By Annabel Ogheneganre
LAGOS MAY 1ST (URHOBOTODAY0-Sometimes, my spirit is low when I see those we call leaders in Urhobo land behaving like ordinary school children over the fate of Urhobo in the present political dispensation. I do not know whether they are being used to destabilise Urhobo as being speculated or they simply lack a clear understanding of the times. There is no doubt that we have a challenge at hand, but how many of our leaders have come to this realisation and are working towards a solution?
When our so called leaders run after crumbs from the table of those who have fed themselves fat from the evil system that has impoverished Urhobo politicians, when leaders sing discordant tunes in our struggle to break the yoke of oppression, when leaders pick on our revered Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) on the pages of newspapers on the way forward for Urhobo instead of seeking private audience with UPU to air their opinions on the 2015 debate, when Urhobo leaders fight to occupy positions in the camp of those who have reduced Urhobo to what it is today, I quake with shock at what hunger has made out of our supposed leaders. When will Urhobo leaders learn?
After the 2011 general polls, Urhobo political leaders in the PDP fold who were either in the Urhobo Political Forum (UPF) or Urhobo Consultative Forum (UCF) came together to form Urhobo Political Congress (UPC) in order for Urhobo to speak with one voice in the politics of 2015. Unfortunately, the marriage collapsed late last year when Chief Ighoyota Amori resigned as National Chairman to resurrect the defunct UPF. Obarisi Ovie Omo Agege subsequently became the National Chairman of UPC and under his leadership, UPC stated publicly that they will work to promote Urhobo interest in 2015 as defined by UPU.
The questions now are, what is Amori and his followers up to? Are they out simply to divide Urhobo in 2015 in pursuant of selfish interests? Who are those using Amori to divide Urhobo political leadership? If we are not united, how do we achieve that which is uppermost in the mind of the average Urhobo man?
I am beginning to feel that something is fishy somewhere. Somebody is playing a weird music inside the bush which the bird is dancing to at the corner of the road. Amori and his group must be up to something sinister and Urhobo had better expose them for who they are on time so that we are not led into an irredeemable loss in 2015.
The questions I had asked over and over is whether Amori would ever have contemplated quitting UPC if the group had done his bidding by supporting his senatorial ambition in last year’s bye election? Since 1999, in how many political groups has Amori served in as an ordinary member? Must he be the ultimate leader wherever he is? Something must be wrong somewhere. So far UPF under Amori leadership has not aligned itself to the Uvwiamuge Declaration of UPU. Their last publicly stated position is that wherever Uduaghan goes, they will go in 2015. The question that is agitating many Deltans now is what happens if Uduaghan’s agenda is anti Urhobo?
I had consistently used my pen to canvass understanding and a soft landing for Chief James Onanefe Ibori. I have no regrets for my stand. UPU as I earlier prayed has graciously forgiven Ibori for the humiliation of 2007 and the Ederukaye insult. I believe that Ibori is not part of Amori’s agenda. He should therefore use his influence on Amori to advise him to key into Urhobo 2015 project as directed by UPU otherwise it will seem that Amori is doing Ibori’s bidding.
Has UPF considered what will become of Urhobo if we have to stay in the wilderness for another 8 years? Have Urhobo not suffered enough? What, I ask again, is Amori up to? Clearly Amori’s UPF is back to make Urhobo end up as third class citizens in our own state. It is rumoured that Amori wants to be Chairman of Delta PDP and his deputy, Hon Monday Igbuya wants to be Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly in 2015. If this is true, the implication is that Delta Central will be completely out of consideration for governor in 2015. Is this what we want in 2015? Is this the best we can get out of 2015? Who are these people who do not want Urhobo to aim high and go for the office of governor? Is this what Amori really think Urhobo deserve in 2015?
Undoubtedly, UPF has come to divide Urhobo and this is a bad omen. I hear LGA chapters are being inaugurated already to recruit the anti-Urhobo army for 2015. Many undiscerning but innocent politicians are being recruited into the fold all in the name of working for Urhobo. But the utterances and body language of Amori’s group suggest that a real threat and an enemy within is being groomed to undermine Urhobo in 2015. Let us watch it and make them realise that we understand their plot.
Urhobo must be united going into 2015 and we need all the assets in each and every one of us to settle the 2015 question in our favour. If we refuse to unite and work as one in the direction of producing the next governor in 2015, we shall have ourselves to blame. If Delta South is aspiring to succeed itself in the race to government house, I see absolutely no reason why Urhobo should not encourage one of our own to succeed Uduaghan. We are in a better position to grab it in 2015. In fact, this is the most appropriate time to strike because we shall not be working against an incumbent.
Let our people come home and work as a team to actualise the Urhobo governorship dream in 2015. We have eminently qualified personalities to be governor in 2015. Let us encourage them by working as one going into 2015. We have no better choice than from among our people. We were deceived in the past but the deception must end now. Urhobo should wake up to take her rightful place in the politics of 2015.
For those who have an agenda to push the position of governor to anywhere outside Urhobo in the vain hope of reaping handsomely from such betrayals, I have a message for them. They should better change their ways now and embrace the UPU agenda for once and spare themselves the political consequences of such unpatriotic actions against their own people. They should know that soonest we will mobilise the people to vote against those who directly or indirectly work against UPU and Urhobo interest. We have suffered enough and anybody who stands on the way of Urhobo resolve to be in government house in 2015 shall have himself to blame because we will mobilise the people to vote against their political interests all over Urhobo land and beyond. There will be no hiding place for them either. No traitor shall have political relevance in Urhobo land anymore. We shall expose their evil plans against Urhobo as it unfolds and the perpetrators shall be made to pay politically for their evils deeds. Once the revolution starts, it shall be massive. Let every man and woman who has political interest in Urhobo to protect know that enough is enough. Urhobo shall deal with the Judases in their midst as we can no longer tolerate the antics of fifth columnists.
My message is a clarion call for Urhobo to unite and fight as one. Those who will fight Urhobo to promote some elements in our midst who cornered all the government positions in the past seven years should be ready to face the consequences. Urhobo are no fools. We cannot accept to be called fools without a fight. If we fail to fight now, we shall live to regret it tomorrow. United, we can make it. Unite, Urhobo please unite and let us do this together. It is possible, yes we can!

Miss Annabel Ogheneganre writes from Garki, Abuja. (08092569702 SMS only or ananabel4christ@hotmail.com).