By: Aruviere Martin Egharhevwa
Urhobo Kings staging a walkout on Vice President Osinbanjo at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun.
In contemporary Nigeria, the Urhobo nation appears to be an endangered species not out of her own volition or because there are no persons to sustain the relevance of the race. Urhobo as a nation and a people in this contraption called Nigeria is in coma because there is a conscious move aimed at Urhobo into oblivion. The Urhobo of yesterday cannot be juxtaposed with the Urhobo of today in anyway. Urhobo political history is very rich and edifying, loaded with tales of how our fore-bears contributed significantly to the liberation, formation, engineering and re-positioning of what we now have today as Nigeria.
From the days of the likes of Oshue of Orhuwhorun in present day Udu local government area of Delta State to the days of Mukoro Mowoe, Salubi e.t.c the history of Urhobo has constantly and continually revolved around service to humanity, south-south integration, patriotism and nation building. However, as these great men fizzle out, things seem as though the centre is no longer holding for Urhobo. The hope that the flag of Urhobo which these persons properly hoisted will continue to fly and fly steadily is very slim, if at all it does exist. The actions and inactions of Urhobo sons and daughters and sons of today clearly runs contrary to the pattern of our fathers, there is a steady decline in the quest to promote, protect and uphold Urhobo agenda.
Urhobos now prefer to mortgage and betray Urhobo project for selfish purposes. The lure of office and money is now what is of paramount concern to some Urhobos rather than the overall and ultimate creed of the nation- unity. It is in recognition of this disconnect and painful distraction that J. G. Holland screamed thus, "God, give us men.... Men whom the lust of office does not kill, men whom the love of office cannot buy, men who possess opinions and a will, men who love honour and men who cannot lie".
Urhobo is now a political pariah race, it is at the verge of going into extinction. In Delta State, Urhobo with a population of over 5.5 million people is the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria is no where to be found as far as the Nigerian project is concerned. In Nigeria the federating ethnic group called Urhobo is like a paper tiger, in the Niger-Delta, Urhobos are now lilliputans and in Delta State the race is in jeopardy- this trend is alien to the Urhobo people as it has never happened. Basically, Urhobo is politically battered, shattered, scattered and tattered.
This decline that has engulfed Urhobo is steady and it is ascending geometrically. This plot orchestrated by enemies of Urhobo is daily been fuelled by the attitude of many Urhobo sons and daughters. Urhobo chiefs and youths are been used on a daily basis to suppress, oppress and depress the Urhobo vision, mission and targets. As I sit to take a quick mental appreciation of Urhobo in contemporary Nigeria, I cannot help but weep for just like the children of Israel, we are by the river of Babylon and they that carried us away into captivity require from us a song. Will Urhobo sing the songs of our ancestors in a strange land? Will Urhobo continue to gloat about as though all is well when she is in the well?
Urhobo Kings staging a walkout on Vice President Osinbanjo at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun.
In contemporary Nigeria, the Urhobo nation appears to be an endangered species not out of her own volition or because there are no persons to sustain the relevance of the race. Urhobo as a nation and a people in this contraption called Nigeria is in coma because there is a conscious move aimed at Urhobo into oblivion. The Urhobo of yesterday cannot be juxtaposed with the Urhobo of today in anyway. Urhobo political history is very rich and edifying, loaded with tales of how our fore-bears contributed significantly to the liberation, formation, engineering and re-positioning of what we now have today as Nigeria.
From the days of the likes of Oshue of Orhuwhorun in present day Udu local government area of Delta State to the days of Mukoro Mowoe, Salubi e.t.c the history of Urhobo has constantly and continually revolved around service to humanity, south-south integration, patriotism and nation building. However, as these great men fizzle out, things seem as though the centre is no longer holding for Urhobo. The hope that the flag of Urhobo which these persons properly hoisted will continue to fly and fly steadily is very slim, if at all it does exist. The actions and inactions of Urhobo sons and daughters and sons of today clearly runs contrary to the pattern of our fathers, there is a steady decline in the quest to promote, protect and uphold Urhobo agenda.
Urhobos now prefer to mortgage and betray Urhobo project for selfish purposes. The lure of office and money is now what is of paramount concern to some Urhobos rather than the overall and ultimate creed of the nation- unity. It is in recognition of this disconnect and painful distraction that J. G. Holland screamed thus, "God, give us men.... Men whom the lust of office does not kill, men whom the love of office cannot buy, men who possess opinions and a will, men who love honour and men who cannot lie".
Urhobo is now a political pariah race, it is at the verge of going into extinction. In Delta State, Urhobo with a population of over 5.5 million people is the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria is no where to be found as far as the Nigerian project is concerned. In Nigeria the federating ethnic group called Urhobo is like a paper tiger, in the Niger-Delta, Urhobos are now lilliputans and in Delta State the race is in jeopardy- this trend is alien to the Urhobo people as it has never happened. Basically, Urhobo is politically battered, shattered, scattered and tattered.
This decline that has engulfed Urhobo is steady and it is ascending geometrically. This plot orchestrated by enemies of Urhobo is daily been fuelled by the attitude of many Urhobo sons and daughters. Urhobo chiefs and youths are been used on a daily basis to suppress, oppress and depress the Urhobo vision, mission and targets. As I sit to take a quick mental appreciation of Urhobo in contemporary Nigeria, I cannot help but weep for just like the children of Israel, we are by the river of Babylon and they that carried us away into captivity require from us a song. Will Urhobo sing the songs of our ancestors in a strange land? Will Urhobo continue to gloat about as though all is well when she is in the well?
