In the heart of Warri South Local Government Area, amidst the bustling streets and vibrant communities, stands a symbol of progress and development – the newly built and fully equipped ultra-modern cottage hospital, commissioned on Wednesday, 21st February 2024 by Rt. Hon (Elder) Sheriff Francis Oborevwori. The official commissioning of this landmark project was supposed to signal a shift towards reconciliation and inclusivity in a region often marred by ethnic distrust and tensions. However, Hon (Dr.) Michael E. Tidi’s address at the event has raised questions about the true intentions behind the gesture.
Tidi’s gesture of inviting the Olu of Warri for the commissioning of the hospital, situated within the Okere-Urhobo kingdom, was expected to be a step towards fostering dialogue and cooperation between the Itsekiri and Urhobo communities. However, instead of promoting unity, Tidi’s actions have only served to entrench the age-long Itsekiri ethnic superiority complex towards the Urhobo. Before now, tensions between the Itsekiri and Urhobo communities have been exacerbated by Tidi’s political ambitions, particularly his failed bid to contest as a Member of the Delta State House of Assembly in a predominantly Urhobo constituency. Added to that was Tidi’s order to residents to disobey the order by Agbarha Youth to traders in Igbudu Market not to open their establishments until 4:00 PM, allowing the community to pay their final respects to their departed monarch. Additionally, the removal of the Urhobo Progress Union signpost in Agbarha kingdom further deepened ethnic distrust and widened existing fault lines.
One cannot ignore the glaring omission in Tidi’s address – the failure to first acknowledge the host kingdom and its traditional ruler, His Majesty, Ogheneochuko Morris Eyekpimi-Egbobonye, The Orosuen of Okere Urhobo Kingdom before mentioning the Olu of Warri. This omission further strengthens the objectives of the Wado City advocacy championed by Dr. Ejiro Imuere, which aims to achieve several crucial goals: Firstly, to ensure that Urhobo Kings receive the recognition they deserve; secondly, to assign distinct nomenclature to Urhobo kingdoms; thirdly, to revive the dormant consciousness of the Urhobo People; and fourthly, to either establish a dedicated Local Government Council for the Urhobo of Warri South or resurrect the CDC that was initially established by Governor James Ibori but dismantled by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itsekiri man.
Moreover, Tidi’s address glaringly omitted any acknowledgment of the host community. This deliberate exclusion of the project’s location and the failure to prioritize mentioning the host king’s name sends a clear message about Tidi’s lack of regard for Urhobo identity and territory within Warri South LGA. As an Itsekiri man, Tidi’s journey has been marked by challenges and obstacles that have strained relations between the Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnicities. However, instead of using his position to promote unity and inclusivity, Tidi’s actions have only served to reinforce the divisive nature of ethnic politics in the region. By inviting the Olu of Warri to an event in a different kingdom without extending similar invitations to Urhobo traditional rulers, Tidi has inadvertently reinforced the perception of Itsekiri dominance over Urhobo interests.
Tidi’s address at the commissioning of the ultra-modern cottage hospital has shed light on the underlying tensions between the Itsekiri and Urhobo communities. If Tidi truly wishes to bridge the divide and promote harmony within Warri South LGA, he must recognize and respect the identity and territory of the Urhobo people, rather than perpetuating the age-old Itsekiri ethnic superiority complex.
AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, HON (DR.) MICHAEL E. TIDI ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL COMMISSIONING OF THE NEWLY BUILT AND FULLY EQUIPPED ULTRA MODERN COTTAGE HOSPITAL ON WEDNESDAY, 21ST FEBRUARY, 2024.
His Excellency,
Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori,
Governor of Delta State;
His Excellency,
Chief (Sir) Monday John Onyeme,
Deputy Governor of Delta State;
The Speaker,
Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor,
Delta State House of Assembly;
His Excellency,
Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan,
Former Governor, Delta State;
His Majesty,
Ogiame Atuwatse III (CFR)
The Olu of Warri;
His Majesty,
Ogheneochuko Morris Eyekpimi-Egbobonye,
The Orosuen of Okere Urhobo Kingdom;
The Honourable Member,
Representing Warri Federal Constituency at Federal House of Representative
Hon. (Chief) Thomas Ereyitomi
The Honourable Member,
Representing Warri South Constituency I, Delta State House of Assembly
Hon. Austine Uroye;
The Honourable Member,
Representing Warri South Constituency II, Delta State House of Assembly
Hon. Benson Obire;
The Secretary to the Government,
Honourable Commissioner here present,
The Chairman,
Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Delta State Chapter,
The Members,
Association of Local Government of Nigeria here present
Special Advisers
Top Government functionaries
Former Chairman, Warri South Local Government;
The Vice Chairman,
Warri South Local Government,
Hon. (Mrs.) Divine Ann Iniovosa;
The Leader,
Warri South Legislative Arm,
Honourable Councillors
The Secretary to the Local Government,
The Supervisors here present;
The Head of Personnel Management;
Heads of Departments
Security Chiefs here present
Party Chieftains here present
The Regent of Agbarah Warri Kingdom
Traditional Chief here present
The Clergy,
Invited Guests
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Your Excellency sir, may I on behalf of the good people of Warri South Local Government Area welcome you and your entourage to Warri, the Administrative Headquarters of Warri South Local Government Area. Your esteemed presence here today has once again established your love and close attachment to the people of Warri South. Indeed, we are honoured to have you here today. May I also welcome all other important dignitaries that are adding colour to this memorable occasion of the commissioning of this Ultra Modern Cottage Hospital.
