Urhobo Historical Society
Culled from:
The Urhobo Voice, August 17, 2009 edition, page 4
Urhobo Unity Summit:
Urhobo State, University, Cultural Coherence Take Centre Stage
By Kenneth Young-Emretiyoma
Editor, The Urhobo Voice
Greater political coherence and cohesion, the quest for an Urhobo
State and an Urhobo University were among major issues for discussion
and analysis at the recent 2-day Unity Summit organized by the Urhobo
Progress Union (UPU), umbrella body of the Urhobo People of Western
Niger-Delta.
From the welcome address by
Olorogun (Senator) Felix
Ibru, UPU President-General, to the
different remarks and speeches by Governor Emmanuel
Uduaghan, former Governor James
Ibori and other personalities who graced
the summit, the need for Urhobo unity in present day Nigeria was
lavishly acknowledged, even as speakers after speakers, including
renowned academics, technocrats and politicians espoused their views
and suggestions on ways to repositioning the Urhobo as a formidable
ethnic nationality in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
Olorogun
Ibru in commending the vision of past
Urhobo leaders submitted that, "We can borrow a shred of wisdom from
Chief Mukoro
Mowoe and the other pioneers of the Urhobo
past. They foresaw clearly that the Urhobo progress required the
friendship of our ethnic neighbours in the
Niger-Delta and the Nigerian Community of ethnic nationalities�Chief
Mukoro
Mowoe worked hard for the friendship of
all communities in the Western Niger-Delta�made friends from all
corners of Nigeria, especially in those areas where Urhobo Communities
were settled as economic immigrants."
Clark Blasts Urhobo Politicians
In his goodwill message, contained in an eight-page pamphlet, Chief
(Dr.) Edwin Clark described the event as a "glorious occasion for all
Urhobos both in Nigeria and in Diaspora
and for those of us who have Urhobo blood flowing in our veins."
Reminiscing on the days when Urhobo called the shots in the old
Warri Urban District Council, Clark
lamented that he �Watched with deep sorrow and disappointment the
creep of Urhobo in the affairs of
Warri Province, now Delta State,
particularly Warri Urban, eroding away due
to lack of committed leadership as was provided by past fathers as
President-General, who had very little of western education, were very
intelligent and very much committed to Urhobo cause and their
neighbours respected them." The elder
statesman called on Olorogun
Ibru to appeal to "all our politicians,
young and old, to return to the path of
honour and give the Urhobo nation the
pride of place in polity of Nigeria."
He expressed his disgust at seeing "Urhobo sons and daughters playing
second class politics for their selfish gains without having a say in
the state and national politics," and pleaded that the National UPU
executives have the will power "to reconcile all Urhobo wherever they
may be and not to worship politics of money at the expense of the
pride of the Urhobo ethnic nationality."
Delta Opposition Members Snub Summit
Prominent members of the opposition in Delta State, and known
activists including Chief Great Ogboru,
Barrister Moses Oddiri, Prince Mike
Asaboro, Chief (Barr.) Andrew
Oru were visibly absent at the 2-day
event. However, Chief Peter Okocha sent a
goodwill message in newspaper advertorials.
Failure of UPU Responsible for Urhobo Political Woes, says
Ibodje
In his paper presented on the Challenges of the Urhobo Nation,
Professor S.W.E. Ibodje said the main
challenge facing the Urhobo nation today is the "challenge of how to
convert her potentials into political assets at the state and national
levels." He argued that the poor performance of the Urhobo nation in
the present political dispensation is the result of the failure of the
UPU since the end of the Mukoro
Mowoe
era to maintain vision of the union and the necessary central
structure of leadership, standards and focus left behind for the
ethnic nationality.
Ibodje
fingered the following as responsible for the poor political
performance of the Urhobo nation: A lack of effective central
leadership structure, personality conflicts among Urhobo leaders, the
role of the political class, effects of social and
economc change and the value system of
Urhobo people; the nature of the
relationship between Urhobo and other groups. He emphasized that to
move forward, the Urhobo nation needs to return to the
Mukoro
Mowoe era of a strong central leadership
structure built under the umbrella of the UPU with a well-articulated
national vision. "The Urhobo of our era must not only identify her
challenges, it must confront such challenges with a clear vision,
which must not be known to the leadership alone, but also to the
average Urhobo man and woman. Again, the Urhobo voice must be heard on
major national and regional issues�,"Prof.
Ibodje said.
