LAGOS JANUARY 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Embattled factional President-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Chief Joseph Orode Omene has dismissed the election of Monday January 2, 2017 which returned Olorogun Moses Taiga as President-General of UPU, insisting that he remained the one and only authentic President General of the Union.
Reacting to media reports to the effect that he was kicked out of office and replaced by Olorogun Moses Taiga, Chief Omene retorted that the reports and claims in some quarters that another election into the executive committee of UPU was held on Monday January 2 at the Urhobo Cultural Centre in Uvwiamuge, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, was of no effect as the organizers lacked the constitutional mandate to carry out the exercise which he described as a failed civilian coup.
Omene who advised the Urhobo nation to go about their legitimate duties said, “There is no cause for alarm. That election, if it actually held as I read in the papers, was a breach of UPU’s constitution and as such it is null and void. I read that it was convened by one faceless Board of Trustees. I am the President General of UPU. I did not inaugurate any BoT. Who is its chairman, where are other members, who inaugurated it and when was it inaugurated? Please disregard rumour mongers.
“The constitution states that only the President-General, which is my humble self, can direct the Secretary-General to convene an Urhobo annual General Congress and that has since been done in December 2016, where I was re-elected as the current President-General. Any other one by any other person or group of persons is illegal, null and void.”
‘’Let me state this for the umpteenth time, the BoT of the UPU has not been constituted as required by Article 21 of the UPU Constitution. Taking over of power from an existing NEC ‘with immediate effect’ as Chief Victor Otomiewo purported to do by his advertorial in the Vanguard of December 22, 2016 is unknown to the UPU Constitution that was partly redrafted by Chief Victor Otomiewo in 2005. The question now is between whom and whom did the reclusive BoT of which Chief Victor Otomiewo is fabled the secretary meet in their intervention and mediation efforts, what kind or brand of conflict resolution crudity have Chief Victor Otomiewo and Company sold to the Urhobo people, a dummy of course.
‘’We call on Chief V.E Otomiewo, Chief Moses Taiga and all those who did not succeed at the election of December 2, 2016 and who have grievances with the outcome to tow the line of constitutionalism and legality and exploit the provisions of the UPU Constitution 2005 which has adequate provisions to resolve such disagreement. What transpired at Uvwiamuge on January 2nd which was midwifed by the Owhorode of Olomu and Chief Otomiewo, to produce Chief Moses Taiga as a putative alternate President General of UPU is a civilian coup which is unconstitutional and a clear violation of the UPU Constitution 2005’’, Omene declared.
He also described the January 2nd meeting as a gathering of ‘’the Delta State Government sponsored Urhobo politicians in government, to seize the UPU by the jugular and donate it to a particular popular political party and makes it available for their use in 2019’’, he said, adding that the UPU under his leadership will not tolerate such interference in the affairs of the Union by desperate politicians.
‘’I am the only President General of UPU recognized by the UPU Constitution and anybody who parades himself as UPU PG is a usurper and impersonator’’, Omene declared.