…Urhobo Expresses total support for Fiscal Federalism, Resource Control, Others
As the umbrella body of the Urhobo people, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, celebrates 90 years of existence, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has commended the UPU and the Urhobo political class for reaching out to other ethnic groups for support in its quest to produce an Urhobo governor in 2023.
Okowa gave this commendation on Friday, in a speech at the UPU headquarters, Uvwiamuge, Ughelli North Local Government Area, on the occasion of the Congress and Award Ceremony.
He also thanked the union for extending a hand of friendship to other ethnic nationalities, including Chief Broderick Bozimo, an Ijaw PDP chieftain.
The governor thanked the executive of the UPU for emphasizing cordial relationship with other ethnic groups in the state, noting that friendship with neighbours was helpful in achieving more in the course of life.
He said: “I’ve always said that the hand of friendship extended is very important because he who extends a hand of friendship wants to have a friend. And when hands of friendship are extended to friends, people will return the friendship. And the friendship between our neighbours and us helps to achieve a lot more in the course of life.
“I do not believe that we must fight everything through. Sometimes, a kind word or a conversation that is peaceful helps you to where you want to be. I said it in 2019 that it is necessary to extend a hand of friendship to the rest of the state and I thank you for re-emphasizing that.”
Okowa also recognized the presence at the ceremony, of former Minister of Police Affairs, Chief Broderick Bozimo, who has been championing the cause of the Ijaw nation to produce the next governor of the state.
He recalled the effort of the Chief Ighoyota Amori-led DC-23 in criss-crossing the entire state extending the hands of friendship to other people and seeking through peaceful means their cooperation for a governor of Urhobo extraction come 2023.
“…I have seen Chief Ighoyota Amori lead the group of DC-23 going round extending hands of friendship to other persons across the state, seeking a governor of Urhobo extraction in 2023 in peace and with persuasion.
“I also see our father, Chief Bozimo who is with us here is the leader of the Ijaw who are bidding for the governorship in 2023. You know in politics, these are the kind of conversations you will continue to have and I believe that it is being done in peace and with respect. And I believe there is respect for each other, otherwise Bozimo wouldn’t have been here.
“I also believe that the conversations will continue …that at one point in time, and very soon, we will sit at the table to talk to each other. This is because we want a state that will remain stable, we want a state in which we will be confident that we all have a role to play. We want a state in which we all can sit down to talk to ourselves and to realize that there is a best way forward in order to realize that unity that we seek for the state…” the governor said.
While congratulating the UPU on its 90th anniversary as the oldest socio-cultural organization in Nigeria, Okowa appealed to Urhobo governorship aspirants for the 2023 election to be mindful of what they say in the public so that they don’t start any crisis.
Governor Okowa also used the occasion to advise Urhobos to scale down the number of aspirants jostling for the governorship of the state to a manageable size.
Earlier in his opening address, the UPU President-General, Olorogun Moses Taiga, traced the journey of the UPU for 90 years, thanking the Urhobo founding fathers for their effort at bequeathing a legacy of achievements to the new generation, assuring the sustenance of the union.
Taiga listed some priority projects for the union to include Okugbe MicroFinance Bank for youths and women and Mukoro Mowoe University, even as he disclosed that URHOBO AGENDA is in the offing that will engage the Urhobo people, Nigeria and the world. According to him a Think Tank has been put in place to draft the agenda.
He said: “The Okugbe Microfinance Bank is waiting for the CBN’s approval. This microfinance bank is envisioned to transform into a Commercial Bank, is fashioned to operate professionally and efficiently. Okugbe Microfinance Bank is designed to serve the most vulnerable groups of our people, promote the growth and development of entrepreneurship, and reduce poverty and unemployment in the Urhobo Nation, particularly for our women and youths.
“Like the Urhobo College, Effurun, this proposed Mukoro Mowoe University is a sure investment that will, no doubt, impact our socio-economic development and build our human capacity development. It is modeled to be one of its kind in Africa. There are various recommendations and offers to host the University by Urhobo kingdoms, communities and patriotic individuals that the UPU is still looking at.”
While stressing that the Urhobo nation’s demand for the “recognition and decentralization of power in Nigeria”, Taiga noted that “the present presidential system is unsuitable for a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse country such as Nigeria, for it only promotes abuse of power and tyranny.”
According to him, the structure of politics in Nigeria needs total overhauling, adding that “the Urhobo nation demands the restructuring of the country in line with the tenets of true federalism.”
The President-General also reiterated Urhobo support for “Fiscal Federalism and 100% ownership of resources; the creation of more states for federal equity, devolution of powers and exclusive legislative list.”
He also expressed support for multiple police and security systems, the creation of an additional Federal Constituency in the Udu-Ughelli Federal Constituency, the relocation of the headquarters of all oil companies to their main operation areas, accurate census of Urhobo population, 300MW of electricity generated in turbines in Urhobo for stepping down for use in Urhobo communities, creation of a Federal Constituency to enable Agbarha-Warri and Okere-Urhobo kingdoms in Warri South LGA, and the return of the unused portion of the 2,063 hectares of land acquired by the Nigerian Army in 1976 in Uvwie kingdom.
State collection of the VAT, enactment of Anti-Open grazing laws, electronic transmission of election results and the reparation of several trillions of naira from the federal government of Nigeria and the oil multinationals for the many years of resource plundering and environmental degradation were also some of the demands of the UPU.
While reiterating the Urhobo resolve to produce the next governor of the State, the UPU President-General assured that “We will continue to work hard with our neighbours and build bridges with the Ijaws, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ndokwa, Anioma, Bini and other ethnic neighbours as we pursue harmony, peaceful co-existence and cooperation between Urhobo and our neighbours.”
The UPU used the occasion to honour over 50 Urhobo sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves in different endeavours.
The high point of the ceremony was the cutting of the anniversary cake by the President-General of UPU and his executives, assisted by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, traditional rulers and prominent sons and daughter of the Urhobo nation.
