The people of Okpe have been urged to wake up from their apparent slumber to develop their ancient kingdom.
The charge was contained in a statement issued in Lagos by the Secretary General of Okpe Union Worldwide, Mr. Henry Ebireri.
The union secretary who berated Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration for abandoning many projects in Okpe kingdom, accused the governor of lack of commitment towards the take-off of the four new Polytechnics in Delta State, two years after he inaugurated a six-man planning Committee to work out modalities on the take-off of the Institutions.
“Effective leadership is not about speeches or being liked. Leadership is defined by results, not attributes. Good governance is defined not by rhetoric but by actions translated to development projects” he argued.
Continuing, he said the action of Governor Uduaghan on the abandonment of projects amounts to a great damage to the people and the kingdom, maintaining that the high level of unemployment and poverty in the kingdom would have been reduced if the market and other abandoned projects have been completed to provide economic opportunities for the people as well as reduce the cost of transporting goods from the villages to the major towns in the kingdom and the state.
He appealed to the governor to place immense premium on human capital development, saying it constitutes the catalyst for development in all ramifications, while extending similar appeal to the Federal government to establish an institution of higher learning in Orerokpe.
“This will contribute immensely to the rapid development of the area. Orerokpe has been a local government headquarters since 1933, yet no Federal presence”.
He advised the governor to gather around him Okpe men and women who will add value to good governance and also look beyond politics and greed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
Specifically, he advised the Commissioner of Housing, Chief Paulinus Akpeki to think of how to provide decent and affordable housing for the people.
He also advised the Commissioner of Higher Education, Dr. Hope Eghagha to ensure the take-off of Sapele Polytechnic and the expansion of the existing overseas postgraduate scholarship schemes to accommodate Okpe people.
Furthermore, he called on the former chairman of the Sapele Okpe Community, Mr. Michael Egbejule and others to withdraw their case from court, answer questions on allegations of financial misconduct levelled against them and allow the conduct of a fresh election into the executive committee.