The vibrant and outspoken factional President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Joe Omene is at it again. This time, the Mosogar-born factional UPU PG, has called on all the kings in Urhobo land to, as a matter of urgent importance, meet to come up with a decision on how to secure Urhobo land against the rampaging armed herdsmen. In this exclusive interview, with our SouthSouth Bureau chief, Mr. Omuvwie Onohwakpor Chief Omene stressed the imperativeness of the meeting of Urhobo kings to urgently proffer workable solution on how the Urhobo people could provide security for themselves whether it should be called Community Policing or whatever even as he laments alleged attempt to fragment the UPU by external forces, thus making it seemingly incapable of rising up to its task in the face of the present unprovoked killings by armed herdsmen.
Excerpts:
In recent times, the Urhobo nation has been besieged by invading armed herdsmen who without provocation are reportedly killed some Urhobo people. About 10 persons were allegedly killed by the armed bandits in the past two weeks at Uwheru in Ughelli North LGA. As a factional President-General of the UPU, are you not surprised at the development? And what is UPU doing at this critical time to care for the Urhobo people?
Well, to some people it is a surprise that such a thing is happening. But to me I’m not surprised. This is because, first and foremost, you make sure that these people are neutralized before they build-up their attack. Why should we be surprised? When an Ibo man was using our kings to destabilize UPU, to make sure that UPU does not exist; our so-called enlightened people, our professors, our senior advocates, our clergymen who are Urhobos were busy watching; some were clapping hands that UPU was being destroyed by an Ibo man governor who was trying to impose an Ijaw man as President-General. Today, can the Urhobo man beat his chest that we have an independent and non-partisan UPU? The answer is no. If there is an active UPU, we will know what action to take, just like it happened at Aladja. In Aladja, I know what I put in place to avert future occurrence. Our people then met the youths of Aladja and they planned ahead and in case of future re-occurrence, we took measures to pre-empt them. But UPU was destabilized by those external forces who, for reasons best known to them, will not always see anything good about Omene. This is because they know that Omene will never toe their line. Omene will always toe the line that is for the interest of Urhobo. How many Urhobo men came out to condemn it when UPU was being bastardized? Apart from Chief Akpomudje SAN, no other Urhobo lawyers came out to condemn the destruction of UPU, no one!
When our constitution was being brutalized no big or small Urhobo lawyer came out to condemn it. This is because, they felt that they were not the one affected. How many clergymen came out to say, even on moral ground, this should not be done. An election has been held. How many came out to condemn it? None! Who did all these? They were some Urhobo politicians who connived with the power that be in Asaba to say they should impose another person on us. Now, when you plan against your nation, this is the kind of thing you get. Today, if the UPU is still as strong as it used to be, not being cut to this sorry state, what do you think will happen? We would have summoned every well-meaning Urhobo sons and daughters, whether you are in Asaba or in Abuja, to find out what is the way forward. Leave UPU to do the work… UPU will do the planning and everything. Whatever assistance you want to give, you give it. Hired writers who have been praising the kings as infallible are the same people who are now asking what are our leaders doing. Can you imagine a situation where our kings become a willing tool to be used by a non-Urhobo governor to destabilize the entire Urhobo nation because of money? It is painful. None of our so-called popular politicians has come out to suggest a way forward. The armed herdsmen started with Abraka. People started shouting but they went away with it. They are now in Uhweru. Tomorrow, they will be somewhere else still in Urhobo land. But when UPU was still UPU, in Aladja, we know what we did, what we put in place, not just condemning it. Can’t Urhobo have its own Community Policing Structure? And if we have our own Community Police, are you going to broadcast it in the pages of newspapers? No. If at the time that this thing happened Urhobo has its own Community Policing force, they would have come there and do what they can do. Are you going to hold anybody responsible? Most people have been praising the traditional rulers that they are the custodians of Urhobo culture and tradition. See where they have led us to! An Urhobo kingdom was attacked and people were killed. What did the kings do nothing? The Owhorode who is the chairman of Urhobo Traditional Rulers Council, has he been able to call the kings together and say, let us take a position on this matter? The answer is no.
The Delta North traditional rulers came up with a position on this herdsmen invasion. And these are the kind of traditional rulers one thinks can move the Urhobo nation forward. Look at it now, it is very clear. One kingdom was attacked; you have not been able to call a meeting of the traditional rulers to say what is the way forward. You don’t need to hold a gun before you deal with your enemy. If we come out collectively today to decide that no sale, killing and consumption of cow anywhere in Urhobo land, done with you, you get it and no more eating of cow meet, Will the cows not become useless? Will they attack you because you refused to eat their cows? I pity those who think that government will come up tomorrow to do something about what is happening now. If you don’t fight your war, nobody will fight it for you.
