By Young Erhiurhoro
LAGOS OCTOBER 21ST (URHOBOTODAY)-Every 21st October of every year is always a peculiar and memorable day for the children, family members, Igbe members and the entire Unenurhie community. It was a day a great son of the land gone to the abyss. It was the day Uku Sunday Efedudu joined his ancestors. A day that cannot be forgotten in the annals of history.
Therefore, this short discourse is to commemorate our late father, a rare gem, a fine personality, a handsome breed, a sacrificial leader per excellence, a role model of a class, late Uku Sunday Efedudu in yet another memorial anniversary organized in his honour at his palatial compound in Unenurhie town.
Much have been written about him and the Igbe religion. However, this discourse is considered important as it would focus on a very salient topic which our late father held in high esteem during his life time. Whether much have written about him or not, much still need to showcase about his person and personality.
Late Uku Sunday Efedudu was an indigene of Unenurhie community in Evwreni kingdom, Ughelli North LGA of Delta state. He was paternally of the Imonioghare family dynasty of Uruorhare street, Enurhie Quarters of Unenurhie town. His mother Otiti, was partly of Kabowei (Patani) Kingdom in Patani LGA of Delta state and also of Unenurhie extraction.
The exact year this great Man of God was born was not known. But yet, we were told he lived for over ninety years on planet earth. Though Uku Sunday Efedudu didn’t acquire former education to the peak but he still went to the classroom like many of his peers of that time. Besides, late Uku Sunday Efedudu was a strong adherent and believer of the Igbe religion. He became a member of this religious group as a result of a deadly ailment that attacked him in his prime which defiled all sorts of medications.
After much pain and agony, he however sought divine healing and salvation at the end through the Igbe religion from Uku Igugu worship hall of Ugono-Orogun, a dedicated disciple of Prophet Ubiesha Etarakpo, the founder of the Igbe religion. As a committed member of the religious sect, late Uku Sunday Efedudu rose from the lowest cadre of “Igbe-Ighele” through the leadership cadres of “Olori” and finally to the highest rank of “Uku” in the religion. In the Igbe religion, the “Uku” is equivalent of a “Bishop” of a Diocese. However, the difference is that, the “Uku” is independent to establish and operate his own Igbe religion from the headquarters after ordination. But he must pay a yearly homage to the Igbe headquarters at Kokori Inland where the founder, Prophet Ubiesha Etarakpo hailed from especially during holy festivals and conventions.
As it was the case, this great religious leader was ordained “Uku” in 1976 and thereafter established his own Igbe religion in Unenurhie community. He was the founder of “Igbe Orhe Ofuafo Oghene Healing Home Inc.” After many years of practice and service to humanity, the religion was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja as a corporate religious entity in 2001. For the over 90 years this sacrificial religious leader sojourned on earth, he used his leadership position to promote peace, evangelized on love and sacrificial leadership among his families, his community and other neighbouring communities. He was very popular in the Igbe religion’s circle and also in his home town of Unenurhie. He was reverred more than a king and honoured like a state governor. His palatial compound was the largest in the community, even till this very moment. It was an estate and a traditional domain. His compound was a home to the homeless, those from his community and from other places. It was a miniature throne to identify with at all times. It was where issues and scores were settled between individuals, families and even nearby communities. He was able to to deal with the problem of “Self” which has almost crumbled and ravaged our modern styles of leadership in Urhoboland today.
Without doubt, this will now take us to the main topic of the day, “Uku Sunday Efedudu And The Quest For Sacrificial Leadership: A Role Model For Urhobo Modern Leaders”. Without mincing words, our subject of discussion today was a typical example of a sacrificial leader. As an Igbe religious leader, he was always pious in his thoughts towards his neighbours in particular and humanity in general. He orchestrated a sacrificial pattern of leadership where he would always deny himself comfort just to make others happy. He hated oppression, injustice and tribalistic motives. He was so generous and kind to that extent where he would starve himself to feed others. Do we really see such leaders in Urhoboland again?
Going further, leadership as a political and social concept, has to do with the person who takes the central stage in leading human affairs and directs the possible way to victory. In the words of Professor Joseph E. O. Abugu, a Professor of Commercial and Industrial Law, University of Lagos, leadership is defined as an art; an active act of leading a group of people or an organization towards the realization of set group objectives. The true or sacrificial leader according to this erudite scholar of Law is one who is able to influence others to deliver such goals often with selfless sacrifice. In this clime, we have different kinds of leaders. Some of them are traditional leaders, religious leaders, political leaders, business or economic leaders etc. In fact, sacrificial and exemplary are words often associated with leadership because a leader has to lead by example and thereby command emulation and great followership. Honesty, accountability, justice and love are some of the exemplary virtues of sacrificial leaders. History is replete with so many of them. They emerged from generation to generation in time past, but not in this our fraudulent generation that is characterized with greed, avarice, corruption, self-centredness and other political and social vices. A good example of a sacrificial leader in Urhoboland was late Chief Mukoro Mowoe (1890 – 1948) of Evwreni kingdom. He was a sacrificial leader who laboured assiduously to establish the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the Urhobo foremost socio-cultural organization that we are all enjoying its dividends today. Not only that, the projects he championed were not dictated by nepotism or tribalism. If not, he would have sited the headquarters of UPU and the Urhobo College in his home town of Evwreni. This is the most destructive behavior of many Urhobo leaders today especially those in government. Today, the history of Urhobo as a people is not complete without mentioning the name of Chief Mukoro Mowoe. He was truly a definition of what we meant by a sacrificial leadership. He wasn’t a sectional or self-centered leader.
