Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has condemned the actions of some youths in Ozoro and described as untrue that the Ekene festival was a medium through which orgies are unleashed on girls and women.
In a statement on his social media account on Tuesday, Chief Ibori while expressing shock over what happened in Ozoro noted that the issue was far too serious to be ignored.
“I speak from a position of personal experience, having lived my entire life in Urhobo Land, including my eight-year tenure as Governor of Delta State. I must confess that this is the first time I am hearing of a festival of this nature.”
“You can imagine my shock when I was contacted about this matter two days ago. My initial reaction was, This cannot be true, but let me verify and revert.”
The former Delta State Governor called for general condemnation of violence in any form, especially when the victim is a defenseless person in every part of the State and the country.
According to the statement, Chief Ibori has made an effort to ascertain the veracity of the social media reports and obtained an account from the traditional institution in Ozoro.
He said the custodian of the tradition was not consulted and it would be unfair to ascribe such violence from a few persons to an entire tribe and other neighboring tribes in the state.
“Festivals among Urhobo and Isoko people, apart from being celebratory, are woven around historical and spiritual motifs. They memorialize past events, reinforce belief systems, and are typically anchored in an essence sustained by strong moral values.”
Chief Ibori reiterated that what happened is condemnable, and commended security agencies that intervened to unravel what really transpired.
“It is my hope that this investigation will set the record straight: there is no rape festival among Urhobo and Isoko people.”
The statement added that the Former Delta State Governor pledged to work with the Vice Chancellor of the University in Ozoro and the Ozoro traditional institution to engage youths positively in a bid to ensure that actions which paints values, cultural norms and the role of women in the society in a negative light will not be tolerated.
