By Francis Ewherido
Some concerned Urhobos looked at the members of the Electoral Committee of Urhobo Progress Union (ECUPU) with suspicion ab initio. They expressed misgivings over the impartiality of some members of the committee. On the day of the screening, when duly completed and acknowledged forms of some of the candidates went missing, fears were heightened. It was obvious that the Urhobo Nation was not ready for any hanky-panky games. It was not until the list of successful candidates was released that frayed nerves were calmed. With the publication of successful candidates, consultations and campaigns have started. I have a message for the ECUPU members.
One, some of you are perceived to be likely biased. You have an obligation to prove to those who suspect you that you are upright and impartial. Two, the last election was free and fair, though there were allegations of vote buying. Please, ensure that you conduct a free and fair election (number of delegates matched the number of votes cast). If the standard of this election can’t be better than the previous ones, it shouldn’t be lower than the last election. Obaro ye yer’akpo ra; odi’obuko (If life you make progress, not retrogress). It is the responsibility of the whole Urhobo Nation to tame the monster of vote buying to pervert the will of majority of Urhobos in UPU elections, but ECUPU should ensure that the election is free and fair. Three, the last electoral committee didn’t allow any external influence in the actual conduct of the election. This ECUPU should follow the same route in this election.
To the current UPU executive, the last executive, especially Olorogun Moses Taiga, didn’t interfere in the conduct of the election that brought you to power. You should be honourable men and women and follow the path of the Olorogun Taiga-led executive. I am privy to the enormous pressure piled on Olorogun Taiga to interfere in the electoral process, but he stood his ground and followed the UPU constitution. If he had succumbed to pressure, some of you would not be in the current executive. That is also what the Urhobo Nation expects of you: non-interference.
So far, everything appears okay. I don’t expect any ugly incident or violence before, during or after a free and fair election because UPU election should not be a do-or-die affair. The sole purpose of anybody who wants to contest for a UPU position in any UPU executive is odavwe r’Urhobo. Such candidates should be people of integrity, ideas, vision and courage; they should be selfless, servant leaders, and they should have other qualities necessary to provide vibrant and effective leadership. The UPU executive is not a place for visionless, cowardly, timid, docile, self-serving people. It is not also a place for carpetbaggers or people who are looking for elevation, validation, respectability or acceptance. It is for people who are already respectable and credible; people, who just want to serve and give back to Urhobo land. They have nothing personal to prove, but to prove to the world that Urhobo is great and powerful, a force to be reckoned with at the state, national and even international levels. The UPU national executive positions are for people who are already accomplished in their various endeavours.
Urhobo sons and daughters are exercising their freedom of choice by supporting candidates they want in the next UPU executive. Are you pushed to support candidates with the qualities I highlighted above or you rely on primordial sentiments of my kinsman, my friend, my former schoolmate, etc.? It’s actually your choice. Let’s just be civil in supporting our candidates. We are not going to a civil war. Urhobo ovuovo. We just want a credible election that will reflect the will of the people.
Delegates are the people going to vote to elect the new UPU executives on behalf of the Urhobo Nation. Each kingdom is entitled to 20 delegates. Twenty delegates times 24 kingdoms give you 480 delegates. The delegates from the kingdoms form the bulk of the delegates. Delegates, whether you are representing your kingdom, a UPU branch, club or any other body allowed by the constitution, please remember you are not there for yourself but on behalf of a larger group. No matter the inducements, let the good will of the kingdoms/bodies that sent you prevail, not your selfish or personal interest.
Ordinarily, kingdoms, UPU branches, clubs and other bodies should send people of integrity as delegates. I don’t have any fears about diaspora delegates and those from outside Delta. A delegate cannot spend thousands of dollars, pounds, euro and other currencies to come for the congress and be influenced by peanuts on the day of the election. Even those from outside Delta State will spend good money to attend and will not likely sell their votes and by extension their conscience.
I am therefore appealing to our delegates (some of them actually, because I know delegates from the kingdoms who will rebuke you severely if you dare try to induce them) from the kingdoms. Nigeria might be hard, but the money that can only cook a pot of Ohwo soup or amiedi soup that will last for just a few days should not make you sell your votes and, in the process, contribute to mortgaging the future of the Urhobo Nation. It’s not worth it. Odavwe v’erhuvwu r’Urhobo (interest and wellbeing of the Urhobo Nation) should guide you in your choice of candidates. I have been a delegate in previous UPU elections, so I am writing from experience.
