The Ugep Solidarity for Liyel Imoke, while addressing select indigenes of the area, over the weekend, pointed out that because of Ugep’s status as a local government headquarters, an old county council in the then Eastern Nigeria, her high population concentration and the leading community within the Yakurr nation, the community has been divinely positioned to be the centre of all political, social and economic struggles in the area. “Irrespective of pockets of complaints…the greatness of majority of Yakurr sons and daughters and even communities cannot be complete without the integration on Ugep people”, the group maintains.
Sir Patrick Otu, a prominent Ugep son who spoke at the gathering was particular that, “Gov. Liyel Imoke overwhelmingly increased the number of tarred roads in Ugep, thereby enhancing the beauty of the town”. He also pointed to “the gift of an institution of higher learning, the Institute of Technology and Management, based on Imoke’s firm premise that the community is scholarly”. That several Ugep sons and daughters occupy positions of responsibility in Imoke’s government is not in doubt, as Otu said, and also reminded all that nothing else demonstrates the governor’s believe in the community like the singular reason “that the governor’s personal security is in the hands of an Ugep son”.
On the strength of the things put forth, Otu was emphatic that Ugep “needs to be the pivot of solidarity, the fulcrum of Imoke’s leadership in the state and the human engineer of his activities”, charging his people to “rise up and support Imoke’s vision and aspirations…to enthrone a government of continuity so that the gains of his efforts are not lost”.
Others who spoke at the well attended gathering towed Otu’s line and said the group will pursue her case to a logical conclusion. Otu later told www.calitown.com that “what we have done here is to demonstrate our happiness, first, and then our commitment to ensuring that Imoke’s sterling qualities and achievements galvanise us all to support his policy direction, he is our son and brothers, we must show solidarity to the end”, he concluded.