FIFTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND MEETING

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PETROLEUM TRAINING CENTRE, EFFURUN, NIGERIA 
ONOBRAKPEYA'S NIGER DELTA CULTURAL CENTRE, AGBARHA-OTOR, NIGERIA
IBRU CENTRE, AGBARHA-OTOR, NIGERIA

October 29 -31,  2004

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GOODIE  IBRU
Urges Urhobo to Emulate UHS Members’ Unity

Reported By Mevayen Obire

The Urhobo Voice, November 15, 2004

CHAIRMAN of both Federal Palace Hotel and Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Lagos, Mr. Goodie Ibru, has challenged the Urhobo nation to learn a lot from the unity existing among members of the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS) as demonstrated through their fifth annual conference held in the country from October 28-31, 2004, saying the group has been able to achieve what those based at home could not.

Goodie Ibru, who spoke through Chief (Engr.) Samson Okuesa, Otunba Aloro of Isokoland, as the chief launcher of Urhobo art exhibition and book Where Gods and Mortals Meet: Continuity and Renewal in Urhobo Art, edited by Perkins Foss and launched at Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Niger Delta Cultural Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, said Urhobo in the diaspora had been able to demonstrate their togetherness as one people, which they had carried home to show their people at home that what was impossible at home, was not impossible with them.

“For somebody living in America to come together as a unit and work in co-operation and harmony with someone living in England or Canada under one umbrella (UHS), is enough example for us at home to learn a lesson through their action that unity is supreme,” Ibru stressed.

He continued: “The Urhobo nation should learn a lesson from this conference. UHS has been holding conferences outside Nigeria. It has been holding conferences in America, North America, South America, England and other places. These very notable, young, old, honourable and all the time very enterprising men of Urhobo, have decided to come home to honour some of our home-based people and to hold the meeting for the first time in Africa. We should learn from this! And then, they are not divided over there.

“This is what we get from what they have done; this is what they came to do; to appreciate the work of people who have lived before and sacrificed their lives to make sure that Urhobo culture is on the move adding that UHS had succeeded in upgrading and uplifting Urhobo culture and tradition, thus promoting the unity of Urhobo land.

He disclosed that some of those awarded by UHS had made their mark in different fields of calling, citing Ejaife, who was pioneer principal of Urhobo College, Effurun, and Salubi, former President General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU).

“Of all the history that Mowoe made”, Ibru pointed out, “people do not always think and recognise continuously or consistently, the significance of Mowoe’s input into Urhobo.”

According to him, Mowoe was a selfless leader, who expended his personal money to do everything for the advancement of the Urhobo nation.

He maintained that the action of UHS was a reminder that there were things the Urhobo had left undone, saying it was a demonstration of the colour of unity.

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