Delta Mall Naming Sparks Controversy As Group Demands Renaming To Effurun Mall

The naming of the shopping mall located in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, as Delta Mall has sparked controversy, with a group calling for the facility to be renamed Effurun Mall.

The call was made in a post shared on the Wado Aoroko page, where the group questioned the rationale behind naming the Effurun facility Delta Mall, particularly when the mall constructed in Asaba, the state capital, was named Asaba Mall.

The group argued that the Effurun facility should have been named after its host community, just as the Asaba mall bears the name of the city where it is located.

It questioned why the mall in Effurun was not named Effurun Mall, asking: “Why name the Mall in Effurun as DELTA MALL? Is Effurun the capital of Delta State?”

The group further alleged that the naming was part of a broader attempt to downplay the identity of Urhobo communities and gradually subsume them under the “Warri” nomenclature.

According to the group, the decision to name the facility Delta Mall rather than Warri Mall was allegedly intended to avoid possible opposition while still achieving what it described as the gradual erosion of the distinct identity of Urhobo communities.

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“It is a deliberate ploy to downplay the identity of Urhobo communities so that the Warri nomenclature will gradually subsume their identity, but it will not work,” the group stated.

The group subsequently called for the mall to be renamed Effurun Mall, insisting that the identity of Effurun and its host community should be recognised and preserved.

The development has consequently renewed discussion around the naming of public and commercial facilities and the importance of preserving the identities of host communities in Delta State.