Urhobo Prayer Day Holds December 7

–UPU Tackles Organisers Of Urhobo Day

By Daniel Dafe

The executive of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Worldwide, under the leadership of Engr. (Chief) Joe Omene, has said that “the national exco of UPU (not Ijaw UPU), will on the 7^th of December, 2018, converge at the residence of the President General to pray for Urhobo Nation and UPU branches worldwide.”

In a press release made available to Oasis Magazine (OM), the Urhobo socio-cultural group added that “they noticed with dismay a recent advertorial signed by Olorogun Moses Taiga and Chief Ese Gam, announcing a three day celebration of a purported 2018 Urhobo Day.”

The press statement continued: “The people organizing it and those invited are the architect of the current shame which Urhobo finds herself today. Their motive is to completely decapitate Urhobo’s political, economic and social interest at the national and state level. The marginalization today of Urhobo by the state and federal governments does not bother them.

“Are they celebrating their failed attempt to impose a self confessed Ijaw man as PG of UPU? We in UPU are not surprised as the circulars they sent were addressed to the PGs of kingdoms and not Presidents of UPU branches in the kingdoms.

“Urhobo will find out that no real UPU branches in and outside Urhobo land will be there, except the London branch which the headship is a chieftaincy title seeker.”

They said further: “Any person who will be attending, has by that rejected Urhobo as a nation and embraced the Ijaw nation headship.

“The UPU and its present exco is not an appendage of any government or politician like others sponsored by the government. The executive works hard to make financial contribution for the day to day running of UPU. The exco believes in the sanctity of the UPU constitution and we have vowed to defend it with the last pint of our blood.

“Some kings in Urhobo land can decide to hand over their kingdoms to the Ijaw nation headship by appointing an Ijaw man as PG of their kingdoms. However, they should not think that they can hand over the entire Urhobo nation the same way.

“We advice the royal fathers to discontinue their failed mission to impose a self confessed Ijaw man, who is partly Urhobo as the PG of UPU. How many UPU functions within and outside Urhobo land, not burials and marriages has their PG attended?”

Speaking about 2019 elections, UPU said: “We are ready to hear from any politician who is prepared to sell his manifesto to Urhobo people to enable UPU know those who have Urhobo nation at heart.