Ugborodo Community Council of Elders

Your Excellency

Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR

President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Aso Villa

Abuja

Sir,

REBUTAL TO MISLEADING PUBLICATIONS SIGNED BY THOMAS METSEAGARRUN, PA DOUGLAS G. OMAGBEMI AND PA PASCO ORITSEGBAMI WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION

Your Excellency, it’s most unfortunate that some persons fail to realize the magnitude of challenges, particularly in terms of security and economy, your administration is confronted with at this critical time in the history of Our Dear Country.

Attempting to trivialize the exalted Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with open letters (advertorials) filled with innuendos, falsehood and calculated attempt to rewrite judicial/traditional history, is most unfortunate and an abuse of freedom of expression.

We realize the enormity of the daily challenges you are confronted with, hence no need to distract you with trivialities. We are mindful of the fact that lies told repeatedly tend to look like truth in the eyes of innocent people and this has made it incumbent on us to set the records straight, regarding two open letters (advertorials) published In the Vanguard Newspaper of Saturday and Monday January 13 and 15 respectively. The advertorials were purportedly authored by Pa. Douglas G. Omagbemi, Pa. Pasco Oritsegbami and the self-styled Hon. Thomas Metseagharun.

We wish to categorically state as follows:

*We have it on good authority that Benson Dube Omadeli is author of the open letters with criminal intent addressed to you, Mr. President and published in Vanguard Newspaper in the afore-said dates. The said Benson Dube Omadeli has been declared wanted by the Police in respect of the murder of one Samuel Mayomi, who was killed August 22, 2017 at Kpokpo River near Madangho in Ugborodo Community, Warri South-West Local Government Area in Delta State. It is apparent that this wanted man is orchestrating the advertorials with the sole aim of winning public sympathy based on the criminal allegation dangling on his neck.

*We wish to restate that Benson Omadeli does not have power over other family lineages in Ugborodo Community. The leadership of Ugborodo Community is vested on the Eghare-Aja of Ugborodo, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Elders. Benson Omadeli is acting on his own and he is not representing the position/interest of Ugborodo People.

*The three signatories of the afore-said advertorials (open letters) have no authority or mandate to sign any publication in the name of Ugborodo Community, particularly when it has to do with the use of the Community Letter Head. Hon. Thomas Metseagharun is neither a member of Ugborodo Council of Elders, nor member of Ugborodo Traditional Council. One of the signatories, Pa. Pasco Oritsegbami, who is a member of Ugborodo Traditional Council/Council of Elders, has since told us that his signature was exported from another source and used for the advertorial, while Pa. Douglas Omagbemi is not a member of Ugborodo Traditional Council. This is a criminal offence as far as the 1999 constitution of Nigeria is concerned and we shall take the necessary legal step against Hon. Thomas Metseagharun and Pa. Douglas Omagbemi. 

*The entire contents in the two advertorials should be totally ignored, because they do not reflect the wishes of the authorities (Council of Elders) of Ugborodo Community.

*Ugborodo Community is part and parcel of Warri Kingdom under the over-lordship of the Olu of Warri.

*The fact that the Olu of Warri does not install the Olare-Aja for other Itsekiri communities like Okere and even the Chief Priest of Orugbo, doesn’t mean they are not under the over-lordship of the Olu of Warri.

*The Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli has been working round the clock to ensure that peace and unity reign in his domain, particularly in Ugborodo Community.

*The claim that Olaja means a king, is absolute falsehood and targeted at misleading the unsuspecting public: Olaja-Orori (Chief Priest) is the head of the quarter where the Orori (shrine) is situated and serviced. Olaja-Orori is not Olaja-Ugborodo, but Chief Priest of a particular quarter and as such, he is not a king! Ugborodo Community has seven (7) family lineages (quarters) and Olaja-Orori quarters is one of the seven quarters that make up Ugborodo traditional lineages, so it will mean we will have seven Kings in Ugborodo Community alone in Warri Kingdom, if Olaja-Orori claims to be a King. Of the seven traditional lineages, we have the Olaja-Orori, the Abome, the Koromini, the Oyen, the Eloko, the Kokolojo and the Omideye quarters and these are all independent of each other traditionally.

*Mr. President Sir, permit us to implore you not to be swayed by the lies of signatories of the advertorials that they are members of the All Progressives Congress, APC. They are not members of the APC, but people with questionable characters looking for leeway to escape justice.

*The Presidency and indeed the general public should absolutely disregard the mischievously and criminally concocted advertorials (open letters) particularly due to the fact that the signatories are not executive members of Ugborodo Community and not mandated to do so.

*With the above explanations, we call on the Federal and Delta State Governments through the relevant security agencies to wade in without delay with a view to bringing the impostors to justice, before they cause another bloodletting in Ugborodo Community.

*We want to appeal to the Federal and Delta State Governments to ensure that all those connected with the gruesome murder of Samuel Mayomi as well as those involved in illegal bunkering/pipeline vandalism (etc.) are apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law.

                                                                   Signed:

For & on Behalf of the

Executive/ Members of Ugborodo Community Council of Elders

×