By THE newly-appointed Chairman of the Ugborodo Community Trust, Tenumah Joseph Olori, has declared a “hostage” situation in the oil-rich community, alleging that a powerful clique is using armed miscreants and fines to maintain an illegal grip on power and block his legitimate leadership from entering.
In a fiery and detailed chat with journalists on Thursday, Mr Olori pulled no punches, dismissing the rival “Ugborodo Management Committee” as an illegitimate “child of necessity” whose time has passed.
He claimed his own appointment, endorsed by the community’s trustees and kindred elders, is the only lawful authority.
Tenumah Joseph Olori
“The so-called ‘management committee’ was nothing but a child of necessity,” Olori stated. “But in a situation where there is no vacuum, the existence of such a management committee becomes completely out of fashion. What they are doing now is unacceptable.”
He accused the faction of resorting to “uncivilised” strong-arm tactics to create a false show of support, a stark contrast to the “intellectual models” of engagement he champions.
The Trust Chairman made explosive claims about how the rival group maintains its influence. “At their so-called ‘joint conference’, they even mobilised women from commercial sex workers and threatened shop owners that unless they closed their shops and joined the gathering, they would be fined,” he alleged.
He dismissed their claims that his group are “diaspora elements” as a desperate fiction, pointing out the contradiction: “They said there was no faction… yet they are barring some people from entering the community. That shows there is indeed division.”
Olori
Why the New Leaders Can’t Go Home
Olori, who proudly identified himself as a “thoroughbred son of Ugborodo,” explained why his inauguration was held outside the community.
He compared their headquarters in Warri to an “embassy,” a necessary base because a wealthy few have “held the community bound.”
Olori
When asked if his leadership could physically enter Ugborodo, he confirmed they could but were choosing not to. “We have restrained ourselves… to avoid a crisis. If we go in and they challenge us, the situation could escalate into violence… We are avoiding force-for-force confrontation.”
He labelled allegations of his group tampering with official documents or planning a military invasion as “pure insinuation” and “fear-driven speculation.”
A Plea For Peace And Plan For Progress
Despite the standoff, Olori outlined a conciliatory roadmap focused on unity, peace, and urgent development. Key priorities include rescuing the community’s only dilapidated secondary school, strengthening the health system, and protecting the eroding shoreline.
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He ended with a stark warning and a call to action: “Evil thrives when good men remain silent. People must speak out—and speak the truth.”
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