Firstly, may I use this opportunity to sincerely congratulate you, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori on your victory on the Supreme Court judgement. The victory was indeed victory for all Deltans.
Your Excellency sir, it may interest to know that my administration came into the office with a firm determination to impact positively on the entire Local Government Area within my tenure of office and to leave an indelible mark in the history of this great Local Government Area. At the inception, my team swung into action with the zeal to uplift not only the face of the Council secretariat but also the negative narratives of Warri. The task was daring and required a credible and purposeful leadership. Leadership that would have the political will of providing the desired road map to lead our people to a condition of hope and prosperity.
Few months after my resumption, we gave the Council secretariat a facelift and also rejuvenate the workforce because bureaucracy was very clumsy, grossly demoralized. Thus, making results almost unachievable. Today, the workforce has been repositioned and rebranded. Adequate working tools and conducive working environment provided. While we at political side are also placing square pegs in square holes.
Your Excellency, at that time the narratives of Warri was quite negative and to raise Warri again, we hosted both the first and second Warri Economic Summits, wherein top government functionaries, captains of industries and academia gathered to ruminate on the best possible ways to redesign the road map of Warri. The recommendations from the Economic Summits gave birth to some of the mind bulging people oriented projects executed by my administration.
Some of the projects includes but not limited to:
- Complete renovation and painting of the main secretariat building which included the Local Education Authority Building.
- Rehabilitation and renovation of Water scheme at Ode-Itsekiri, Ugbuwangue, Orere-Uluba, Omadino/Obodo, Usele, Orugbo, Ajamimogha, GRA and Esisi.
- Construction and sinking of borehole water scheme in the twenty (20) DSIEC wards of the LGA.
- Renovation of Ugbuwangue modern market hitherto built by DESOPADEC.
- Construction of 120 open market stalls at Ugbuwangue Modern Market.
- Purchase of two (2) refuse compact trucks.
- Renovation and furnishing of the legislative complex.
- Construction of perimeter fence at Ekurede Urhobo Primary Health Care Center, Purchase of Computers and generator.
- Purchase and distribution of six (6) fishing fiber boats and 15 HP Yamaha Boat engine to cooperative societies.
- Rehabilitation of some very bad spots on our roads in Warri South Local Government Area.
- Purchase of Toyota Sienna 2011 Model for NULGE, Warri South Local Government Chapter.
- Perimeter fencing and renovation of Omadino Primary health care, painting kerbs, reactivation of some boreholes and opening of layout at Omadino.
- Rehabilitation of leaking roof/replacement of bad aluminium roofing sheets, plumbing works, electrical works and amendment/proper reconstruction of some sock away pits amendment to the cracked walls and floors in most of the Primary Health Care Centre.
- Re-construction of Warri South Local Government Lodge.
- Construction / donation of 200 polished desk and chairs to Ubeji Primary School.
- Construction and donation of 100 polished desk and chairs to Edjeba Primary School.
- Installation of solar street light at Okere-Urhobo Phase 2.
- Installation of solar street light at Bowen ward.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Igbudu.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Ukpokiti.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Okere.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at McDermott.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Okpeki/Olodi.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Pessu Road.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Esisi Ward.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Warri GRA.
- Construction / sinking of borehole (Water Scheme) at Mesharun Street.
- Renovation of Ajamimogha Town Hall.
- Construction of two (2) public toilets at Ode-Itsekiri.
- Construction of two (2) public toilets at Ugbuwangue.
- Construction of two (2) public toilets at Orugbo.
- Provision of 24 sets of classroom tables and chairs including painting / refurbishing of the classroom at Ogiame Primary School, Ekurede Itsekiri at Ugbori/Ekurede Ward.
- Construction and donation of one (1) wooden boat of 100 persons capacity Yamaha 40 engine to ferry pupils / students from Warri to Ode-Itsekiri and adjoining communities.
