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 communiqué
was read
by Prof. Onigu Otite,
and
was adopted shortly before close of proceedings.