I Have No Hand In Ugborodo Crisis – Otuaro

Delta State Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro has debunked claims that he was behind the current crisis rocking oil rich but strife torn Ugborodo community in Warri South-West Local Government of Delta State.

He spoke in reaction to allegations from some quarters that he was behind the crisis and had made moves to install Benson Omadeli, the Olaja-Orori of Ugborodo as “King of Ugborodo Kingdom”.

Otuaro who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Communication and Press, Mr. Bulou Kosin in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, described the purported claims as “baseless as they are unfortunate and wonders if the peddlers intended their audience to believe the lies”.

The statement read in part; “I am an Ijaw man from Gbaramatu Kingdom and have no hand in the Ugborodo communal crisis. The people of Gbaramatu Kingdom see the Itsekiri people of Ugborodo as immediate neighbors and brothers and have lived with them in peace for a long time.

“History bears testimony that as a person, I, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, championed peace between the Ijaw and entire Itsekiri nation which includes Ugborodo, during the inter-ethnic Warri crisis that eventually brought peace since 2004.

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“Since assumption of office as Deputy Governor, I have continued to traverse riverside Ijaw and Itsekiri communities in search of peace in promotion of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s SMART Agenda to attract government attention and investors to the areas which need peace for rapid development.

“The unfortunate internal crisis in Ugborodo is known to predate the incumbent Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration in which I am the Deputy Governor. It is therefore patently unfair for anybody to create mischief holding Otuaro out as being behind the Ugborodo internal crisis.

“Those familiar with the method for recognising another King from a Kingdom know that there are procedures to be religiously followed and these involve several stakeholders. For the avoidance of doubt, there are no moves overtly or covertly supported by Barr. Otuaro to make anybody “King of Ugborodo Kingdom”.

“While the general public is hereby informed to disregard the allegations, I wish to appeal on behalf of the Delta State Government to all communities in the State to pursue peace and good neighbourliness for development”.

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