Attempt to Imposed Opuoru as Commissioner: Warri group fingers Uduaghan, Otumara

DELTA—–A Warri political pressure group, Warri Urhobo Political Forum, (WUPF) has accused a former commissioner for Delta State Oil Producing Areas (DESOPADEC) Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru for allegedly out again with another sinister agenda to pull prominent Urhobo-Warri leaders down in order to curry favour from the Okowa’s led government.

Mr. Opuoru  according to them who was compensated with DESOPADEC job by former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, for using him to fight Urhobos of Warri and to do other dirty jobs, is allegedly being used by the former commissioner for health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, to undermine the Warri-Urhobos and consequently displaced them in Okowa’s government.

In statement by the group signed by Hon. Festus Ighereruo, Hon. Paul Jessa, Mr. Joseph Omosowhofa, and six others, they Mr. Opuoru as being disloyal to the PDP and leaders of the Party in Warri-Urhobo

According to them, Opuoru has allegedly engaged some feeble minded youths of Okere Urhobo community to blackmail and assassinate the character of Urhobo Warri political leaders, especially Chief Emmanuel Okumagba simply because he was not nominated by his people to represent them in the new government.

They added that to achieve his devious aim, he has employed the service of some Okere Urhobo youths, allegedly led by the former CDC Chairman of Okere Urhobo, Mr. Emmanuel Eminokaju, a former Personal Assistant to Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, when he was Chairman of SPEB to malign the name of Chief Okumagba, through malicious media publications.

The group alleged further that another Surrogate of Mr. Opuoru, in his infertile plot is one Mr. Alex Eda, former transition committee member who benefited greatly from the political and economic benevolence of Chief Emmanuel Okumagba are the same people the thuggish ex-commissioner is using to fight the Urhobo Warri Political leader.

According to the group, “Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru is being used and sponsored by Dr. Joseph Otumara and former Governor Uduaghan to cause problem in Okere Urhobo community and that is what he and Otumara are doing today just because he wanted to be nominated and return as a commissioner.

“In order to come back, he must blackmail and fight his people to achieve his aim. The fact that Opuoru and his cohorts are not nominated this time around should not be a basis for them to bring the name of our leader to
disrepute.”

The group also gave example of the former commissioner’s disloyalty to the party leadership when “he physically assaulted LGA Party Chairman – Hon. Amah Agbajor in December 2013 and insulted our political leader –
Chief Emmanuel Okumagba for having the temerity to appoint him Chairman of a committee to organize a reception by Warri Urhobos for Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and his deputy Barr. Kingsley Otuaro.”

They stated further that Mr Opuoru has also spent 28yrs of his life in the United State of America with nothing to show for it.

The group asked if a man with such pedigree of violence and uncoordinated lifestyle “is the kind of person Deltans want as commissioner?”

“Yet this is the person Dr. Joseph Otumara and some Itsekiris leaders are pushing at all cost in order to cause confusion amongst the Urhobos of Warri.”

The group therefore called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and leaders of PDP in the state to shun any attempt by Otumara and his selfish gang to impose Matthew Opuoru on them, because it will be highly resisted.

They also alleged that Opuoru does not have the requisite educational qualification, to qualify him as a commissioner; yet he was appointed by the former governor Uduaghan, in order to cause problem amongst the people of Okere-Urhobo community.