We read with amusement and then surprise the barefaced antics of a group which calls itself Urhobo Youth Council (UYC) at page 41 of Vanguard of Tuesday August 14, 2013. We have for sometime been following the activities of this group which from all indications stem from deep seated selfish motives embedded in a grand design to trade off Urhobo for the interest of the less than twenty-member UYC. Some Urhobo were at first taken in by the group’s pretence at Urhobo nationalism through occasional advertorial rabble-rousing in newspapers. However, as time went on, insightful Urhobo began to see through them as opportunistic political hustlers who have little or no iota of the overall interest of Urhobo at heart. The events of last December merely showed that these fellows are Christmas rice distributors for governorship candidates from a certain Senatorial district of Delta State. Urhobo people must be on their guard so that these horse-traders will not hoodwink us now and in 2015.

As usual the group embarked on the usual braggadocio against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the first part of the publication. However, our contention with their submissions stems from the second part subtitled DELTA CENTRAL SENATORIAL BYE-ELECTION in which they attempted to hoodwink the Urhobo people through false argument and historical misrepresentation regarding the forthcoming senatorial bye-election to fill the vacant Delta Central Senatorial seat. We wish to quote in part two vexatious paragraphs here:

It is therefore our stand that in shopping for a replacement the Urhobo nation must

deliberately avoid the pitfall pattern of appointing demagogues which has been goading

the Urhobo people into opposition from mainstream politics that we have been known for

since the First Republic (sic).

…An understanding and accommodation of interests must be worked out between the

leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and the leader of the mainstream party in

Delta State, His Excellency Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (CON), with a view to nominating an

acceptable and electable person with the requisite experience, network and gravitas to lead

the charge as we navigate the Urhobo political ship from the shallow waters of political low

tide to political salvation (sic).

The above excerpt is a clear attestation of the group’s anti-Urhobo credentials as there is nowhere it gives the least hint on meeting the yearning and aspiration of the Urhobo people. It is our opinion that no true Urhobo son or daughter could write such inauspicious lines. We feel that the rambling and incoherent advertorial must have been penned by their paymasters who are of course non-Urhobo who blind folded them and held their hands to the pen to append their signatures. The group’s psychology is even anti-democratic hence they are talking of nomination and not election!

First, is the group’s fret over what it describes as “opposition from mainstream politics”. Who is afraid of opposition politics? What the Urhobo should be thinking of right now is a candidate who can meet the aspiration and yearning of the Urhobo people irrespective of the party platform he or she chooses. The monumental achievement of our demised Senator, Senator Pius Ewherido was made on the platform of an opposition party, so what matters is the credibility and selflessness of the candidate. It is also worthwhile to educate the UYC that the enviable development stride in the South-West of Nigeria is being achieved through the instrumentality of the opposition.

The authors of the advertorial also need to take some lessons in history. They should be informed that the Urhobo people dumped mainstream politics in the First Republic when their interest was subjected to the whim and caprice of an influential politician from a neighbouring ethnic group. That was what led patriotic Urhobo leaders to form the Midwest Democratic Front (MDF). The leading lights of that noble stride were Chief T.E.A. Salubi, Chief Daniel Okumagba, Chief Demas Akpore, etc. These worthy Urhobo refused to sell our birthright.

We also notice the group’s attempt to valourize the interest of their paymasters over that of the Urhobo people by referring to “accommodation of interests”. Only one interest matters at the moment and that is Urhobo interest. We must unite to jettison every other interest. The senate bye-election is for the Urhobo and by the Urhobo period. We should not be talking of interests.

Sequel to the foregoing is what we consider an insult on the leadership of the UPU and the entire Urhobo nation in the advertorial when the UYC insisted that the UPU should reach an understanding with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in getting the right candidate for the vacant seat! What reasoning? While we respect and acknowledge the significance of Governor Uduaghan’s office and person we consider the UYC position as awful and unacceptable to Urhobo people. It merely points to the fact that they are agents intent at mortgaging Urhobo interest. If not, why should Governor Uduaghan a non-Urhobo be consulted in arriving at the choice of who represents Urhobo in the Senate? Can’t the Urhobo people make their own choice independent of external influence? Are we not entitled to deciding who represents us without allowing the process to be manipulated? Must the Urhobo interest be articulated by outsiders? These are burning questions that should prick the conscience of the UYC team?

The Urhobo people must not allow UYC and other such horse-trading agents to deceive them. This is not just about the Senate bye-election, but also about 2015. They are already being positioned to sell Urhobo. This we must not allow. We want to alert the Urhobo people to wake up and ensure that the bye-election is free and fair. We insist that it is an Urhobo affair and it must be so conducted.

Urhobo wa nabo kerhon…ooo!