Stop Parading Yourself as Emadadja PG, Elders warn Jedje

The Elders and leaders of the oil-rich Emadadja Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State has warned one Mr. Emmanuel Jedje to desist from parading himself as President General of the community, affirming that the only person duly selected and sworn in by consensus is Mr. Daniel Keleju Ovedje, stressing that any act of rascality of self imposition shall be resisted by the community.

In a letter addressed to the Ovie of Udu Kingdom, HRM Owhorhu 1 and signed by the Most Elderly man (Okpakorere) of Emadadja Community, Papa Ladja Pribowei and most elderly men of the other quarters in the town including, Papa Philip Ebah Brosu for Ighwreni quarters, Papa Akpovoka Ohwajechon for Ator quarters and Ekuruemu Uron for Ekrovie quarters, the elders expressed ‘’dismay and gross disappointment over an announcement in the State-owned DRTV/Radio suggesting a purported inauguration of a new President General for Emadadja Community in the person of one Mr. Emmanuel Jedje, an incident that is capable of breaching the peace and causing chaos, anarchy and a break-down of law and order if not checked immediately.

‘’The President General of Emadadja Community who was duly elected/selected by popular decision, and eventually sworn in for a single tenure of three years in April 2019 in the Community Town Hall and in line with the Community Constitution is Mr. Daniel Keleju Ovedje. The Television/Radio announcement therefore came to the community with rude shock as nothing happened to warrant any change in government. The purported inauguration of Mr. Emmanuel Jedje in his bedroom by a handful of his friends is therefore a nullity, a ruthless affront on the constitution of the community and a slap on the face of the Community Elders and Leaders who have all accepted the leadership of Mr. Daniel Ovedje.

‘’Granted that in April, there were misunderstandings with regards the family that should produce the President General. The matter became so complicated that an appeal was made to the authority of Udu Local Government Council to wade in for peace to reign. A meeting was held for the purpose of resolving the logjam on Tuesday April 30, 2019 at the Council Secretariat with the Council Chairman, Chief Jite Brown presiding, and the community elders, youths and opinion leaders in attendance. At the meeting Emadadja reaffirmed that the position of President General was zoned to the Esomorho, Ovuerhi and Ikreni families that constitute Ighwreni quarters, and that Esomorho had earlier produced the immediate past Secretary General while Ovuerhi had produced PG of the community in the past. The Secretary and PG being the principal positions in the community must revolve round the families for equity sake. Based on this discovery, the meeting resolved that Ikreni family should produce the new President General. This decision was accepted by all and the new President General from Ikreni family, Mr. Daniel Ovedje was duly sworn in same day at the community town hall together with other members of the executive in the full glare of the entire community.

‘’Since then, Mr. Daniel Keleju Ovedje had been in charge of the community as President General. We are therefore appalled that five months after the new executive settled down, Mr. Emmanuel Jedje of the Esemorho family could stage a despicable move towards foisting a parallel executive on the community in a gestapo manner and without the knowledge of the Community elders and leaders. There are no leadership problems in the community. The people are at peace with the current administration under Mr. Daniel Ovedje and we cannot tolerate any act capable of provoking avoidable unrest and crisis in the community reminiscent of what happened in 2004 which resulted in the death of three persons and destruction of property worth millions of naira, an incident the community has not fully recovered from.

‘’We use this medium to appeal to His Highness to call Mr. Emmanuel Jedje to order as his action is direct invitation to chaos. Nobody takes the leadership of Emadadja Community by force but by consensus. The community has since put the issue of succession to the community leadership behind them and we cannot entertain any act of rebellion and primitive rascality of this nature capable of undermining the Community Constitution.

‘’For the umpteenth time, we wish to reiterate that the only President General of Emadadja Community known to the Elders, Leaders, and people of the community is MR DANIEL KELEJU OVEDJE. Anyone parading himself as one is a usurper, a reprobate merchant of confusion and a coup plotter. Such should be dealt with by the relevant security agents to serve as deterrent to others of like minds and for the peace of Emadadja Community’’, the elders declared.

Others who signed the letter are Mr. Power Ughwe, spokesman to the Council of Elders, Mr. Bernard Rhaphie, Secretary, Council of Elders and Papa Stephen Evwrirhe, Assistant Secretary, Council of Elders.

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