January
BENIN CITY – THE people of Uzea Kingdom in Esan North East local government area of Edo State have alleged marginalisaton by their supposed ancestral brother, Uromi and have called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to help correct the marginalisation they have suffered over the years.
A letter to Obaseki on behalf of the people signed by Dr Sunday Oseiweh Ogbeide claimed that Uromi has used its population advantage to suppress them citing an instances where he said it is Uromi that has produced their representative in the state house of assembly and the chairman of the council for the past 23 years despite the two kingdoms have separate traditional institutions and kings.
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He said the primary schools serving the nine villages that make up Uzea were built in 1955 by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo when he was Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.
He said “It is also true that statistically, Uromi’s population far outnumbered the population of Uzea. But irrespective of the population disparity, should the Uzea kingdom be allowed to go into extinction?
“Take for instance, in Uzea, there is no electricity, no roads, no market, no secondary school, no functional primary healthcare centres, and the only available primary schools are non -functional and are dilapidated in most of its nine (9) large communities. These primary schools were built and founded in 1955 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory, who was then the premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.“Esan North East is one of the privileged Local Government Areas in Edo State with two constituency seats in the Edo State House Assembly. The constituency I seat of the Edo State House of Assembly has been occupied by the Uromi for the past 23 years. The constituency Il seat of the Edo State House of Assembly (where Uzea kingdom is), has also been occupied by the Uromi for the past 23 years. The position of the elected Chairman of the Local Government Council seat, has been occupied by Uromi for the past 23 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.
“Against this backdrop, we hope and do earnestly expect that the Seat of the next Local Government Council Chairman of Esan North East Local Government Area, be zoned to Uzea on the basis of justice, fairness and equity.”
10, 2022
