Sapele/Okpe community unveils statue to immortalise late Dafinone in Delta

Amid Dane guns renting the air thrice and cultural dance performance, indigenes of Sapele/Okpe community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, over the weekend, arose in unity to unveil the statue of their departed patriarch, Chief David Omueya Dafinone, OFR, who joined his ancestors on September 30, 2018.

Chief Dafinone, the Ohwere 1 of Okpe kingdom, who was born on March 12, 1927, is the scion of the progenitor of the Okpe Kingdom in the 15th century.

He was the patriarch of a nuclear family of seven with the highest number of chartered accountants, who are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and got enlisted in the Guinness Book of Records.

Speaking at the convivial unveiling of the statue of the departed 91-year-old former senator representing Bendel South in 1979, at Market Road junction in Sapele, his scion, Chief Ede Dafinone, described the event as historic and designed to mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of his father.

He said it was enthralling and gratifying hearing indigenes, especially the chiefs of Okpe Kingdom, acknowledging and eulogizing his late father for his numerous contributions, especially attracting over N100 million to erect the magnificent palace of the Orodje of Okpe kingdom.

He described the palace as a significant monument to the Okpe kingdom, adding that it’s on record the role his late father played in funding and attracting funds to its construction as one of his greatest achievements while alive.

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“This is a day they show a man being honoured by his people.

“I’ll ensure a united and prosperous Okpe nation through education and possible emergence of stars in all fields.

“We can’t boast yet of doctors, professors in Okpe in general. I’m taking this up personally,” the part-time politician enthused.

He attributed the stability of the Dafinone family to a good legacy his late father had laid down and the continuity ensured by the matriarch of the family, Chief Cynthia Dafinone, noting that “Daddy believed in the strength of family. Theory of family stability extends to the stability of the larger society. The concept of your own, our own was daddy’s family concept.”

Chief Thompson Okpoko, SAN, who’s a former national chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and legal adviser to the Okpe kingdom, who led the unveiling of the Dafinone statue, underscored the significance of the statue to the community.

According to him, “We are commemorating the pillar and great gift to Okpe and the world. He’s our hero. The community erected the statue for his remembrance.

“This is history being made. He was born and raised here. He contributed to the society. The statue is an emblem to remind the present and future generations of his good works for them to emulate.

A former Commissioner of Health, Youths and Sports in old Bendel State, Chief Margaret Unukegwo, disclosed that the late Dafinone would have been gratefully elated if he were alive to witness the statue erected to immortalise him.

The unveiling event witnessed the gathering of Okpe Traditional Council of Chiefs and dignitaries across Okpe kingdom including the wife of late Chief Dàfinone, Cynthia, her children and grandchildren as well as other members of the extended family.

Other dignitaries some of whom are members of the Okpe Leaders of Thought (OLT) from the kingdom included: Chief PDO Akpeki, Chief Felix Anirah, Elder Austin Aiyemidejor, Chief Eugene Inoaghan, chairman of Sapele community, Mr Patrick Akamorha.

Meanwhile, the monument sponsored by the Dr Patrick Okamovba-led Sapele-Okpe Community executive has the inscription: “here, we honour our Okpe father, a man of all seasons – chartered accountant, national statesman, politician, philanthropist and industrialist.”