LAGOS FEBRARY 26TH (URHOBOTODAY)-It is no longer news that a group of persons in Urhobo land are alleging that they gathered at the House of the Owhorode of Olomu at Ogoni where they purportedly passed a vote of “No Confidence” on the National Executive of our great Union (UPU) and thereafter appointed a caretaker committee.
As you are all aware Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) is a registered Union with the Federal Government under the Company and Allied Matters Act. UPU has a Constitution which governs its activities on daily and yearly basis.
From what we presume you know about the Union, it is only its members who are registered and pay their dues that have a say in the affairs of the Union as expected of any association, Club or Union. It is not an all comer’s affairs.
Even though one of the objectives of the Union is to promote the well being of Urhobo people generally throughout the Globe irrespective of where they live, that does not entitle non-members of the Union, even though they are from Urhobo ethnic Nationality to hijack the Union from its members particularly the highest organ being the National Exco Committee next to Congress.
To put it point blank every Urhobo person is eligible to be a member of the Union but only registered members who have paid their annual dues and active in attending meetings that are regarded as members of UPU. The grundnorm of the Union is its constitution which every member has sworn to uphold and protect.
In the light of the above we wish to inform you that only the National Executive under the President General can summon a Congress of the Union and nobody else. As a result all the persons who gathered on 5th of December at Ogoni Olomu purporting to hold the Congress of the Union, have no powers whatsoever to hold UPU congress.
There is also no provision in the Constitution for a vote of NO CONFIDENCE to be passed on the entire National Executive Committee. Even if this is to be done (though not conceded), it must be based on proven acts of misconduct after hearing from those to be indicted.
Further even if anybody is indicted after an inquiry or hearing, it requires 2/3 majority votes of Congress members present at the meeting voting in favour for the indicted officer (not the entire Exco) to be removed as provided for with respect to the position of the President General only under Article 10 (10), (2) of our Constitution which was not complied with by the illegal body.
In consequence of all the above you are advised to ignore the alleged dissolution of the National Exco by a group of persons not constitutionally empowered to do so. As you are aware this is not the first time busy bodies have tried to hijack and meddle with the affairs of the Union. However we want to assure you that we intend to put a stop to it by a judicial pronouncement which is already in the pipeline.
In order to forestall these recurring aberration and illegal acts by persons who are not recognized as members of the Union and which is playing out in some Branches and Sub-Branches of UPU all over the
Globe with parallel UPU Exco, the National Executive Committee has therefore rolled out the under-listed actions to be carried out immediately by all Branches and Sub-Branches of UPU world-wide.
1 All Branches and Sub-Branches to compile a list of all registered members of UPU in all Branches and Sub-Branches based on their financial standing, their activities in attending your meetings and UPU functions including paying the Annual dues as prescribed by the Constitution of UPU.
2. The list of all members of UPU as at date in all Branches and Sub-Branches should be forwarded to the National Secretariat within 30 days from the receipt of this letter which list should be signed by
the President and Secretary respectively. The list of members should contain their addresses, phone numbers and if possible email addresses.
3. All list of members of the Union as received by the Secretariat will be compiled into a booklet by the National Secretariat which will be the only authorized list of members to forestall non-members meddling in the affairs of UPU.
4. It is the list of members of the Branches and Sub-Branches that will form the bases on which a person can vote and be voted for in all future elections of the Union from Branches, Sub-Branches and National level.
5. In keeping with the provisions of UPU Constitution, the National Body will only deal with persons whose names appear in the compiled list of members which shall serve as the Electoral Register for
Branches, Sub-Branches and National Body in future elections.
6. In consequence of 5 item above, a Branch of UPU will be established in the respective 24 Kingdoms in Urhobo land and the Executive Committee of UPU of the various Kingdoms shall be responsible to
nominate delegates to represent the Kingdoms in all future Congresses and Elections of UPU at the National level.
For the Branches only the list sent by the Branch to the National Body will be used to conduct any election. The said list shall be updated when necessary.
7. All Branches and Sub-Branches are requested to pay all arrears of their annual subscription to the National Secretariat on/or before the 1st of April, 2016 to avoid de-registration of any Branch due to
default in payment of its annual dues to the National Headquarters of UPU.
8. All the above directives must be taken seriously and complied with within the stipulated time to forestall meddlesome interlopers from interfering in the affairs of UPU henceforth.
9. The National Executive will ensure the Union is run the way every incorporated Union is suppose to be run without sentiments being given to persons who do not have the authority to interfere in the Union affairs as it has been in the past. We want to assure all members of UPU that our new resolve is to position the Union in accordance with the aspiration of its founding fathers.
We have further resolved to carry out the objectives of the Union to the letter and in the process we shall partner with any Urhobo Group, Clubs or Associations who share in our views, visions and aspirations to move the Urhobo Nation forward.
We also wish to assure all members that what we are doing is not personal but to save the Union from the hands of those being used to destabilize the Union and by extension the Urhobo Nation.
We have the highest regard for all those who wish the Urhobo Nation well but will not give in to anybody to breach the Constitution of our great Union no matter how highly placed. Such persons must and shall be resisted at all cost.
Finally we wish to highly appreciate all the Branches who have identified with us since the unwholesome acts of illegality as adumbrated above particularly those who came out to positively condemn
in strong terms the allege unconstitutional dissolution of the National Exco. As a fact we are highly encouraged that no Branch in Nigeria, UK and other European countries except the US branch has supported the illegal act despite the alleged support of the Royal fathers. Apart from a hand few of the
Royal fathers, a good number of them advised against the illegal Acts being paraded as the act of all our Royal fathers.
We wish to assure you all that what has happened is making our Union stronger and will position the Union the way it ought to be and run under our Constitution.

Long live Urhobo Progress Union.

Long live Delta State.

Urhobo Ovovo.

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Chief (Engr) Joe Omene JP.
(National President-General)

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Chief Albert Akpomudje, SAN: FCIArb
(National Secretary)