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By Young Erhiurhoro
No doubt, without even reading this short piece, my esteemed readers especially the Urhobo people and friends of Urhobo would have provided the answer in the best interest of generality or consensus. I know the answer from everyone will be, “the Urhobo of yesterday is better than the Urhobo of today”. Yes, those that answered the above unending question are not out of place for providing such an answer in the affirmative. They have their own reasons for answering the question in such a way. As an Urhobo, I also chose to be on the side of such people saying, the Urhobo of yesterday is far better than the Urhobo of today. I also have my cogent reasons as well.
First and foremost, let’s start with the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU). The Urhobo Progress Union was founded in 1948 by some Urhobo notable leaders amongst them was late Chief Mukoro Mowoe. Late Mowoe served as her first president-general before other Urhobo patriots followed in that order. Initially, the UPU was regarded as the apex Urhobo socio-cultural organization with the sole aim of fostering unity and love amongst all the cultural units (kingdoms and communities) that made up the Urhobo ethnic group. Truly, it achieved this purpose in those good years by identifying all the kingdoms and communities in Urhobo land that were culturally and historically Urhobo origin. As a result of this pragmatic approach of those UPU leaders to boost the Urhobo population, the Urhobo nation was at the end classified as the fifth largest ethnic group in Nigeria. Very importantly, UPU was able to win the Sapele case between the Itsekiri ethnic group and the Oghara kingdom because Urhobo was united in love. In order to create the bond of unity, the UPU threw all its weight financially and otherwise behind the Oghara kingdom by presenting historical facts and figures about the origin and ownership of Sapele community. This was the Urhobo of yesterday.
Secondly, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) of yesterday, did not only act as a socio-cultural organization of the Urhobo people, but it also acted as the most vibrant political pressure group of the Urhobo people of Mid-West and Bendel states of that time. The UPU of yesterday was the political mouth piece of the Urhobo people. It mobilized through its leadership so many Urhobo political leaders to represent the Urhobo people especially in the Western House of Ibadan in the 50s and 60s. This also started with the late Mukoro Mowoe as a representative in the legislative house. Then, the common decision of the UPU bound on every Urhobo man and woman, including the youths. After the tenure of Mukoro Mowoe, the UPU also produced other Urhobo politicians to represent the common interests and needs of the Urhobo people. That was the Urhobo of yesterday.
Today, the story of the UPU has changed from better to worse. UPU has today become an ordinary political puppet and drum in the hands of few political bigots in Urhobo land. To even make matters worse, some non-Urhobos are now the chief influencers of the UPU in almost all her decisions. The UPU of today can’t lord it over on Urhobo politicians as was before. Rather, those few politicians now dictate to the UPU leaders and they now accept for selfish interests and personal needs. The UPU leaders of today are easily bought over with the power of money and awarding of contracts. All these perceived political benefits are meant to those leaders and their political cronies. This is why today, the UPU election is even more corrupt and incredible than the Nigeria general elections of any year.
To buttress my points, this past 2023 Delta state gubernatorial election speaks volumes of the political fallacies and shortfalls of the UPU of today. Even though Nigeria is running a democratic system of government, in an electoral scenario where two Urhobo notable sons were contesting for the highest political position of the state because Delta state still believes and operates “the zoning system” and it was the turn of Delta central senatorial district to produce the 2023 governor of the state. In this political drama, the UPU of today sealed its mouth and refused to take a position as the highest and most powerful political pressure group of the Urhobo people. As the mouth piece of the Urhobo people, UPU couldn’t voice out the common decision of the Urhobo people.
However, this even torn apart those UPU leaders and they were against themselves during and after the election. If the head is already cut off, what do you think will happen to the body and the tail? This at the end led to acrimony, enmity and political hatred amongst the 24 kingdoms making the Urhobo nation. Divisive tendencies and political sentiments began to erupt amongst the UPU leaders and this was the kind of electioneering campaigns they took to the different kingdoms and electoral wards during the past governorship election in the state. Today, whether we believe it or not, these evil sentiments and political hatred had been inculcated into the minds of the different winners of the elections, ranging from the governorship to the house of assembly. Their different political agents have already reported to them the contributions and performances of each of the Urhobo kingdoms and communities during the past elections. No doubt, this to some extent in this present administration will determine the level of government presence in such kingdoms and communities. I pray it won’t be so with the Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration. Yet, this is the Urhobo of today.
Again, the Urhobo of today is politically and culturally loosed and biased. That bond of unity and oneness that was once embedded in the origin and identity of the Urhobo people, is today no more. The active song in the lips of every Urhobo man and woman is, “to your tents, oh Urhobos!” If the Urhobo of today was actually the Urhobo of yesterday, they couldn’t stand firmly in the ownership struggle of Sapele community. Then, the Itsekiri people would have won the case without any judicial winders. Today, the Urhobo nation is just a name as some political analysts are also describing the geographical location called “Nigeria” of today. In the real sense of this description, unity and love have long ago eluded the Urhobo nation. The Urhobo unity of today is only meant for some selected persons to excel in their different political careers, while majority are divided against themselves according to their kingdoms and communities.
To explain this further, the Urhobo people in actual sense hate themselves. Urhobo of yesterday helped themselves to achieve their different goals and dreams of making Urhobo land a better place. There was a common pool where they contributed to give scholarships to deserving Urhobo students. This was done to increase the educational development of the Urhobo people. Then, there was no sentiment of any kind. Credible and brilliant students were selected from the different Kingdoms and sent abroad for educational training. The Urhobo of yesterday was like a chain that hooked up each small pieces to stretch longer and stronger. Then, when one Urhobo man was blessed and highly favoured in the connected economy, he equally connected or hooked up to other Urhobo people without preferential treatment of any kind. Then, Urhobo was Urhobo.
Unfortunately, Urhobo of today preferred to help people of other tribes than to help their own kinsmen. In the Urhobo of today, you dare not make the mistake to introduce yourself to an Urhobo man or woman in any private or public office as Urhobo person, and you still have his/her needed attention and support in that regard. As you make the silly mistake of speaking the Urhobo indigenous language, the Urhobo person heading such an organization or a group won’t answer you again. This ugly experience has happened to so many young Urhobo graduates of today seeking employment in different cities across the country especially in Asaba, the capital of Delta state. This mentality of tribal sentiment is gradually becoming inherent behaviour amongst Urhobo youths because someone had done it to them, they want to do it to others as well when they finally achieved success. It’s now revolving and cyclical amongst our young people.
Conclusively, what is actually missing from the Urhobo of today why we continue to say that, the Urhobo of yesterday is far better than the Urhobo of today? What are those things that continuously breed hatred, division, enmity, sentiment and such other social ills amongst the Urhobo people of today? These two questions again call for the attention of the Urhobo Progess Union (UPU) to take her original position as at the time of old. What the UPU needs today is restructuring, reforming and rebranding to gain her lost glory, originality and true identity. In fact, whatever evil that is befalling the entire Urhobo land today is as a result of the weaknesses and failures of the UPU leadership. The UPU has since become apolitical in a one-sided area and this is why the centre couldn’t hold, even till today. No doubt, the unity, growth and development of the entire Urhobo nation is tied strongly to the vibrant and strong leadership of the UPU. Therefore, to gloriously bring back the Urhobo of yesterday, the Urhobo leaders including Urhobo monarchs must sit up tight and face squarely their leadership duties to the Urhobo people as demanded of them by our tradition and culture.
Young Erhiurhoro;Kjc is a reporter and a member of the Urhobo Historical Society
