A
Report from:
The Urhobo Voice
A Newspaper Covering Events in
Urhoboland and
Offering Diverse Perspectives on Urhobo History and Culture
________________________________________________________
February 20, 2006
Remembering
Chief Thomas Erukeme: Unsung Urhobo Patriot and Philanthropist
By Dafe Omoko
Monday, February
13, 2006,
will mark the 33rd death anniversary of an illustrious Urhobo son who
contributed immensely to the unity of the great Urhobo nation.
No doubt, reading
the above
preamble, one would easily think that the person referred to is Mukoro
Mowoe,
the great; but no! This is another great Urhobo patriot, Chief Thomas
Erukeme
(of blessed memory), who hailed from Okpara Inland in Agbon axis,
Ethiope East
local government area,
Unlike the late
Mukoro Mowoe,
the Agbon high chief died unsung. He was a quintessence of Chief Mukoro
Mowoe.
He, along with Mukoro Mowoe and others made Urhobo nation what it is
today. He was indeed a key figure in the
Urhobo struggle. This is a fact which late Chief Mowoe himself would
have
attested to.
Before the coming
of the
white man, Urhobo nation, according to history, was in such disarray
which made
Urhobo to suffer humiliation accessioned by economic and political
maginalisation in the hands of minority (neighbouring) ethnic groups.
But the
late Chief Thomas Erukeme was among those who said no! Urhobo must be
free. And
in achieving this, there was only one way out � unity.
This was why, he,
long with
one Mr. Omorohwovo Okoro, an Ovu trader, came up with the idea of
Urhobo
Brotherly Society (UBS) which later metamorphosed into Urhobo Progress
Union
(UPU).
Perhaps an extract
from the
book, �The life and times of Chief Mukoro Mowoe of Warri,�
written by Obaro Ikime (page 86), will
explain the point better. According to late Chief J.S. Mariere, the
first
exploratory meeting which was to lead to the formal inauguration of
what grew
into UPU was held on October 30,1931, at the residence of Chief Mukoro
Mowoe.
The formal inauguration took place on November 3,1931 and the name
adopted was
Urhobo Brotherly Society (UBS).
The moving spirits
were the
said to be Mr. Okoro and Mr. Erukeme, a clerk in the colonial civil
service.
These two who were duly elected president and secretary respectively.
Obaro Ikime further
quoted
late Mukoro Mowoe town�s man and first civilian governor of the defunct
Mid-Western State on (page 87) of the same book as saying, �the period
preceding the birth of the union was one in which the disunity among
the Urhobo
people came to an unbearable point. It was a period of every man for
himself and
God for us all. This was probably so because of the clannish leanings
of the
Urhobo people in their different home steads.�
The above quotation
shows the
extent of contribution the unsung Urhobo patriot, Chief Erukeme made to
the
growth and unity of the Urhobo nation.
The Okpara born
Agbon chief
was somebody who believed in �charity begins at home� as he was known
for his
honest opinion on any matter that was brought before him. Those who
knew him in
Agbon Clan and indeed Okpara would attest to this fact.
Again, Chief
Erukeme�s
philanthropic nature is also being remembered today in his home town of
Erukeme�s peerless
qualities
could be likened to a red attractive flower called Ododo in Urhobo
language.
His rare qualities attracted him to all that came across him in the
course of
his life. That is why he was popularly known and called Ododo in his
days.
Ododo�s passion for
education
was something incredible. He ensured that his siblings, alongside
others
attained a remarkable standard in education by being a milk of human
kindness
to them. Today, his investment in this regard is paying off as most of
his
children and those who benefited from his gesture are doing well in
their
various fields of endeavour.
After his
retirement from the
colonial civil service, he went into trading and due to his hard work
and
honesty, he became successful to the extent of empowering others who
are today
successful.
Chief (Pa) Erukeme
in his
days, contributed immensely to the Baptist movement in Urhoboland,
particularly
in Agbon, as he was said to be one of the funding members of
The contemporary of
late
Mukoro Mowoe could also be remembered as a neat and good dresser. This
was one
factor, according to sources, that made him popular in his days.
Further, Pa
Erukeme�s flair
for writing, particularly in the area of keeping records, was
unimaginable.
This also endeared him to his peers. No wonder he was elected the
pioneer
secretary of UBS (now UPU).
Besides, papa was
said to be
somebody who believed so much in justice and equity. He hated
oppression,
hence, he was one of those who fought for the unity of the Urhobo
people. The purpose, according to one of
his
children, was to fight against injustice that was being meted out on
the Urhobo
people.
The Agbon people
known for
rewarding good for good have decided to bestow a chieftaincy title on
his
eldest child, Mr. Tony Oghenegare Erukeme. The decision of the Ovie
(king) to
give a chieftaincy title to the son of the late sage is being hailed by
many.
Reacting to the gesture of the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, Mr. Tony
Oghenegare
Erukeme stated: �It will motivate others to contribute their best to
the
development of
Mr. Tony Oghenegare
Erukeme
proudly disclosed that he had never suffered any sad moment since the
death of
his father 33 years ago, because of the legacy he left behind.
In spite of his
closeness to
the white man as a colonial clerk and his membership of the Baptist
mission,
papa was also said to be an authority in Urhobo tradition.
His opinion was
always sought
for in all aspects of Urhobo tradition. No wonder he was said to be a
confidant
of the Agbon monarch.
It could be
recalled that the
late Chief Thomas Erukeme left this sinful world at the age of 80
years. He is
survived by children and wives.
A remembrance
church service
will be held for him at