On Urhobo State and University
Professor Peter Ekeh, Chair of Urhobo Historical Society, enumerating
strategies for achieving the goals of Urhobo Unity Summit suggested a
Committee on the case for an Urhobo State; an Urhobo Lands and
Boundaries Committee, and a Committee on Good Governance in an Urhobo
State. Prof. Ekeh said a well-crafted case for an Urhobo State is
essential in planning for the new campaign. "A committee, which will
work mostly behind the scenes, should articulate a case that the
Urhobo people as well as other Nigerians will find appealing and
convincing." He offered that in the renewed campaign for a State, the
Urhobo should gain several lessons from previous experiences and
outcomes, and guard against ill-consequences that could defile good
governance in an Urhobo State; the control of the UPU in Urhobo
affairs, the institution of the Ovie and
the right of vote among the Urhobo People.
On the Urhobo University, Ekeh suggested that an Urhobo University
should find its model in the private-not-for-profit category, which
relies mostly on the returns of their endowments, partially relies on
student paid tuition and survives on disciplined management of their
resources within the funds that flow into their strictly controlled
foundations. He said an Urhobo University Committee should be
constituted to study the many issues and steps surrounding the
setting-up of a University.
Ekeh also reeled out comprehensive plans for combating violence in
Urhobo land, warning that the quest and establishment of an Urhobo
State and University will only be meaningful if an enabling
environment for their existence prevails in Urhobo Land.
University will bring Urhobo behind UPU�OKPAKO
On the part of Prof. David Okpako, the
idea of the University emanating from the UPU will unify the Urhobo
people behind the UPU, �and the UPU will be able to function again
like the days of Mukoro
Mowoe, just like the establishment of
Urhobo College unified the Urhobo behind
Mukoro Mowoe.�
Okpako agreed that the idea of a
University is essential and worthy, declaring that the University will
afford "our people the opportunity to develop ourselves."
Prof. P. Kuale wants the agitation for
Urhobo State creation to come an end, canvassing, instead, the
restructuring of the whole country, just as Prof. Bright
Ekhuerare appealed for anti-violence
mechanisms in Urhobo land to curb violence.
People Sponsored to Divide Urhobo,
Igun says
Former Vice-Chancellor of DELSU, Prof.
Uvie
Igun appealed that the UPU bring together
all diverse political groups in Urhobo under one umbrella and monitor
them from time to time. He also asked the Summit to come up with a
task force to carve out a vision for the Urhobo people.
On 2011, Igun talked of the urgent need
for Urhobo to dwell on how to confront 2011. He called for the setting
of various task forces, such as: Urhobo National Vision Taskforce,
Urhobo Political Task force, Urhobo Political Vanguard, UPU Leadership
Committee (comprising mainly of traditional rulers.)
Igun said an Urhobo Political Tactics task
force should work out the Urhobo tactics for 2011, and the Urhobo
Alliance Standing Committee to work out alliances between Urhobo and
other ethnic groups towards achieving Urhobo aspirations.`
Other Personalities Present also Offered
Opinions on Way Forward for Urhobo.
The Ohworode of
Olomu Kingdom, HRH R.L
Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro1 (JP) frowned at the
non-use of Urhobo language by the present generation of Urhobo youths.
Expressing worry at the lack of academic interest and patronage of
Urhobo language, the monarch admonished the youths to embrace and take
advantage of the Urhobo Language Studies at DELSU,
Abraka, even as he also lamented the lack
of respect and recognition for Urhobo monarchs, especially at social
functions, and called for a change. HRM
Oghoro 1 related to the gathering how all
Urhobo local government chairmen shunned invitations to them by the
traditional rulers for a meeting to examine how the LG bosses could
provide better services, extend democratic dividends to the people and
develop the communities.
Chief Simeon Ohwofa, vice president of
Urhobo Social Club, Lagos, in his contribution, mentioned the need to
strengthen the structure and necessary leadership of the UPU in
maintaining the Urhobo vision. He added that political groups by
Urhobo politicians should be for
Urhobo�s interest and not for personal
gains, just as he called for a strategy to come out with a pool of
human resources.
Marginalisation
of Urhobo in Warri
Chief Daniel Obiomah advised that in
making a case for an Urhobo State the
Urhobos in
Warri should be inculcated in any boundary
to be drawn. In an emotion-laden voice,
Obiomah lamented the marginalization and
discrimination being suffered by the
Urhobos in
Warri "because we are
Urhobos."
Chief Godwin Ogbetuo wants the Urhobo
nation to ensure proper succession in her political leadership, while
Dr. Adasen appealed for a committee to resolve the post-election
crisis in Urhobo Land.
For Senator Fred Brume, the Urhobo must establish industrial parks,
priotise the
Osubi Airport, which must be upgraded to
international standard (Prof. Amos Utuama,
the deputy governor, who chaired the session, later informed that the
Osubi Airport is already billed for
upgrading to international standard), and encourage tourism. Brume
also called for Christian revivals in Urhobo areas.
