Okpe
{{About|the LGA|the language|Okpe language (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Okpe
| native_name =
| other_name =
| settlement_type = LGA and Kingdom
| image_skyline = Orodje okpe.jpg
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_seal =
| image_map =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Nigeria
| coordinates = {{coord|5|26|N|5|57|E|region:NG|display=inline,title}}
|module={{Infobox mapframe|wikidata=yes|zoom=8|marker=village|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Nigeria
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Delta State
| established_title =
| established_date =
| seat_type = Headquarters
| seat = Orerokpe
| leader_title = Orodje (King)
| leader_name = H.R.M (Maj-Gen) Orhue I (rtd)
| leader_title1 = Local Government Chairman and the Head of the Local Government Council
| leader_name2 = Chief J. J Scott
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_total_km2 =
| area_land_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft =
| population_total =
| population_as_of = 2006.
| population_footnotes =
| population_density_km2 =
| demographics_type1 = Demographics
| demographics1_title1 = Ethnicity
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code =
| unemployment_rate =
| website =
| timezone = WAT
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST =
| demographics1_info1 = Okpe
}}
Okpe is a kingdom in Delta State, Nigeria.{{Cite web|title=A Royal History of the Okpe-Urhobo of Nigeria by Prince Joseph Asagba|url=http://www.waado.org/CulturalUNits/Okpe/asagba_okpe/asagba_okpe_history.htm|access-date=2021-09-14|website=www.waado.org}} Today, it is also the name of a local government area. It is one of the many kingdoms that make up Urhobo nation.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-03|title=Delta South is made of four indigenous tribes —Urhobos of Warri|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/07/delta-south-is-made-of-four-indigenous-tribes-urhobos-of-warri/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US}} Its capital is Orerokpe.{{Cite journal |last=Salubi |first=Adogbeji |title=The Origins of Sapele Township |date=1960 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41970824 |journal=Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=115–131 |jstor=41970824 |issn=0018-2540}}{{Cite web |date=2017-01-02 |title=Orodje Okpe: Ten years on an ancestral throne |url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/orodje-okpe-ten-years-on-an-ancestral-throne/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}} The kingdom plays host to the Osubi Airport (also known as Warri Airport), which is actually located at Osubi and the Delta State Trade Fair Complex.{{Cite web|last=didy|title=Okpe History and towns|url=https://nigerdeltamedia.com/2021/06/okpe-history-and-towns|access-date=2021-07-10|language=en-US}} The Orodje celebrated ten years on ancestral throne.{{Cite web|date=2017-01-02|title=Orodje Okpe: Ten years on an ancestral throne|url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/orodje-okpe-ten-years-on-an-ancestral-throne/|access-date=2021-09-18|website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News|language=en-US}} Major General Felix Mujakperuo is the king of Okpe Kingdom. The kingship is usually rotated between the four ruling houses.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-12 |title=Holding married woman's hand is a taboo in my kingdom –Mujakperuo, Orodje of Okpe Kingdom |url=https://punchng.com/holding-married-womans-hand-is-a-taboo-in-my-kingdom-mujakperuo-orodje-of-okpe-kingdom/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}
History
The Okpe kingdom was established as early as the 17th century. It has a traditional ruler with the title Orodje of Okpe.{{Cite web|date=2017-01-02|title=Orodje Okpe: Ten years on an ancestral throne|url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/orodje-okpe-ten-years-on-an-ancestral-throne/|access-date=2021-09-14|website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News|language=en-US}} The Okpe people are known to have migrated to found the present day Sapele and the Orodje of Okpe still exercises authority over the land of Sapele.{{Cite web|last=admin|title=Welcome|url=https://okpeunionamerica.org/|access-date=2021-07-10|website=Okpe Union America|language=en-US}}
The first king produced by this system was H.R.M. Esezi I, Orodje of Okpe, whose sovereignty was around the period of 1770-1779.{{Cite web|last=didy|title=Okpe History and towns|url=https://nigerdeltamedia.com/2021/06/okpe-history-and-towns|access-date=2021-09-14|language=en-US}}
H.R.M. Esezi II became the second Orodje of Okpe. As a pioneer advocate of democracy in the land of okpe, he also was pivotal to Nigeria. He was among the delegated kings that attended the 1957 Lyttelton Conference held in London in order to seek the Nigerian independence from the indirect government of the colonial master. He ruled the kingdom around the period of 1945-1966.{{Cite web|last=ENWEMEKA|first=STANLEY|title=The Administration of Emergency Relief Programme in Nigeria: A case of flood incident in Delta State.|url=https://www.unn.edu.ng/publications/files/ENWEMEKA%20STANLEY.pdf}}
H.R.M Orhoro I, the third Orodje of Okpe, ruled the kingdom from around the period of 1972-2004. He was educated at a catholic school and also served in the Nigeria police force. He later earned a Business Administration Diploma in the United Kingdom. His early life experience served him well as a springboard for establishing and becoming a director of a company, the New Africa Industries Limited.
H.R.M Orhue I is the fourth and current king of Okpe. He has served as a major general in the Nigerian Army.{{Cite web|date=2017-01-02|title=Orodje Okpe: Ten years on an ancestral throne|url=https://guardian.ng/opinion/orodje-okpe-ten-years-on-an-ancestral-throne/|access-date=2021-07-10|website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News|language=en-US}} He was officially crowned on 29 July 2006.
Climate
The climate in Okpe is classified as tropical monsoon (Am). The city's average annual temperature is -0.82% lower than Nigeria's averages at 28.64°C (83.55°F). Okpe generally has 296.16 wet days (81.14% of the time) and receives about 241.52 millimetres (9.51 inches) of precipitation annually.{{Cite web |title=Delta, NG Climate Zone, Monthly Weather Averages and Historical Data |url=https://tcktcktck.org/nigeria/delta |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=tcktcktck.org}}
Notable people
- Gen.Patrick Aziza{{Cite web|date=2014-10-12|title=Robbers In Delta Kill Daughter Of Former NFA President, Dominic Oneya|url=http://saharareporters.com/2014/10/12/robbers-delta-kill-daughter-former-nfa-president-dominic-oneya|access-date=2021-06-27|website=Sahara Reporters}}
- David Dafinone
- Joseph Karakitie Azigbo
- Harris Eghagha{{Cite web |last=Eda |first=Abami |date=2009-05-16 |title=Beat Them! If You Cannot Join Them, A Tribute To A Hero |url=https://saharareporters.com/2009/05/16/beat-them-if-you-cannot-join-them-tribute-hero |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Sahara Reporters}}
References
{{Reflist}}
- Joseph O. Asagba: The Untold Story of A Nigerian Royal Family (The Urhobo Ruling Clan of Okpe Kingdom), iUniverce, Inc, 2005
{{Nigerian traditional states}}
{{Authority control}}