…As Opobo Elders Visit
Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim has paid a courtesy visit to the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Senator John Azuta Mbata, amid the opposition from some of his Ikwerre kinsmen. This was as the President General said he would not deny his Igbo origin despite the backlash from his Ikwerre kinsmen.
The Chairman of Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim, Alabo Edwin Cockeye-Brown who led the delegation on the visit to Mbata in Port Harcourt, congratulated the PG on his electoral victory and expressed gratitude to the Senator for his unwavering support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara before, during and after his election.
Speaking, Cockeye-Brown noted the long-standing relationship between the Mbata family and the Opobo people, tracing it back to his father, the late Elder Samuel Mbata, a revered gentleman and evangelist. He said that the gathering, which included some Alapu, respected elders, leaders, Senibos, Amaopusenibos, and youth representatives from Opobo kingdom, underscored the collective commitment to unity within the state.
He said: “I recall particularly that during the impeachment attempt, you stood by the governor like a shining star. You supported him. You did not shake, neither did you shy away”, he said.
“Your father was a prayerful man and a philanthropist. I believe it is his prayers that have enabled you to reach these heights,”
Cockeye-Brown praised Mbata’s steadfastness to Government Siminialayi Fubara, during the political challenges in the state, affirming that his election as President General was divinely ordained.
However, in his response, Senator Mbata emphasised his commitment to supporting Governor Fubara and respecting the office of the governor. Mbata dismissed the criticisms directed at him, describing his critics as “a cacophony of noises” from those lacking understanding.
“I see my responsibility as building bridges. We must connect our people to a much larger platform for development,” he asserted, reaffirming his Igbo identity and the importance of unity among ethnic
groups.
“Some people say they are from Benin. That their ancestry is Benin. And I say ‘that’s fine. Let’s go there’. We say that we have a relationship with the Igbos. I’m not going to deny my Igbo identity.
Anyhow you like, talk from now till tomorrow, I’m not going to deny my ancestry. “We are related. Why are you shouting me down? I bet you, these things will just naturally die down. I didn’t answer anybody because I see my responsibility as building bridges. People will, by and large, understand what we are doing.
“We must operate at the highest stage of this Nigerian project. We have to be able to access the powers that be. We must enjoy support from another perspective. Politics is played from Abuja and not here. It’s when they finish from Abuja that they come here. I won’t say everything today. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.”
