By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The president-general of Otogor community, traditional headquarters of the ancient Ogor Kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. U.K. Emmanuel Tobi Ediri, has inaugurated the community youth executive, task force committee and other committees to aid his leadership pilot the affairs of the community.
Addressing elders, chiefs, women and youths at the community town hall, at a meeting attended by representatives of the Area Commander, Ughelli Police Station, the Divisional Police Officer, Ughelli Police Station, “A” Division, the Army Commander, 222 Battalion, Agabarha-Otor, DSS and others, the Otogor president-general said, “The truth is that, community leadership is more strenuous than corporate governance. This is because it’s grassroot based. You are always together with the people you are leading everyday.
“This is why we have decided according to our constitution to inaugurate youth executive members, task force committee and other committees to help us pilot the daily affairs of administration in the community. This is also to create a sense of belonging to everybody in the community.
“Leadership is not one man’s business. We must join hands together to achieve our objectives and goals faster in this leadership. This is the essence of creating the different committees. I want to enjoin all the chairmen of the sdifferent committees to oversee the activities of their various committees and to always report same to us as the head of administration in the community,” he said.
Speaking before the inauguration of the committees, the DPO, Ughelli Police Station, “A” Division, CSP Asaneayi Ibok, urged members of the various committees, especially the youth executives to be up and doing by supporting the community’s local security team to chase away crimes and criminals from their community.
Hear him: “I’m always happy at every time your president-general invites me to address you in such town hall meetings. Therefore, I want to advise the youth executives to support the local security team to drive away crimes and criminals from your community.
“I know Otogor to be a very peaceful community since I came here as the DPO. Don’t ever take the laws into your hands to oppress innocent residents in the community. Always follow the due process of tackling any matter. In a situation where you can no longer handle the matter, then report it to your president-general or call the police for further action.
“I want to advise all of you to be law abiding and also to respect higher authorities in the community. Don’t hold on to these your new positions to develop defiant behaviour in the community. And to you, community members, try to support the various committees by obeying their policies and programmes,” he said.
High point of the meeting was the formal inauguration of the various committees by the president-general, Hon. U.K Emmanuel Tobi Ediri in the presence of the community elders, chiefs and government officials.
Speaking on behalf of all the various committees immediately after the inauguration by the president-general, the chairman of Otogor Youth Association, Mr. Friday Ejekophia who was highly elated said, “On behalf of all the committees inaugurated by our able president-general, I want to say thank you to him and his cabinet. I want to also thank our chiefs, fathers and mothers that are here with us today. In the same way, I want to appreciate our DPO and other government security officers that are here to witness the occasion. Indeed, we are grateful to all of you for your moral support and words of advice.
“I promise on behalf of our members in the youth cabinet and other committees that, we shall not disappoint you in these new positions given to us. We will try to be law abiding and also to be obedient to you as our elders and leaders. In the same way, we want to plead with our people to co-operate and obey us to avoid unnecessary rattling and confrontations in our daily operations.”
Among those inaugurated were Mr. Friday Ejekophia, as chairman, Otogor Youth Association; Mr. Kingsley Oke Amawhawha, chairman, Task Force Committee; Mr. Johnbull Utugbu, chairman, Land Administration/Employment; Mr. Stephen Umukoro, chairman, Education Committee and Mr. Andrew, chairman, Health Committee.
