Sapele/Okpe community leadership crisis

By Godwin Oghre Sapele—As the Sapele/Okpe, Delta State, community leadership crisis degenerates,   its embattled Chairman, Mr. Moses Ogodo, yesterday, urged the people of the area to ignore rumours of his purported sack from office by the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orue I, as well as the claim that he had dragged  the monarch to court over his purported removal  from office.
He said: “I remain Chairman of Sapele/Okpe community and I did not drag the Orodje to court.  The rumours are the orchestrations of busy bodies seeking cheap relevance.” Responding to media reports on the leadership crisis rocking the community, he said, “The monarch is a lawyer, who knows the position of  suit no S/90/2011, by which my executive was restrained from conducting elections until the matter is concluded by a Delta State High Court sitting in Sapele, presided over by Justice Godwin Gbemre. The Orodje himself sent the current Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Monday Igbuya,  Chief Michael  Omuvwie (oldest chief in Okpe land), and the Secretary to the Odogun of Okpe, Chief  Edeminaha,  for an adjournment of three months, to enable him resolve the matter. “At the expiration of the three months adjournment, Chief Omuvwie returned to inform the court that the Orodje could not settle the matter. Justice Gbemre, therefore, discharged the delegates and the case continued. We have all the records of the proceedings upon application to the court. So I remain the Chairman of Sapele/Okpe community by the order of the court. So, why is Chief Thomson Okpoko, who is a one-time President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, advising the Orodje wrongly? We have written him and in the next few days we will address a press conference to let the entire world know why he and others want me out.”