UWAMAGBE DECLARATION! IT IS NOT WHO WE AS URHOBOS by ENA OFUGARA

I was classmates with Bome Mowoe whose grandfather along with Dr. Salubi formed the PAN Urhobo Association called Urhobo Progress(ive) Union. It was an organisation borne out of necessity to cohere the activities of the Urhobo people, knowing Urhobo is made up of up to 26 Kingdoms, depending on how one counts. The victories recorded by Mowoe and Salubi include establishing Urhobo College Effurun, influencing the location of Government College Ughelli, defending the Okpes in the Sapele land ownership case against Itsekiris etc.

Despite the UPU establishing the Urhobo College, many other tribes were welcome at the school. None No one has ever said he was treated badly by his peers or teachers for not being Urhobo. Even all the "jaguda" of Urhobo College, all the young boys do it together. Government College Ughelli and their yellow badge written "Sailors" is a crest of honour in Uniben, at least in those days. The boys....Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, Yoruba, all wear it with pride.

In addition, "I be Warri boy oh", how many times have you heard that from a Yoruba or Ibo boy? Hausa kids growing in Hausa quarters beat their chest and say "for wetin naaa. For this Warri? You no reach", because Warri, no matter the area, is home to anyone who comes. SO WHEN HAS URHOBO NATION BEEN TURNED INTO A TRIBAL COCOON? HOW HAVE WE ALLOWED THIS? Is there a city more cosmopolitan than my Effurun and Ekpan or my adopted home Sapele? WHY HAVE WE DEVIATED FROM WAYS THAT FAVOUR US?

Favour us? Yes. Name tribes of our population with as many cities as Urhobo land. When you say, "Warri", most times, you are referring to Effurun/Uvwie, which is an Urhobo LGA. Enerhen Junction that comedian's favourite spot is Urhobo. I have sung the praises of Sapele in its glory days endlessly. Oghara and Ughelli are also not so bad, considering that much of Nigeria is rural. I do sincerely doubt if the more populous Ijaws have as many developed towns as Urhobo. Even the Itsekiri that Urhobos say have everything, I am wondering how many developed towns they have in comparison to Urhobo. Does Ondo state have more developed towns than Urhobo land? Well, I haven't looked hard enough.

Urhobos and their neighbours, the Itsekiris, despite bickerings, end up lovers at night. Urhobos and Ijaws have such wonderful history, Ijaw princes are usually borne by Urhobo mothers. But today, a group of very selfish leaders are turning the Urhobo nation to what it has never been. ...

(Okay, before I go on, be aware what I am going to say will be vastly unpopular with many Urhobos. hehehe. I have never spoken out of a desire to be politically correct or to be popular. I will say it as I feel it in my soul. Insult me all you want. THICK-SKINNED)

First, I must tell you what the Uwamagbe Declaration is. The Urhobo Progress Union, meeting in Uwamagbe, came up with an ill-thought out supremacist Fulani-esque resolution. They resolved that only an Urhobo man must rule Delta State. This set of UPU leaders have gone on to suspend and bully Urhobos who see in a man of another tribe the right leadership quality. This quality could perhaps be by superior education or experience in governance, etc and who then decided to support such a man. Recipient of this bullying also includes those who are true to their party and support the candidates their parties present, despite the tribe or region or senatorial zone of the person. The youth wing come on facebook and social media and insult these older men as if age no longer counts in our culture. This same new belligerence towards our neighbours has led to clashes with Government Tompolo, Deziani Allison-Madweke, etc. Also like a monster out of control, this same new-fangled "urhoboness" has led to physical confrontation and bullying of Urhobos appointed by the Federal Government, and even those elected by us. There is now a feeling like one has to account to the youths physically as if they are the "Urhobo police". Nobody says there should not be tribal group, but when opprobrium is now poured on elders because of their exercising their constitutional rights to choose whom they want, then such organisation must be called to order.

I have asked, and I will continue to ask "so Urhobos have no defined political party it belongs to? So the majority tribe in Delta is to float along as a particular aspirant decides which party he can contest the next governorship? So we do not consider that maybe if O'teha Omerrhor, Obule, etc etc have never decamped, that by now Urhobos would have taken over the structure of the PDP Delta state, especially with Ibori's incarceration? WHAT POLITICAL PARTY IS URHOBO?

To none Urhobos reading this, think about the Urhobo people you know and if they have ever refused you anything for being a particular tribe. This if they have ever refused to rent you a house or sell you land by reason of your tribe.

To Urhobos reading this, IT IS YOUR SON IBORI THAT AS LEADER OF THE STATE THOUGHT IT WISE TO ALLOW EACH SENATORIAL ZONE PRESENT A GOVERNOR IN TURNS. IBORI IT IS THAT BROUGHT PEACE TO WARRI BY ENDING "WARRI CRISIS". I AM SURE HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT ALLOWING EACH REGION PRESENT A GOVERNOR MEANS TO PEACE AND EQUITY IN THE STATE. So if Ibori has handed the governorship to Itsekiri and soon Delta North, why is it that Amori who follows Ibori's directive is a "betrayer" and Ibori is "odidigboigbo"...adored? WHY SUCH HYPOCRISY? If Amori is a traitor, then you must say "IBORI IS A TRAITOR" as Amori has followed Ibori's dictates all through. IBORI IS LEADER OF DELTA STATE...a pride to us.

Dear Urhobo, I no know pass anybody. Na as I see am naim me dey talk am. That Uwamagbe declaration is ill-thought out. The silliness of it is that other tribes have now ganged up against Urhobo...even our cousins the Isokos. Now we are talking 8 LG vs 17. And for Urhobos who say "Uvwie is two million", remember that many in Uvwie are neither Urhobo nor will they vote with Urhobo as they too are put-off by such statements.

For Urhobos to fully understand the import of that statement, imagine a Muslims saying "only a Muslim can be president of nigeria." Now imagine an Ikwerre man saying "Only an Ikwerre man must rule Rivers state". Think how you have felt about "born to rule" philosophy of the North. Urhobo leaders have put us in this unenviable position.

IBORI IS SUPPORTING OKOWA. The EDEVBIE I was screaming for here, HE IS SUPPORTING OKOWA. AGUARIAVWODO THAT I WAS SO SUPPORTIVE OF, HE IS SUPPORTING OKOWA. KENNETH GBAGI, HE IS SUPPORTING OKOWA. If Omo-Agege did not get the ticket of Labour Party, I hazard a guess he would be supporting Okowa. (my thoughts)

So Urhobo people, CHOOSE YOUR PARTY AND TELL YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO STAY THERE AND FIGHT FROM WITHIN.

Urhobos, your son, not being governor does not lead to marginalisation. What leads to marginalisation is always voting people who lose. Urhobos must learn the meaning of the word ALLIANCE. Alliance is not for people to support you every time. When you align, it is give and take. Urhobo must leant it.

I am not around in Sapele right now, I would have voted Jonathan for President, Amori for Senate, Okowa for governor. of course Igbuya Monday as Sapele and Okpe, in him Igbuya, may be producing the next speaker.

Urhobo Wado. Na my own I talk

Ena Ofugara is Public Affairs analyst. you can reach at https://www.facebook.com/enaofugara