Professor Andrew Ohwona asked parents to
inculcate sound moral values in their children, and admonished the
people to be ready to defend their votes and to elect leaders that are
accountable.
Plight of Urhobo College
Mr
Olori
Magege, who also spoke on the urgent
need for those "who offended the Urhobo Nation" to show remorse and
apologise to her, called on the UPU to
take over the Urhobo College, which is said to be in a dilapidated
state.
Magege also asked politicians to stop
arming the youths in Urhobo Land as it was threatening peaceful
existence and security.
"Network with Others, Know Your Enemies"
General (Dr.) Oviemo
Ovadje,
rtd., advised the Urhobo nation to "know our
enemies before you can plan, choose your friends. We must make friends
who can help us politically and socially�the riches of the Urhobo
people are too limited, we must get friends from the Centre too��
Develop Curriculum for Urhobo Language Studies in Academic
Institutions�IMENE
In his contribution, Chief Ogbemure M.
Imene, the publisher of The Urhobo Voice
urged attention to evolving curriculum for Urhobo language studies in
primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the State, noting that
the Urhobo Orators Association, made up mainly of teachers
and other
educated individuals can effectively develop this task for the Urhobo
Nation. In supporting Prof.
Kuale�s position that Urhobo is lacking in
terms of self-sufficiency on food production, he urged the UPU should
note this all important aspect, even as he pleaded that Urhobo men and
women of means should embrace farming.
The publisher further advised that the UPU should channel its
activities under the realm of culture, since a people�s culture begets
essence of their unity, adding that cultural coherency will remove
friction from differences in political underplays. He said that the
once we know that the people�s social, political and economic strands
spring from their culture, the force of our unity will wax very
strong. He also used the medium to thank the UPU and its executives
for expending their resources, energy and time towards ensuring a
greater, more united and socio-politically strong Urhobo nation.
Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, former
MD/CEO NDDC also spoke in similar vein, calling on parents to ensure
their children and wards speak Urhobo language fluently. In
illustrating the importance of the mother tongue to children, Chief
Aguariavwodo told the story of the
embarrassment a mother suffered as the son could not confide in her of
his deed and spoke English to the mother�s chagrin. He said he has
made some compact discs (CDs) on teaching oneself Urhobo, advising
that copies are available for those who want same for their children,
even as he praised the UPU hierarchy for the summit, which he said is
worthwhile.
Prayer for Urhobo
Bishop Jonathan Arhavwarien wants the UPU
to form a prayer committee comprising all clergymen and spiritual
leaders in Urhobo Land to pray over the Urhobo nation in seeking God's
intervention and solutions. Prof. (Revd)
Erivwo also supported this call, adding
that Urhobo people should have the fear of the Lord because "wisdom
will emanate from it, there would be unity and we would achieve our
goals." The cleric also urged parents to drive the Urhobo language
into the heads of their children and wards while they are young. "We
need to change our orientation towards the Urhobo language," he said.
Chief Paul Akpofure, Dr. Abel
Dafioghor, Chief (Mrs.) Judith
Enamuotor, Chief Humphrey
Aghoghovbia, Margaret
Ojiyoma
Evwaraye, President, South-South Women
Forum, USA, and Godspower
Odenema also spoke. Many looking forward
to Chief Ighoyota
Amori air his views were disappointed as
the two-time commissioner and National President of Urhobo Political
Forum announced that his views would be presented at the committee
level.
Showers of Pamphlets
The event also witnessed showers of pamphlets from groups and
individuals stating their case for the Urhobo nation, including that
by Prof. (Senator) Adegor
Eferakeya,
Sentor representing Delta Central at the
National Assembly, which contains a catalogue of his exploits at the
National Assembly.
Urhobo�s
neighbours, namely the
Binis, Ijaw,
Isoko
and Ndokwa also presented goodwill
messages on the opening day of the event, which witnessed an
impressive and quality turnout of personalities including one-time
Governor of defunct Bendel State, Dr.
Samuel Ogbemudia, Prof. B.I.
Ijomah for the
Ukwuani people, Ambassador
Raph Uwechue,
President-General of
Ohanaeze and Elder
Peter Erebi, President-General of
Isoko Development Union.
On the last day, July 31, in spite of the heavy rains, which started
on Thursday night till evening Friday, the event recorded an array of
eminent personalities who stayed till the end of the
programme.
A draft communiqu� was read by Prof.
Onigu Otite,
and was adopted shortly before close of proceedings.