Tejiri Ebikeme, Nyerovwo Oghenetejir, Francis Sadhere
The National President, Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, UYLA, Comrade Francis Ariyor has called on the people of Delta Central Senatorial District to exercise caution in the forthcoming bye-election that will fill in the vacant position left by the demise of late Senator Pius Ewherido.
Comrade Ariyor who made this call in a telephone conversation with our reporter, also urged the Urhobos to see themselves as brothers and sister and work toward the development of the Urhobo nation.
He said that the umbrella body of the Urhobo nation, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), should stand and make sure that only the best candidate in the land who has the interest of the people at heart, is allowed to occupy the vacant position.
“The contribution the UPU should make as regards the Delta Central Senatorial bye- elections is that they should stand up and make sure that only the best in the land who have the interest of the Urhobos at heart should be elected in that vacant position.” He said.
While saying that the mission of UPU was to promote the socio-cultural aspects of the Urhobo nation, Comrade Ariyor also advised the Urhobo people to eschew themselves from the politics of pull him down syndrome, noting that it was only when the people are united that they could speak with one voice.
The Urhobo youth leader said; “It is all about the unity of Urhobos and how we can come together and speak with one voice as a clan. The issue of pull him down syndrome, we should try and desist from it so that Urobo will move forward. Our mission too is to promote the socio-cultural aspect of the Urhobos.”
On the issue of poverty and high rate of unemployment in Urhobo land, Comrade Ariyor called on the Federal and State Governments to come out with a blue print on how to engage the youths, saying that as a group, they are trying to create awareness and enlightenment campaign for their people who in living in the rural areas.
He said; “The issue of poverty and unemployment is something that we are facing not only in Urhobo land, but also in Nigeria as a whole. The issue is a universal issue. The Federal and state government should come out and fashion out a way to engage the youths in the country. That is the only way they can manage the issue of unemployment in the country.”
Commenting on the sorry state of the Delta Steel Company (DSC) in Ovwian Aladja, Delta State, Comrade Ariyor said the company was wrongly privatized without giving priority to the interest of the company, the community and the people of Delta State.
He therefore, called on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to order the Bureau of Public Enterprise, BPE, to revisit the issue of the privatization of the DSC.
Speaking further, he said; “Privatization has a government impact and private impact and that was what was done initially for DSC, but it was politically motivated to destroy the place. So as youths, we are appealing to the government, especially the present government of President Goodluck Jonathan, to order the Bureau of Public Enterprise to go back and revisit the issue of the privatization process of DSC. That is our position.”
On his part, the National Secretary, UYLA, Comrade Vincent Oyibode also called on Urhobo youths to work together as one to bring the needed dividends of democracy to the doorstep of the Urhobo nation, adding that the youths in Urhobo land were prepared to go into all the Urhobo communities to advocate for total peace in the land.
