The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Okpe Union held an Emergency Meeting to discuss the approach of Orerokpe High Court, Delta State, by former President General of the Okpe Union, Okakuro Robert Onome, to declare him as President General of the Okpe Union. In the suit filed by Okakuro Robert Onome (Suit No. HOR/M/2/2024), the court is being asked to interpret the judgement of the Federal High Court which was delivered on the 19th of January, 2023 in the suit filed by the Prof. Igho Natufe led National Executive Council of the Okpe Union in May, 2022 (Suit No. FHC/L/CS/603/2022). The judgement of the Federal High Court granted all the reliefs sought which include: 1. Declaration that the purported dissolution of the elected National Executive Council of Okpe Union by HRM Orhue I, Orodje of Okpe was illegal and of no effect whatsoever; 2. Nullification of the Illegal Interim EXCO headed by Prof. Emrobome Idolor; and 3. An order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Imposed Interim, their privies and all those who derived authority from their actions, from acting in any capacity in the Okpe Union.
NEC noted with regret that it took over a year for the Palace of the Orodje and a group led by Okakuro Joseph Aboze to whom the Illegal Interim EXCO handed over, to finally accept to comply with the judgement of the Federal High Court.
NEC also expressed shock that to further distabilise the Okpe Union, the same group of persons who orchestrated the previous distabilisation of the Okpe Union have put together another plot with an approach to the State High Court, Orerokpe, requesting the court to interpret the Federal High Court, Lagos Judgement for the Prof. Igho Natufe EXCO of the Okpe Union and declare former President General, Okakuro Robert Onome as President General.
NEC desires to give a summary of the issues since the event of 3rd October, 2020 to date so that the Okpe public would be abreast with the developments from the onset and the undercurrents.
On the 3rd of October, 2020, for reasons best known to HRM Orhue I, Orodje of Okpe, he invited some leaders of the Okpe Union (under the leadership of Okakuro Robert Onome) to the Orodje’s palace where he read out a declaration that he was dissolving the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union and imposing his own Interim EXCO on the union and banning all members of the then EXCO from getting involved in any leadership position of the Okpe Union for two years. Of the then membership of the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union, only Okakuro Robert Onome accepted the dissolution declaration by picking up the microphone and pledged his support for the Imposed Interim EXCO.
Having abdicated the office of President General, by the operation of the Okpe Union Constitution, the next in hierarchy, Mr. Patrick Akpotor assumed the office of Acting President General and led the EXCO to complete the tenure after the General Assembly (the highest decision making organ of the union, held on the 14th of November, 2020), set up an Electoral Committee that conducted elections which the Prof. Igho Natufe led EXCO became elected as the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union on the 15th of May, 2021.
As the Illegally imposed Interim EXCO were still parading themselves as the National leadership of the Okpe Union, in spite of several attempts by eminent Okpe nationals to mediate and recommend to the palace not to interfere with the administration of the Okpe Union, the elected National Executive Council led by Prof. Igho Natufe was left with no other options but to approach the Federal High Court, Lagos (suit No. FHC/L/CS/603/2022), in attempt to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, Okakuro Robert Onome and some others teamed up with the Illegal Interim EXCO to approach the Corporate Affairs Commission to appoint a Board of Trustees for the Okpe Union as the previous trustees had all passed on. The legitimate NEC led by Prof. Igho Natufe had already commenced the process of regularising the affairs of the union with the CAC which included the process of appointing trustees with an application to the Federal High Court, Lagos. The Illegal Interim, funded heavily by some Palace chiefs, got ahead through the backdoor and surreptitiously procured a new Certificate of Registration with a Board of Trustees that included Okakuro Robert Onome. The elected NEC was however steadfast with the judicial redress believing that the wheel of justice grinds slowly but surely. After nine months, the Federal High Court, Lagos gave judgment/victory to the elected Prof. Igho Natufe led NEC. To ensure that the Board of Trustees and Certificate procured through the backdoor was not employed to further distabilise the Okpe Union, the court validated Prof. Igho Natufe EXCO had to approach the Federal High Court, Abuja (which was earlier used by the Illegal Interim EXCO to legalise their backdoor Board of Trustees/Certificate), so that the same court would vacate the earlier empowering order and nullify the trustees and certificate. On the 30th of April, 2024, the Federal High Court, Abuja gave its Ruling (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/395) and nullified the Board of Trustees/Certificate and ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to expunge them (including Okakuro Robert Onome) from the records of the Okpe Union with the CAC.
As NEC is shocked by the current moves of Okakuro Robert Onome to undermine the stability of the Okpe Union, NEC points out to all Okpe people that, the case is res judicata as it had already been decided by a court of competent jurisdiction. A court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot sit on appeal or entertain any facts different from the facts that were laid before the court that had given the judgement. For the sake of emphasis, in paragraph 17&18 of the Affidavit with which the Federal High Court, Lagos gave the Okpe Union Autonomy Judgement on the 19th of January, 2023, it was clearly averred that Prof. Igho Natufe was the elected President General whose EXCO instituted the suit. Okakuro Robert Onome is a stranger to that case and can therefore not claim the benefit of a suit that he had battled against, along with the Illegal Interim EXCO. But in any case, the previous tenure which began in November, 2016 (with a four year tenure) was a collective one of the EXCO and not that of one man.
*Resolutions of the NEC*.
After reviewing the embarrassing developments since the unfortunate purported dissolution of 3rd October, 2020 till date and especially the attempt to further distabilise the Okpe Union with the Orerokpe High Court suit, the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union resolves as follows:
- NEC calls on all Okpe nationals to endeavor to be fully aware of the developments about the Okpe Union and do everything to protect its autonomy. Being the umbrella membership ethnic organisation of the Okpe Nation which has played several historical roles in the making of the modern Okpe Nation (including the restoration of the Okpe monarchy in 1945), Okpe people cannot afford to allow it to be captured for selfish personal or political purposes.
- NEC calls on the Udogun Okpe to be alive to its historical and strategic role of stabilising traditional administration of the Okpe Nation. The Okpe people continue to recognise the unique status of the Udogun and its capacity to ensure that Okpe Kingdom is administered within the traditional doctrine of consultative, democratic, and limited monarchy as opposed to despotic systems inherited by some other kingdoms in Nigeria and the African continent. Indeed, Udogun Okpe is a chamber of sober reflections and not a rubber-stamp of an Orodje as Okpe people expect her to play a pivotal role of checks and balances on the Orodje’s policies.
- NEC calls on Okakuro Robert Onome to withdraw his legally baseless and irrational suit at the Orerokpe High Court. He is reminded that NEC is in possession of videos of his accompanying the nullified Illegal Interim EXCO in Press Conferences and also in possession of the audio recording of the 3rd October, 2020 event in which he abdicated office. For reasons of preserving the integrity of revered institutions, NEC has resolved not to let the latter one out. NEC shall recommend to the next General Assembly of the Okpe Union the expunging of the name of Okakuro Robert Onome from the list of former officials of the Okpe Union where he fails to accede to this advice.
- NEC calls for unity of all Okpe nationals and institutions to build an Okpe Nation of synergy, peace and development. The current National leadership of the Okpe Union pledges to continue working with all to achieve so much more and make the Okpe Nation great again as it occupies its place of pride in the comity of Ethnic Nationalities in Delta State, Niger Delta and Nigeria.
*SIGNED:*
*Prof. Igho Natufe*, President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide).
*Barr. Kingsley Ehensiri Akpederin*, General Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide).
*Mrs. Atarhe Abuh*, National Publicity Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide).