LAGOS MARCH 4TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Urhobo is the largest ethnic group in Delta State which homogenically occupies a senatorial district, parts of Delta south and Bayelsa State.
Urhobo are industrious, accommodative, culturally sensitive and proud of their heritage. In the First Republic, the Urhobo supported NCNC in alliance with NPC, against Chief Alfred Rewane, a disciple of Awolowo’s Action Group, AG. Urhobo with others fought for the creation of the Midwest region, though the AG wanted states created simultaneously across regions instead of only the Western Region which it considers punitive. At creation, Urhobo in Midwest got the Governor in Jereton Marierie.
After the 1966 coup, Gen. David Ejoor, another Urhobo, was appointed Governor of the State. When the state was renamed Bendel, from Benin and Delta provinces, Edo parts and Urhobo were dominant but they played no second fiddle.
In 1979 Chief Daniel Okumagba launched his political strength to become the governorship candidate of the NPN but lost due to age- long differences between Warri-Urhobo and Itsekiri that dates back to the pre-colonial era, the NPN and UPN rivalry was a continuation of this in the State. In the Second Republic Urhobo retained the deputy governor post under Ambrose Ali and Samuel Ogbemudia and were courted at the federal level.
Urhobo demise politically started in 1999. This was after It was a triumph of Urhobo sons as James Ibori and Moses Kragha are Urhobo.
But from here Urhobo domination gave way to conspiracy and manipulation. Urhobo population and voting strength became castrated; Urhobo soon began to accommodate moles, bats, jesters and clowns, paid to pollute Urhobo politically.
Urhobo were impoverished to sustain emerging moles that acted scripts of their paid masters; they lost respect of neighbours.
Today Urhobo are stagnated, suffocated and driven by termites. However, the Urhobo Progressive Union, UPU, can reverse the situation. And this it can do by adopting Ifeanyi Okowa as their candidate so as to achieve Urhobo ideals.
The UPU should not make decisions without looking at the implications; they must begin a genuine process to sustain unity within its ranks and move with a united body to bring peace, justice and equity to Urhobo land; they must educate others, reach out to neighbours and protect their votes because most of those agitating for an Urhobo governor are those who will trade Urhobo for pittance when it matters most.
This is because the current leadership of Urhobo must embrace history to overcome its present challenges. Certain pronouncements of some UPU leaders have become a mockery because they lack both social and traditional sanctions of its founding fathers.
Urhobo problems need to be addressed through collective efforts, unity and holistic sacrifices.
The cure lies in Urhobo people adopting the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Urhobo must embrace its neighbours as inseparable because of historic ties over the years.
Though Delta was created without a capital and a capital created for Anioma without a state, it has become a moral burden, the UPU must face.
They must work in tears, discomfort, sweat like Mukoro Mowoe, T.E.A Salubi and S.T. Marierie in seeing the necessity of the present.
Urhobo consists of three characters: (1) those synonymous with conspiracy, (2) those who are patriotic despite the extra-ordinary circumstance in the land, and (3) those who are passive and indecisive. These are the characters that shape Urhobo today; Urhobo unity is today sacrificed for self greed. The UPU must reverse the trend in making sacrifices to inflict pain on itself to revive Urhobo nationalism.
There are several things the UPU can do. They must stick to the PDP, considering its Federal might and entrenchment in the State; they must align with President Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw; Okowa, an indigene of Owa as their own so as to sustain good relationship with their neighbours.
Urhobo need to use their majority to build alliance and support for Senator Okowa, the PDP candidate, because Owa before it was made part of Delta North, was part of Delta Central; this then will enable Urhobo in future to claim a candidate of their choice after Okowa’s eight years in office.
Urhobo need Okowa to strengthen ties and pass a message that any governorship candidate must court them to rule the state.
The fact that Delta South and Central had ruled the State is necessary to support Okowa to end cries of marginalisation. Okowa is a pan-Delta and his acceptability cuts across the state. In essence, he is a man who cannot be controverted. As an Owa person he is eminently qualified in partnership with the Urhobo nation and the aspiration of Delta South.
The UPU leadership must embrace him to reinvent the unity of Warri province. The Urhobo should be seen as accommodative rather than combative.
That is the only way the quest for Urhobo to have a say on who becomes governor after Okowa can be achieved.
The UPU leadership must call traditional rulers to order because some of them have become notorious for promoting selfish interest rather being custodians of tradition.
Since the formation of UPU in 1931, it has brought unity to the Urhobo nation. Before then, the Urhobo were balkanised; some were with Itsekiri and Ijaw in Jekri-sobo division while parts of Urhobo central were attached to Kwale (Abraka and Orogun), and Idherhe was in Benin province, while other Urhobo clans were in the newly created Urhobo division.
It took the UPU and Chiefs led by Mukoro Mowoe to address Urhobo balkanization. S.L Knight (District Officer) on January 15, 1937 made the unification. Idherhe chiefs also reached agreement with the Oba of Benin for it to be transferred to Urhobo division.
Similarly Abraka and Orogun were transferred from Aboh division on January 30, 1951.
Politically Urhobo ascendancy was great in this era.
Those who feel can foist their whim or selfish interest on other tribes are dreamers Now is the time for the Urhobo to use their majority to support credible candidates without ethnic bias.
The present leadership of UPU must discard termites, moles and sycophants who are threatening to demystify Urhobo political myth and chart a way of inclusiveness that claims Okowa as their own. Not doing so will be to commit political suicide.
Mr. Prince Abugo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Uzere, Delta State.

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