Published On: Fri, May 17th, 2013

Marginalisation: Jonathan to Mend Fences with Urhobos- Presidential Aide

President Goodluck Jonathan


By Oghenekevwe Laba
ABUJA, MAY 17TH (URHOBOTODAY) The Special Adviser on Niger-Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Program Hon Kingsley Kuku has assured the Urhobos who had been lamenting over federal government neglect and marginalizing in term of development and even spread of appointments that the Federal Government has not undermine the importance of the Urhobos.
Kuku who made the statement when an Urhobo Activist and Youth Leader, Comrade Rex Anighoro and his group under the aegis of Movement for the Advancement of Urhobo Nation (MAUN) paid him a courtesy call at Abuja yesterday assured that leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) would be reached by Mr. President with needful urgency.

According to him, “I thanked Comrade Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro and his coalition for standing out as a people of great faith and courage. I expressed gratitude to them for standing firmly in solidarity with Mr. President. I urged them not to relent.
“Despite the feelings of neglect expressed by the Urhobo Nation as conveyed by Comrade Rex Anighoro, I am confident that Mr. President does not and cannot undermine the Urhobo Nation who is a major and critical stakeholders in the Nigerian Federation. Urhobo Nation had paid her dues and must be accorded her rightful place in the Nigerian Federation. I assured you that the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) will be reached by Mr. President with needful urgency.”
Kuku disclosed that through his office a lot of Urhobo youths have been trained and repositioned for the future, just as he promised to do much more in the days coming so as to further stretch out his hands for partnership and harmonious working relationship with Urhobo youths in moving the Niger -Delta forward.
Speaking earlier during the courtesy visit to the Office of Kingsley Kuku Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Matters, Comrade Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro eulogized the qualities of Kuku whom he described as a bridge builder, a foremost conflict conciliator and a consummate leader who have zero tolerance for mediocrity and have given future to those whom were once hopeless.
He stated that his ascendancy to the position of Special Adviser on Niger-Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Program had advanced the peace pursuit in Niger- Delta, thanking him for the training of Urhobo youths through the amnesty program with one of them emerging as one of the youngest pilots that Nigeria has produced.
Comrade Rex Anighoro who is the Spokesman to Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari however expressed great sadness that despite the Urhobo Nation steadfastness and support for President Goodluck Jonathan the Urhobo Political status for the first time in her history is alarmingly near non-existent.
He stressed that despite Urhobo Nation producing over eight hundred thousand votes for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 election, votes bigger than votes earned by Mr. President in some states, the Urhobo Nation seems to suffer monumental neglect from a supposed friendly and brotherly President. He noted that the youths of Urhobo Nation are sorely grieved, feeling highly undermined and disregarded.
The youth leader warned that if urgent steps were not taken to address and redress this sore and unacceptable political status, it may not be in the interest of Mr. President whom some Urhobos now believes hates them and wants to strangulate them.
According to him, “The Urhobo Nation is not beggarly nor an appendage, but will not fail to rightly demand for a better recognition of her rightful place.”
Comrade Rex Anighoro also demanded that the Urhobo youths seeks an audience with Mr. President calling on the Presidential aide to help in facilitating the meeting.
He, however, thanked Mr. President for the recent appointment of Dr. Otive Igbuzor, an Urhobo National into the board of the Police Service Commission (PSC) urging him to do more. He requested that the President should urgently constructively engage with the Leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) to strengthen the bonds of goodwill between him and the Urhobos.
Speaking further, Anighoro spoke glowingly of the President of the Nigerian Federation, insisting that he is the best President that Nigeria has ever had. He maintained that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had surpassed the achievements of all past presidents even as he refused to recognize those who through Coup de dat ascended to the leadership of the Nigerian Federation because according to him, “Ttheir governments where an aberration not worthy of recognition”.
Anighoro who is an Emory University,Atlanta-Georgia trained Conflict reconciliator chronicled some of Mr. President achievements to include the Nationwide rehabilitation of Nigeria Airports which have been in comatose state for over twenty years, the stability and adsent of strikes in Nigerian Universities, the repair of the Benin-Ore road that has been abandoned by successive governments for over twenty years despite being in the budgets, the renovation of the Nigerian railway system that has been abandoned for over Fifty years, the flourishing of multi-party politics with governors from several political parties enjoying democratic space and presently his firm tackling of insurgency in parts of the North of Nigeria by declaring a state of emergency without distorting democratic institutions.
The Urhobo activist reiterated that despite being the most abused Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has respected the rule of law, human rights and freedom of speech more than every other Nigerian President. Comrade Rex Anighoro, adding that Jonathan is the most educated, experienced, responsive and responsible president whose saddle on leadership voyage is not accidental but of process making him more qualified to lead Nigeria at this time.

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