At the end of the day there will be two halls waiting for the current UPU executive members, members of ECUPU, the delegates and all those involved in this election. We have the Hall of Fame and the Hall of Shame. The beauty is that each person will decide where he/she wants his/her name to appear. I suggest to ECUPU that the names of all delegates should be made public. The publication of the list for all Urhobos to see might not be in the UPU Constitution, but my question is: Is it against the constitution? Making the list public will add credibility to the electoral process and make it more transparent. In addition, though the Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame are not physical, each actor in the election will know where he/she will end up.
We are all campaigning for our candidates without let or hinderance. God and the Nigerian Constitution gave all of us the freedom of choice. My choices have been and remain: President-General, Chief Simeon Ohwofa; Second Vice PG, Mr. Abraham Ogbodo; General Secretary, Mr. Patrick Origho; Asst. General Secretary, Dr. Benson Uwheru; Publicity Secretary, Prof. Sunny Awhefeada; Treasurer, Prof. Dicta Ogisi; Financial Secretary, Prof. Rose Aziza; Legal Adviser, Dr. Brown Umukoro; Assistant Publicity Secretary, Chief Veronica Ajuebon and Auditor, Mr. Matthew Ogagavworia. I have worked with some of them and I know the others. Individually, they are formidable. Collectively, I trust them to give the Urhobo Nation the UPU we’ll all be proud of. They have presented their manifesto to the Urhobo Nation: One, unity, peace and reconciliation; two, institutional reforms and good governance; three, ICT, youths and women empowerment; four, economic renaissance and investment drive; five, education and culture revival; six, security and community development; seven, diaspora collaboration; eight, agriculture and rural transformation. Ena me gwono. Die wo gwono? (These are my yearnings. What are yours?). I need another article to break down this transformative manifesto.
But in summary, their vision is to restore UPU’s dignity, unity, and influence; champion Urhobo socio-economic and cultural development; strengthen ties with the Urhobo community in diaspora; empower youths and women through education, enterprise, and opportunity; preserve and promote Urhobo language, values, and heritage; foster accountability, transparency, and good governance within UPU. This MUGA (make Urhobo great again) team will: M- mobilise Urhobo for Unity; U – unlock opportunities; G – govern with integrity and purpose; A – advance Urhobo collective destiny. What this team has done is to give the Urhobo Nation a marking scheme to grade their performance after three years. They either write their names in the Hall of fame or Hall of Shame, but their names will be in the Hall of Fame. I trust them
On a personal note, this team will also come up with a blueprint to rebuild Okuama. I know that means a lot to the Urhobo Nation and much more to Okuama people and Ewu kingdom.
INFANTILE DEMARKETING OF CHIEF SIMEON OHWOFA
I have noticed that some misguided Urhobo youths are going about making wild allegations against Chief Simeon Ohwofa instead of marketing their own candidates. One said Chief Ohwofa is being sponsored by an unnamed non-Urhobo man. Some of you, Urhobo youths, are very disrespectful. Do you know the number of Urhobos Chief Ohwofa has bankrolled or financially supported their elections to the National Assembly, Delta State House of Assembly and other political positions? In 2011, Chief Ohwofa made financial contribution to my brother, Sen. Akpor Pius Ewherido’s senatorial campaign. We were home in Ewu one morning when he came with Hon. Emmanuel Egoh and quietly and effortlessly made his contribution. A man who sponsored or offered financial support to others in capital-intensive elections can’t sponsor himself for a UPU PG election with a comparatively smaller expenditure? Is it because he’s not a noisemaker? Some of guys are very low in reasoning and devoid of intellectual rigour and analytical minds. I’m in shock! Other youths are using their data to make legit money and develop themselves; you are using yours for what adds no value to your lives. It didn’t even occur to you to check the profile of the people you are denigrating online before writing? SAD. PATHETIC.
Francis Ewherido is proud son of Ewu (omuvwie r’Ewu – Eghereka)
