Urhobo Historical Society
Welcome Address on the
Occasion of the
15th Anniversary Celebrations of
Atamu
Social Club of
Featuring Inaugural Awards and
Launching of Ngn100m Atamu
Education Endowment Fund
19th
August 2006
By Obaro Osah
President
His Excellency,
Executive
Governor of
Chairman, Chief
Mike Omeru
Hon. Members of the
National
and Delta State Houses of Assembly
Honourable
Commissioners
Father & Mother
of the
Day
Our Distinguished
Patrons
Representative of
the various
Clubs and Associations
Distinguished
Ladies and
Gentlemen
Members of ATAMU
SOCAL CLUB
All other Protocols
Observed
We thank God
almighty for
making today possible and a reality in line with our evolving biennial
tradition of organizing a get together for the Urhobo people to extract
value
from within and reenergize for our future. This journey started in May
2000 at
the prestigious Auditorium of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of
We are strongly
motivated to
retain this approach by an all-encompassing understanding and
interpretation of
this theme within the context of the realities of present day
� The
inaugural
lecture series held in 2000
� The 10th
anniversary celebration in 2001 that featured the Launching of the
Dictionary
of Urhobo Language.
� The
renovation of
Mariere Hall of Residence and erection of the Statue of Chief Jereton
Mariere
at the
It is therefore an
opportunity and privilege, on behalf of our Patrons, Management and the
entire
members of the Atamu Family, to warmly welcome His Excellency Chief
James
Onanefe Ibori and the Chairman of today�s occasion Chief
Mike Omeru JP. Chief Mike Omeru is the Chairman of the
construction giant -- Niger Construction Limited (Nigercat); We are
most
pleased to welcome this occasion�s erudite and distinguished guest
lecturer, Professor Omafume Onoge. A
sociologist, a strong and committed member of the U.P.U., an expert in
social
change analysis and dimensioning and a member of the Constitution
Review
Conference, Professor Onoge will deliver our anniversary lecture titled:
�The role of Education in the Socio-Economic
Development of the Urhobo People.�
Permit me also to
welcome and
congratulate Atamu Awardees. The
award was conceived by the Club�s Management as a way of recognizing
and
showing appreciation to our deserving sons and daughters who have made
it to
the top in diverse life callings and have supported the Urhobo age-long
and
generational quest for integrity, discipline, innovation, commitment,
succession-planning and communal support from a very broad perspective.
It will
also serve as a means of encouraging others to emulate these role
models and to
put in perspective the core value of History as a subject that records
our
day-to-day activity for future analysis.
At
Fifteen, the Club remains apolitical but
with a dream of having direct and positive impact on the Life of the
next
generation of our people. We also know from history that in 1935, on a
motion
moved by Joseph Ikutegbe at a U.P.U meeting in
From
web-pages of the Internet and various
documented records available, we know of the evergreen and great
contributions
of the legend, a personage extraordinary, Chief Mukoro Mowoe. His
passion for
education, using Urhobo Progress Union
(U.P.U)
vehicle, made it possible for the establishment of
What
then happened to the Scholarship Scheme? How do we rekindle this
project? How
else can we prepare our youths for the future? What are we doing to
provide
support to the challenges faced by parents in sending their children
and wards
to school? How do we redirect the energy of the teaming youths to the
path that
is relevant and strategic to our local and global economy? . What are
we doing
to take charge of our local economy -- agriculture, water, oil and gas?
�Atamu Education
Endowment
Fund� is designed to address
these
issues. The Endowment scheme will be professionally managed by an
Independent
Board of Trustees (IBT) with the objective of applying the returns
there from the
Fund in:
(i)Providing
a perpetual source of Financial assistance for Tertiary Education,
Sponsor
studies in Urhobo.
(ii)
Offering career counseling support and
sponsoring programs and initiatives in specific Colleges and schools
located
within our geographical axis.
Boardroom guru,
Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, will chair the IBT which will be inaugurated
today. The other
members of the board are; Patrons O. J. A IDUDU & Olorogun
O�tega Emerhor, Chief (Dr) Mrs Cecilia Ibru, Ms Evelyn Oputu, Professor
John O.
Enaowho, David Akoro and Obaro Osah.
Atamu will
kick-start the =N=100M
Endowment Fund with a sum of =N=1,000,000.00 and hereby calls
on you our
worthy Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Friends, Clubs and
associations,
the Business community and all well wishers to co-plant this seed that
requires
nothing short of adequate care and nurturing to germinate and grow to
maturity.
You have always done it and we know you will do that for us again. Let
us
re-enact the Urhobo commitment to communalism today. Nothing
is too small.
At
this juncture please permit me to put on record the pioneering role of
our
eminent quartet -- Messrs Isaac Evwierhurhoma, Godwin Onodjakeh,
Friday
Okwoka and Joseph Omovogho Erhirhie -- who founded this club in 1991.
I also want to
thank our Patrons -- O.J.A Idudu, Professor G.G.Darah, Godwin
Etakibuebu, O.C.
Majoroh and Olorogun O�tega Emerhor -- as well as our past Presidents
-- Isaac
Evwierhurhoma, David Akoro, Friday Ebojoh, and Francis Okumagba -- for
their
immense and continuous contribution. May God continue to bless you all.
Let us not conclude
without
stating that Atamu�s effort is just one of the multiplicities of
initiatives
necessary to place Urhobo where she should be. Therefore, we urge other
groups
and even individuals here present today to pick up the challenge to
float as
many initiatives as possible to make Urhobo greatness a sure conclusion.
Once again, I
welcome you all
to this epoch-making event.
Long Live
Long Live Urhobo
Nation!
Long Live Atamu
Social Club!
Atamuoooooo�!�Erhuvwu
Mr. Obaro Osah
President
19th
August 2006