BY SUNDAY EGEDE
DELTA State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, has hailed the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Kegites Club, Effurun, on its 50th anniversary, describing the “Ilya Du Excess” as a beacon of African unity and cultural pride, even as he urged for broader recognition of its historic contributions in the forthcoming golden jubilee celebration.
Izeze who is an alumnus of PTI and a proud member of the Kegites Club, made this known when he received the leadership of the club on a courtesy visit at his office in Asaba on Wednesday.
The delegation had visited to formally invite him to the club’s golden jubilee celebration, tagged “Ilya du Excess 50th Anniversary kum Coronation.”
The Commissioner, who commended the elaborate plans for the three-day event slated to hold between October 9 and 11, 2025, lamented the failure to invite two prominent Nigerians who played historic roles in the establishment of PTI and have remained grand patrons of the Kegites Club – former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), under whose regime PTI was conceived, and former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who brought the vision to fruition.
“PTI is not just any Ilya; it is very unique. Marking 50 years of the Ilya Excess without Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo is an oversight.
“Their presence would not only enrich the celebrations but also remind younger generations of the historic role they played in establishing PTI and supporting the Kegites Club,” Izeze said.
Izeze used the occasion to clarify misconceptions about the Kegites Club, stressing that it is not a secret cult but rather a Pan-African cultural movement that fosters camaraderie, intellectual exchange, and unity in diversity.
He emphasized that Delta State operates a civilian government free from cultism, dismissing narratives that attempt to link the club or political leaders in the state with secret fraternities.
“The Kegites Club is the freest and most open association anyone can belong to. It was created to celebrate African identity, academic excellence, and the spirit of unity.
“In Delta State, we do not promote cultism in whatever guise. Ours is a very civil government under His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori,” the Commissioner stated.
Earlier, the Arch Chief of Ilya Excess, Comrade Loveson Ofure Odanmhen, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said they were in Asaba to invite Izeze as a Life Senior Fellow of the club and to seek his support for the golden jubilee celebration.
The anniversary will feature a three-day line-up of activities, including a novelty football match, a school awareness campaign, a symposium, and the grand coronation ceremony to mark 50 years of the PTI Kegites Club.