- Procurement of Mercedes Benz 1513 tipper.
- Renovation of Agbarha Magistrate Court including building of offices, toilet facilities, perimeter fencing, sand filling of the premises and installation of ceiling fans.
- Economic empowerment programme for 250 small scale business enterprises.
- Completion and furnishing of Omadino Primary Health Center / perimeter fencing of the facility.
- Total re-roofing of Urban Primary Health Center.
- Rebuilding of collapsed fence at Eboh Primary Health Center.
- Supplies of hospital equipments: Beds (10), BP Apparatus (10), Stethoscope (5), Examination Couch (5), Delivery Beds (5), Fetal Dopplers (15), Infrared Thermother (10), Infant weighing scale (5), Body cots (5), instruments – Artery forceps of various sizes and shapes.
- Supports for various programmes both national state and local e.g. National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDS), Integrated Measles Campaigns (IMC) Malaria Programmes e.g. Distribution of insecticides treated nets (ITNS) Family Planning, Nutrition, TB Disease surveillance, etc.
- Support payments of non-technical voluntary staff in Health facilities.
- Construction and furnishing of the New Warri South Local Government Council lodge.
Your Excellency sir, it may also interest you to know that my administration have made tremendous progress in the primary health care sector, from our available statistics, we have been able to consistently and effectively carried out Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA), that is, National Immunization Plus Days, Integrated Measles Campaigns (IMC), Yellow Fever Campaigns Outbreak Response, Warri South Local Government Area have always had a coverage of above 100%, it ranges from 100% to 111% and since 2020 till date the coverage has improved tremendously.
Permit me, not to bore Your Excellency with statistics, however, it must be noted that the successes my administration has recorded in primary health care is a testimony of our determination in prioritizing the health and well-being of our people. This has made us to support our primary health care programmes. Therefore, I wish to use this opportunity to thank the state government and other National and International partners that have supported us in achieving this feat.
Again, in the areas of environment, my administration has not relented, as we have on a daily basis, ensured constant de-weeding, cleaning of the drainages and regular evacuation of waste to the dump site. Our modest efforts were recognized by the immediate and previous past state commissioners of environment who had declared Warri South as the cleanest LGA in Delta State.
I will not fail to inform Your Excellency that within the tenure of my political mandate, our commitment to service delivery and infrastructure development has been unparalleled. Our results were a testimony of our superlative and unequaled management of materials and human resources within our disposal. Our massive infrastructural development and unequaled articulation of developmental modules is geared towards rebuilding Warri South. Few months back, we were gathered to commission the state of the art Warri South Local Government Lodge. An edifice that was second to none in the 25 local government areas.
To the glory of God Almighty, today we are gathered once again to witness the inauguration of yet another gigantic infrastructure, a landmark project, the Ultra Modern Cottage Hospital. This project is so dear to me because it is bringing health care service delivery closer to my people. And it came at no better time than when my political mandate is winding up.
Besides the massive structure, the equipments are unprecedented, as my good people deserve nothing but the best. May I once again remind Your Excellency, that my administration came on board when the Local Government was in need of a credible and purposeful leadership. Leadership that would have the political will of providing the desired road map to lead our people from a condition of despair to hope and prosperity. Sir that we have delivered. As we all know, the main essence of Local Government is for the development of an efficient democratic system of governance at the grassroot level. This implies a system of government that should be close to the people, a system that is capable of managing local resources/services in a way that will help to raise the living standard of the citizens.
Lastly, sir, I want to use this opportunity to on behalf of our people sincerely thank your Excellency for the construction of the flyover and the connecting roads in Warri that are already ongoing, the street lights and many more projects that time would not permit me to mention here sir, the impact of your MORE Agenda are laudable.
The beauty these projects are already bringing to Warri is further changing the narratives of Warri for good.
However, Your Excellency, permit me to state that the Cottage Hospital you are about to commission was built for the purpose of efficient health care service delivery to our people. To put the facility to its optimum use, therefore, I appeal that you use your good offices to assist us with qualified medical personnel that could help put the facility to its maximum use in order to achieve the desired purpose of bringing quality health care services closer to our people.
I wish to sincerely thank the Delta State Government under the able and dynamic leadership of our action and amiable Governor, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori for his encouragement and support to the Local Government and the good people of Warri South. I must also appreciate my political leaders for stabilizing the political system that paved way for our success as a local government.
Permit me to thank our Royal father, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III and other Royal fathers, not forgetting the entire good people of Warri South without whose support we may not have achieved this level of success.
To God alone be all the glory.
Office of the Chairman
Warri South Local Government
Warri