Insecurity has become a national problem and many believe that the government is not doing enough to address the menace. The six states of the South West have set up a security outfit called Amotekun to checkmatethe insecurity in that region. Would you also recommend such outfit for the Urhobo nation?
When you know your numerical strength, there are many ways of fighting a war. You don’t need to send 100 to 1,000 persons to fight this kind of war. What they are doing is Gorilla warfare. We can equally do it with anybody. The Yoruba Amotekun you have just mentioned is good when the people have the same will and vision. But let’s say the UPU President-General today is raising a force like Amotokun, for such operation, it is the same Urhobo people who would go and report to government to take care of such President-General because he is a dangerous person. It is the same people who will say that. And if they say that, the whole idea will be killed. So, for now we should not think of conventional warfare. If you want to set up such outfit, who will supply the weapons? Who will supply the money? You don’t have Urhobo man as governor. Which Urhobo man will chest out to provide financial assistance to such operation? The few well-to-do Urhobos we have, are not prepared to part with as little asN1,000 for the running of UPU, let alone providing for the protection and defence of Urhobo nation. So, it is a long way.
There are allegations of some traditional rulers and prominent Urhobo men who sell land to the armed bandits. And so, armed with such agreement they have with these people, they lay claim to the ownership of the land and are prepared to fight anyone who tries to ‘trespass their land’. What is your take on that?
I don’t doubt that at all. It is true because, even in Ethiope West LGA, there is a neighbouring clan that provides land for them and harbor them. But the question is: is that enough for the herdsmen to start killing innocent people? There are Yorubas who have property in Delta State; there are Ibos who have property in Delta State. That a portion of land is allocated to you and you make some payment, is that enough to start killing people? It is not enough! So, there is no justifiable reason for that. And I tell you that the problem of Urhobo as a nation today is our traditional rulers. You see, when a goat comes to eat your yam, no matter how much you shout, it will just walk away. Now, there are some key educated Urhobo people who are wealthy, but they will never talk because they want two, three, four chieftaincy titles. How can you with your level of education and exposure not be able to condemn what is wrong? But I Chief Joe Omene will not do that.
Today, I’m in the best of terms with my senior brother who is the king of Mosogar. But that does not mean that we do not criticize ourselves. We do disagree to agree. No outsider comes to settle us. The settlement came out of reasoning. He is my Oga, he is my royal father and I give him that due respect. This is despite the fact that he trained me in the Secondary school with his own money. But that is not to say that when I see something going wrong I would not talk. I talk! About half of the kings in Urhobo are the people causing this evil to Urhobo land. Some of them who know the truth and who want to stand by the truth, are threatened by the so-called people. And these are the people the Urhobo nation want to look up to for guidance whereas they are the people conniving with the government to shortchange Urhobo. Nobody wants to say the truth. You have the professors, so many of them said they wanted to intervene in the UPU crisis. They came, said they want both sides to step down so that UPU could conduct a fresh election. And I said okay because I know that there are millions of Urhobos who are better than me. Why would I want to hold on to it? I was there at the time because God wanted me to be there. But the other person ignored the professors because he has a paymaster whom he takes instruction from.
Now your plan did not work. But instead of them to come out to tell Urhobo that this is how far they went and this was how we were frustrated and these were the stumbling blocks, this team of professors decided to keep quiet. Is it not surprising? Professors! I tell you, Urhobo have a problem and before this problem will be resolved, we need to call a spade a spade.
You have spoken extensively on the insecurity matter…What would you suggest should be the immediate solution to this problem? Uwheru kingdom has banned the sales and consumption of beef. Would that pull out the herdsmen from their bushes?
For us to find an immediate solution to the insecurity in Urhobo land, let the kings meet. They have destroyed UPU. Let them meet to tell Urhobo the way forward. I know very well that UPU will rise again. A matter has been in the court to decide who is constitutionally right to claim the leadership of UPU, over the past three years, the matter is yet undecided. But if it is a political matter, within few months the court will decide it. But one day, it is certain, the case will be decided because nobody is God. So, the way forward now is for the kings to meet and tell Urhobo the way forward.
Basically, the occupation of the Urhobos is farming. They ply their business in the same bush which the armed herdsmen are now occupying. What do you think will be the impact of this development on food production in Delta Central, and by extension, Delta State?
Urhobo adage says that one cannot complain that he is injured in the leg when he is being taken away to be killed. Which is uppermost, is it the lives of our people being killed or their farms. So, let the kings meet and take a decision. There has to be security in our farms. Some of the politicians have security votes. Can they plough their security votes to defend their own mother land? Our politicians need to meet with the kings to chart the way forward for the Urhobo nation.
