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By Young Erhiurhoro
The Urhobo as an ethnic group in Nigeria is a blessed land with many natural resources like oil, gas, cash crops, food crops, timber and other forest products. Many communities within the group are also blessed with rivers and rivulets, comprising many marine products. All these resources are naturally created to generate income to the people and to remove the people from the gulag of extreme poverty ravaging them from many centuries.
Yet, in the abundance of these natural resources, the Urhobo poverty rate increases on daily basis. We discovered that, over seventy percent of the Urhobo people, including males and females are presently living below the poverty line. This shows that only twenty percent of the Urhobo people can be described as rich or wealthy in economic terms. There are economic indices pointing to this ravaging and destructive element.
From demographic and population records, the Urhobo ethnic group is today classified as the 5th largest ethnic group in the country. Even, with our present population figures, the Urhobo ethnic group is more than some countries in the world. From our population records, we have a lot of resourceful youth that can be productive and useful if put on the right part of production and commercialization. Today, our unemployment rate is very high and it has become uncontrollable amongst our leaders that we usually look unto in policies and programmes. The unemployment in the land has created a lot of crimes and criminals amongst the youth. We shouldn’t forget that, a hungry man is an angry man. A person who is hungry will always explore every possible means available to put food on his/her table. This is the basic reason why so many of the youth are engaging in different criminal activities to make both ends meet. It’s really very devastating!
Like what I said earlier, there are possible economic indices trying to breed this ugly trend among the Urhobo people especially the youth. First and foremost, the mentality of poverty among the people. We must understand that, so many people are born into poor and economically ravaged families and households in Urhobo land. This is more common to rural dwellers. Again, majority of the Urhobo people are rural dwellers, stationed in rural communities and typical villages.
Psychologically, children born in rural communities induced with extreme poverty as an acceptable way of life will always have the mentality that poverty is part of their families and a way of life in the entire village. The mindset to grow above each other would not be found common among children in such places. Even when they are sent to schools to acquire education, it will be very difficult for such children with such mentality of poverty in their blood to excel or move higher in their educational pursuits. Many of them, maybe after completing their primary and basic education would option for rural farming and fishing as basic trades or careers like their parents. Only few would take education seriously and pursue it with all vigour. Even at times, those that have the interest to create a kind of cardinal change in their families or villages would again be tied down as a result of lack of money or economic strength from their parents. All these boils down to the mentality of poverty.
However, in such rural communities and villages, only those that could be determined enough to pursue education which will again pull their roots from the mentality of poverty will definitely be the ones to make the difference in such families and communities. But in this case, such set of children are always very few. The mentality of poverty among people can create laziness and hopelessness. No matter the spiritual awakening or prayers offered to such people with such mentality, they can’t be rich or wealthy in life. Prayers can’t liberate lazy people. Prayers can only work for determined people that are ready to put their hands into doing something that is economically viable and valuable.
In a critical analysis amongst the different communities in Urhobo land, we will find out that in every family, the number of the rich won’t be more than two or three. Then, the rest of the family are people living under the poverty line. And in the true sense of it, only these two or three rich people can’t really cater for the excessive needs and demands of the rest of the family. This is why, the Urhobo poverty rate continue to grow worse and worse every day without possible solution.
More importantly, only few without doubt, have the mindset of wealth amongst the Urhobo people especially the youth. Today, there are many Urhobo young graduates that are jobless. In this critical economic condition of unemployment, many are still very much satisfied with it and are very happy. They never think of how to break the junk and pull themselves out of this poverty circle. In fact, such few ones that have the mindset of wealth in their various communities were those that made the solid economic foundation right from the onset. And their children were also born to meet them in wealth. This same mindset would now revolve round the children in order to continue from where their parents stop in life.
For instance, the late Olorogun Michael Ibru was able to break the junk of poverty in his family and community of Agbarha-Otor by creating and establishing a new mindset of wealth. And this had continued to run in the Ibru family, even till today. Many of them are into business, politics and other economic activities. In all these, they usually make it because the foundation was already laid by their forebears. This is not so easy with other families in that community because they lack the business acumen, political connection and the economic base to excel in such careers. This is why, in most Urhobo communities, economic and political power tenaciously belong to only few people. These few people in most cases, dictate what should happen in those communities. It’s a common feature in Urhobo land.
Again, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from Orogun kingdom and Senator Ede Dafinone from Okpe kingdom were able to rise speedily on the political ladder in Urhobo land because their fathers have already laid the economic foundation in their respective families. These two Urhobo men came quickly to limelight as a result of following the part and foundation of their parents. It wouldn’t have been easy for them to make it fast if not that their fathers were able to pull out of the mentality of poverty in their families and communities early enough. And since they have pulled out of that mentality, they born their children to meet the new mindset of wealth which they have already established in their minds. As these young Urhobo men were growing up, they grew up with the mindset of wealth and that is what they actually became today. In fact, there are such other examples across the Urhobo land.
Conclusively, my candid and divine message to my Urhobo people especially the youth of today is that, they should try as much as possible to break away from the mentality of poverty and try to create a new mindset of wealth. This is the only way we can achieve our desired goals and objectives in life. For instance, there are some Urhobo people that also made it in life, even in this our modern times, not as a result of inheritance from their parents, or following the part or pattern of their parents. They took life with bold steps and grabbed it with all determination. Today, such people are highly respected in the Urhobo society.
One of such persons in this category is Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the former governor of Delta state. Many of us know his family background and how he started. He is one person that drove away the mentality of poverty from his life. Today, his children have started reaping from the new mindset of wealth he had established in his family. Another of such person is the present governor of Delta state, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori. Before he climbed to this level as a rich man in his community, we never read or heard about his parents or family member being a rich man who he followed his/her steps. He practically made life on his own personal determination and vigour. Yes, you too can make it if only you change the mentality of poverty revolving in your family to the new mindset of wealth!
Young Erhiurhoro;Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society.
