Okpe leaders in Delta State have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to open up different areas in the southern parts of the country which have good seaports to decongest Lagos and ease the gridlock in the Nation’s commercial capital.
‘’On the economy, now is the time to look at opening up different areas in the southern parts of the country which have good seaports to decongest Lagos and ease the gridlock in the Nation’s commercial capital,” the leaders said at the end of a meeting held in Lagos at the weekend.
“One Seaport that will help achieve this is the Sapele Natural Harbour which from Colonial times is renowned for its advantages of being one of the few freshwater ports in Africa. The reopening of the Sapele Seaport as well as others in the South-south region will be a definite solution to the ports crisis in the Country.’’
They also called on Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to revisit the suspension of the establishment of the only higher institution in Okpeland which is the proposed Sapele Polytechnic, at Elume.
The polytechnic construction began during the administration of former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan but was suspended by the current administration.
At a meeting, the leaders called on the Government of Delta State to look into the issue of the inadequate number of public secondary schools in Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas.
‘’The large town of Orerokpe with its population has only one Government Secondary School. The entire stretch of communities from Okurighwre, Amuokpe, Igbeku (Old Sapele/Warri Road) up to Ibadan Elume in Sapele Local Government Area has only Okpe Grammar School with the only other secondary school near this area, Eziafa Grammar School being far into Eku/Abraka Road.”
“Parents who are unable to afford private schools for their Wards, therefore, find it difficult to afford the huge transport costs. We, therefore, call for the immediate establishment of more Government Secondary Schools in Okpe kingdom.’’
In a State of the Okpe Union address by Patrick Akpotor, outgoing President General, Okpe Union, the leaders enjoined the chairmen of Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas to work with communities to enhance the effectiveness of the Vigilante neighbourhood security arrangements in order to improve the security of Okpeland.
The leaders recalled how Okpe Union started in Lagos.
‘’Assembling here by the Okpe people began under a mango tree for Okpe dance practices at the early times of British governance of Nigeria until the Okpe people organised themselves into a formal Union of the Okpe people.”
“They were able to acquire the land of the epic mango tree by purchase decades later and on the land, the founding fathers of the Okpe Union planned the future progress of the Okpe Nation including the resuscitation of the Okpe Monarchy of the Orodje throne we are assembled here today.’’
They urged members and branches to be steadfast.
