Urhobo Historical Society

"URHOBO AND THE NATIONAL CRISIS"

COMMUNIQUÉ OF A SEMINAR OF
THE URHOBO FOUNDATION
Thursday 13th April, 2000


Source:
Subject: URHOBO AND THE NATIONAL CRISIS: COMMUNIQUE OF THE SEMINAR OF THE URHOBO FOUNDATION
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 22:44:40 +0200
From: Majoroh Charles <majoroh@cyberspace.net.ng>
Organization: Majoroh Partnership
To: Urhobo Historical Society <Urhobo@KinsFolk.com>
CC: Urhobo Historical Society <Members@waado.org>
Dear friends,
I forward herewith the communiqué of our recent seminar on the above topic.
We shall appreciate your comments .
Waadoo!
Charles Majoroh

 The Urhobo Foundation Seminar on "The Urhobo and the National Crisis" which was held at the Sheraton Hotel on Thursday 13th April, 2000, witnessed the presentation of several papers with vigorous, critical and in-depth analysis and contributions from the floor. This seminar was our response to the several nationwide upheavals in our nascent democracy and periscoped a Niger Delta minority view of the unfolding scenario.

The seminar found consensus on the following positions:

1. That the Nigerian Project is inherently a good enterprise in which the Urhobos should ordinarily derive benefit commensurate with their contribution and efforts. However the present structure, and constitution are skewed, fraudulent, unworkable and therefore need very urgent restructuring and retooling .

2. That the National crisis is an expression of the underlying struggle for power and control among the constituent nationalities, on a spectrum of issues large and small.

Among which are:
 

2.1 The power of the ethnic nationalities to control the survival and orderly growth of their languages, cultural identities, self-respect and dignity despite the over - bearing influence and pressures of others

2.2 The power to control the harvesting of their God-given resources and the distribution and usage of the proceeds therefrom among themselves as well as others in the same country..

2.3 The power to control and perpetually enjoy the beauty and condition of their natural environment.

2.4 The power to protect the individual's right to exercise control over his mode of worship and relationship in marriage, divorce, land acquisition and disposal.

3. That in furtherance of this search for a solution to the survival and ultimate success of the Nigerian Project, all these contending issues can and should be speedily tabled at a National Conference, Sovereign if necessary.

4. That refusal to speedily heed this well-meaning call now will only compound the issues to the ultimate detriment of all Nigerians.

5 That for peaceful and fruitful coexistence, Nigeria should be restructured into a loose federation of regions each comprising recognisable ethnic nationality -- states or provinces. Clearly defined roles, in line with 2.1 to 2.4 above, shall be set aside for the three tiers i.e. provinces or states, regions and Central Government. This will remove the wide spread dissatisfaction with the unfair geo-political distribution of local Governments and States as well as the location of their capitals.

6. That in the event of a failure of the Nigerian Project, the Urhobo Nation should seek to work with other Ethnic groups in the Niger Delta to form a nation state in a loose federation or confederation with all or parts of Nigeria whose interests and ours can be mutually harmonized.

URHOBO FOUNDATION
LAGOS, APRIL, 2000

RETURN TO CONTENTS | RETURN TO URHOBO FOUNDATION