Urhobo Panacea For Peace In Delta State: A Rejoinder

By

Eugene  Uzum

Nigdel55@Yahoo.Com

 

 

Twists, schemes and suspensions in politics are the varieties that spices up politics as an interesting game of power play.  Politics is often times stripped of its glamour when opinion leaders who are custodians of the law and societal role models embark on ethnic combat with their mouths and pens.  I ordinary will not have bothered to put up this rejoinder or embark on a voyage where the destination is very obvious.  But as a Nigerian and Deltan in particular, one is compelled to counter gross misinformation and born to rule syndrome by ethnic chauvinists in the interest of peaceful co-existence.

 

I note with chagrin the recent inflammatory statement credited to Chief Benjamin Okumagba OON (JP) the Otota of Okere published in the Vanguard and Daily Independent of 19th February respectively on the decision of the Urhobo Nation regarding the issue of power shift and rotation in Delta state.  In the so called gathering of Eagles of the high and mighty in Urhobo land, the war veteran and President General of Urhobo Progressive Union stated categorically that power shift will not and cannot be feasible in 2007.  Chief among the reasons being that the present headquarters of Delta State (Asaba) located in Delta North Senatorial District is totally unacceptable.

 

Conventionally, every man is entitled to his own opinion but such general rule has an exception as the highly respected High Chief is a public figure and such remarks can easily escalate the uneasy calm political situation in Delta State.  Chief Benjamin Okumagba emphasized that the Urhobo Nation constitute more than 50 percent of the entire population of Delta State.  He also reiterated that Urhobo nation constitute over 70 percent of the solid landmass of Delta State. Without prejudice to the entire Urhobo nation, if this positions where actually canvassed and anchored as reported within local newspapers, then the Urhobo Nation must rise up to the challenges of false leadership.  Also if Chief Okumagba was not quoted out of context, then such ranting ruptures the awesomeness surrounding the exalted office that he occupies.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, Delta State constitutes of five ethnic nationalities namely Ijaws, the Aniomas, Isokos, Urhobos and Istekiris.  Among these Nations Urhobos are the largest and highest in population and next is the Anioma Nation.  The third is the Ijaw Nation; following closely are the Isokos and Istekiris.  The 1991 population census figure is clear on this issue: as at then, the total population of Delta state was 2,595,764.  Below is a simple breakdown as it stands in the archives.

 

DELTA CENTRAL   936,707………36.1 PERCENT

DELTA NORTH        793.517………..30.6 PERCENT

DELTA SOUTH         865.540…………33.3 PERCENT

 

 

Flowing from the records above, it beats my imagination on how the Urhobo Nation constitutes more than 50 percent of the entire Population of Delta State.  This sheer falsehood and erroneous claim is premised on political pettiness to cajole the PDP at both the state and national level to believe that fielding a Delta North or South candidate will put Delta state at the risk of being lost to the opposition parties.  This infamous permutation is very unfortunate especially were it is coming from a senatorial district that is supposed to be a political role model within the state, by virtue of its campaign on National issues like derivation formula and resource control. 

 

Self-serving politicians within Delta State are heating the political atmosphere.  Political Lilliputians parading themselves as leaders of thoughts are venturing to say that fielding a Candidate from Delta South or North senatorial district in 2007 will provoke serious consequences within the State and National levels of PDP.  I authoritatively remind these uninformed speculators that Delta South and North senatorial districts are not Colonies within the Niger Delta Region; rather they are equal stakeholders and as such can aspire to the powerhouse at Anwai.  The Ndokwas of Anioma where not and have never been part of the Benin Province as Chief Okumagba read in his provocative address.  Ndokwaland form a large chunk of the oil producing Niger Delta which today is the heartbeat of the Anioma Nation, so how come the Chief Custodian of Urhobo history seem so economical with the truth regarding the old Benin and Delta province?

 

It is of common knowledge that Urhobo Progressive Union, which was the brainchild of late Chief D. D. Mowoe of blessed memory and other Urhobo patriots of the 40s was a socio cultural association and not a political association. Quite recently, the Urhobo Political Forum was formed and the aim was principally to act as an umbrella body for all Urhobo Political articulation bordering on 2007 and beyond.  Therefore, the politicization of UPU for the balkanization of Delta State must be resisted.

 

 

The peace loving people of Delta South and North understands that no senatorial district can muscle it alone to government house in 2007, which is why we have the G3 for the Delta South and the Bridge Building Committee for the Delta North.  At the end of Ibori’s administration in 2007, the Central would have fielded two candidates in the persons of Olorogun Felix Ibru and Chief James Onanefe Ibori with a total term of 10 years as Chief Executives.  Equity and fairly play should be that the other two Senatorial districts should as a matter of necessity present an acceptable candidate for the governorship position.  A former Commissioner in the Ibori’s administration, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi has alerted Deltans that there was a gentle man’s agreement that at the end of 2007, power should shift to other senatorial districts, why now must we deviate from the bond that has kept Delta a united entity? 

 

The issue of state Creation for the People of Delta Central is a matter for the National Assembly, but while we await a verdict on that, may I humbly remind our veteran High Chief and proponents of ‘winner wins all’ in Delta Politics that 2007 is a date with fate. The Delta South that houses the Isokos, Ijaws and Istekiris can produce the Chief Executive of Delta State in 2007.  Also Delta North that is home to the Aniochas, Oshimilis, Ikas and Ndokwas are capable of producing a Governor.  The Bridge Building Committee and other groups  poised for rotation of power are not relenting in their brotherly negotiations with other stakeholders.  The process of producing a Chief Executive for Delta State through power shift has commenced and it cannot be aborted.  I urge the High Chief to be more tactical in action and less combatant with words.  Deltalites both at home and in Diaspora appreciate the legacy of equal opportunity embarked upon by the present administration, hoping that when the formula for power rotation is adopted subsequently, it will reflect the doctrine of fair play. Let it be known that the quest for equity and fairness, which is being championed by the Leaders of the South South, will amount to an effort in futility if ‘CHARITY’ does not begin at home.

 

Eugene  Uzum

Nigerian Reformers Academy Leeds

Nigdel55@Yahoo.Com