By Ovie Okpare
Ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has charged the apex umbrella body of Urhobo people worldwide, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), to help prune down the number of aspirants from Delta Central senatorial district.
Okowa said the plurality of aspirants comes with many challenges and there was need for Urhobo Nation to trim down the number of governorship aspirants from the senatorial.
The governor spoke on Friday at Uvwiamuge, Agbarho, Delta State, during the UPU Congress and Award ceremony as part of activities marking the 90th Anniversary of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide.
Okowa also admonished UPU to peacefully converse with all senatorial districts and tribes in the state in its quest to ensure that his successor is from Urhobo extraction of Delta Central.
According to him, “When there are too many sons and daughters in a race, it creates its own challenge and I believe that the elders have understood this. There is a need to trim down and I believe that the time is now.”
While charging Urhobo people to remain united, he enjoined the governorship aspirants not to heat up the polity rather extend their hands of friendship to all parts of the state to win them the support of Deltans.
“I don’t believe that we must fight everything through; sometimes a kind word or a conversation can help you to get to where you want to be. I want to appeal to our sons and daughters who seek to be governor.
“It is usually best when you approach it on the basis of friendship. It is usually best that we are choosy on the kind of words that we use in public so that we don’t start any round of fights.
“No matter how provoked, any person aspiring to the position of leadership must learn to control his anger and speak peacefully to people because in doing so, he attracts friends to himself”, Okowa stated.
The governor congratulated Urhobo people worldwide on the 90th anniversary and charged the Olorogun Moses Taiga-led UPU to build on the successes recorded by his predecessors such as Mukoro Mowoe and others.
He also commended UPU on its plans to set up a Microfinance Bank to empower Urhobo youth and women as well as the establishment of Mukoro Mowoe University.
Okowa further added that Urhobo people have contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria and Delta State through their exploits in sports, military, economy, entertainment and other areas.
Earlier in his welcome remark, President-General of UPU, Olorogun Moses Taiga, said, “
“This moment 10 years shy of a century ago, our clairvoyant forefathers saw today and founded what was then the Urhobo Brotherly Society in Warri on Nov. 3, 1931.
“That society metamorphosed into UPU in the course of our sojourn as a people. The UPU was founded in time of crisis occasioned by change birthed by the phenomenon of colonialism.
“Just as our forefathers did, we the Urhobo of 2021 must also interrogate our today and contemplate our tomorrow and begin to work our ways through currents of hope and land at the shores of the Promised Land.”
Highlight of the event was the presentation of award to some distinguished sons and daughters of the Urhobo nation.
The ceremony was attended by all Urhobo traditional rulers, speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori; Chairman Ibru Organisation, Chief Oskar Ibru; Chief Isaac Akpoveta, Senator Ighoyota Amori, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Chief Fred Majemite, Comrade Reuben Izeze and others.
