallel chieftaincy association.
In an interview with journalists, the National President of the Traditional Chiefs of Urhobo Land Association, Chief Omene said the Association will continue to exist, adding that only the Government has such powers to dissolve an Association.
He explained that the Traditional Chiefs of Urhobo Land Association, TCULA, was registered with the Cooperate Affairs Commission, “the Government is aware. They don’t have the right to disband it, no! they don’t have the right,” he said, insisting that the Association is ready to take legal action against any King trying to stop them from exercising their constitutional rights.
“Nigeria has a constitution. The constitution is binding on all of us. You cannot wake up to say Urhobo Kings we want to do something that is against the constitution of Nigeria. We have right to associate freely in this country.”