Another example of this sacrificial leader was this late Uku Sunday Efedudu. Like what I said earlier about this man, he was able to spread the Igbe religion to many riverine and hinterland communities in Delta, Bayelsa, Edo and Ondo states. In his time, there were many branches of his Igbe religion in those states mentioned. He used the “Holy Chalk” to heal thousands of people with different sicknesses. Many miraculous breakthroughs were testified by members to the potency of the “Holy Chalk” in his time. He was able to build a conclave and an enclave of Igbe worshipers in the entire Niger-Delta region. Our late father was able to do this because he voraciously dealt with the power of “Self”. He nailed it to the cross once and for all. This was a man who destroyed discrimination between his biological and legitimate children and those of his members resident in his compound. I am one of the products of such indiscrimination and unsegregation. In fact, he had fostered and nurtured thousands of such children which today are doing well in their different vocations and ministries. I’m even the least of them today. He sacrificially and selflessly done all these without coercion. Unlike many political leaders today that would pilfer the “Common Fund” and use it to create investments in their own name and in foreign countries; thereby denying the commoners or the less privileged access to their own inheritance.
In conclusion, we shall look at this sacrificial leadership as a model for our modern Urhobo leaders. Our focus here shall primarily be the traditional and the political leaders. These are the two sets of leadership climes we want to look as we want to conclude this short discourse. In the first place, the recycling underdevelopment, high rate of poverty and uncontrolled unemployment pervading the entire Urhoboland today is as a result of the inability of our modern leaders: traditional and political to deal with the ravaging power of “Self”. Until our leaders of today are able to kill this evil monster of “only me, my family and cronies”, it will be very difficult to bring meaningful and productive development to Urhoboland, no matter the office an Urhobo man is holding. However, from a macro perspective, in leading an ethnic nationality like Urhobo, our leaders must be sacrificially charismatic influencer, visionary, motivator and fearless crusader to be able to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the Urhobo people.
In restrospect, the 34th President of the United States of America, Dwight D. Eisenhower once observed, “The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office”. Honesty and integrity are two important ingredients or watch words which make a good and sacrificial leader. More importantly, how can you expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself? Why will there not be “deve” and all kinds of extortions from business owners and other investors when Urhobo youths are not occupying their right places in our various communities and in the government? Why will the rate of crime like pipeline vandalism, oil bunkering, kidnapping not be on the increase when “oil money” meant for the development of the people and the land are being siphoned by politicians? No doubt, leaders succeed when they stick to their leadership values and core beliefs. For a sacrificial leader, the end does not justify the means but the means justifies the end. He leads by laying down value precepts which are adhered to achieve great results.
Summarily, late Uku Sunday Efedudu was a role model for Urhobo modern leaders. He was a leader that today’s leaders can learn much from and to also emulate his leadership styles. When Uku Sunday Efedudu was alive, he was an Evangelist, Preacher and Practitioner of Sacrificial Leadership around his Igbe jurisdiction. For instance, during the Uwheru internal crisis of 1986, his compound was used as an IDP camp for all the refugees. Also in 2001, when the Evwreni monarch was gruesomely murdered by irate youths in Evwreni community, the compound was also used as a refugee camp. Many a times, late Uku Sunday Efedudu was able to settle amicably leadership disputes in his Unenurhie community which could have resulted to full blown crises. Another possible achievement of this great man was that, when Ughelli North LGA was to be splitted in 1998, he wanted to have used his influence and personal relationship to the late Justice James Omo-Agege, the chairman of the then Delta State Local Government Creation Committee and the father of our distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to bring the local government headquarters to his community, but for the agitations and series of petitions of the Evwreni people, who claimed to be brothers of the Unenurhie people. In fact, we can’t really exhaust all the amiable characters and leadership prowess of this great Urhobo son on just a page of paper. Let his good legacies and sacrificial leadership continue to lives on. Ose! Ose!! Ose!!! Continue to live in our hearts with your endearing immortality and legacies!

Young Erhiurhoro; Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society.