By Zik Gbemre
Despite the burst of anger across Urhoboland over the attendant sacrilege against our patrimony, Ese Gam Owe led UPU EXCO have not shown any remorse for the bootlicking visit to Sen Ifeanyi Okowa over his arrest by the EFCC for allegation of looting Delta’s treasury.
They engaged in that show of shame on purpose, so no one expects them to apologise to Urhobo nation. They are rather engaging some insensitive apologists to take the ‘panadol’ for their headache.
Given their level of impunity on display, Ese Gam Owe and his scam of UPU EXCO must not escape consequence action.
First, their planned Urhobo Day this December should be boycotted by all well meaning, right thinking Urhobos. Of course the partisan cast of dignitaries to stage the show itself shows they are bent on running UPU as their private estate.
UPU is a foremost institution bigger than any individual, irrespective of position in society. I read the puerile comments of even informed Urhobos in defense of Olorogun Moses Taiga whose ignorance of the ethos and ideals of UPU provided the platform for this gross debasing of the UPU.
First he added some meaningless “Worldwide” to UPU, just to feel larger than life leader of the body. For the avoidance of doubt, there is just UPU, not UPU Worldwide.
UPU has always have global appeal with the diaspora branches and transnational relations. There is neither a foundation document nor a constitutional amendment that added “Worldwide” which doesn’t add any value to the UPU we have always owed allegiance.
Then someone tried to paint Olorogun Taiga larger than UPU. That when you visit his Lagos or London home, you hear Taiga hosting or talking on phone with VIPs, governors, diplomats, industry executives, suggesting he is larger than UPU.
How narrow informed? No Urhobo born can be bigger than UPU. Assuming he speaks with Presidents and all the big people in the world, of what relevance to Urhobo nation? What development did those connections bring to Urhoboland through Olorogun Taiga when he was PG?
Need I remind those who weren’t aware enough at the time, that under Dr Pa Federick Esiri, President Shehu Shagari visited him as UPU PG multiple times. President Shehu Shagari graced the funeral of Chief Thomas Ogigba’s father, in person, not by proxy.
Taiga was so connected yet for two tenures, UPU couldn’t get his proposed Okugbe MicroFinance Bank licenced for operations. They’re not ashamed to say this in public. That they were able to meet the hardest criteria which is to raise the required start up capital.
And it was the less tasking of requirements, to get licence approval that a UPU couldn’t do, When leaders of other social cultural groups visit Aso Rock to seek presidential attention, Olorogun Moses Taiga was fixated on Asaba playing cheerleader for then Governor Okowa.
That Taiga conceived an Urhobo University, got communities to pledge land yet he couldn’t do even site clearing and someone is urging his successor to carry on with the project, to build on nothing, emptiness that he left?
That under Taiga UPU got Okowa to introduce Urhobo study into basic school curricula. For that UPU had to worship Okowa like God, lick his feet. Meanwhile Urhobo language is still not being taught in Warri South LGA primary & secondary schools till date.
The apologists of Taiga should be reminded that under past selfless UPU leaders, we had Urhobos as Chief Justice of the Federation, Chairman of FEDECO (today’s INEC), Ministers, Chairmen of National Supplies, and more.
We had Delta Steel Company (DSC) with an Urhobo as Chief Executive, an Urhobo chaired the foundation board of Ajaokuta Steel Company and many more. These were not chanced recognition. They came with a credible, capable UPU leadership, pulling so much weight in lobbying those at the helms of governance in concert with some of Urhobo’s best minds in mainstream government, including highly influential Sen David Dafinone.
Today even as majority ethnic group in Delta, we cannot even play local champion. We’very been reduced to minority tribes, because we have greedy Urhobo politicians remote controlling UPU of clueless leaders for self aggrandisement.
Further on consequence action, UPU must be subjected to forensic audit from the administration of Olorogun Taiga, no two way about it. Ese Gam Owe was Secretary General of UPU under Taiga. Current 1st VP, Abel Opudi was Treasurer.
The trio were the signatories to the UPU account when Okowa released the N250Million UPU Secretariat Complex development support, yet someone claimed Taiga as PG was never a signatory, never saw the money as PG, because he was too rich to soil his hands with UPU money. And as a result he cannot be questioned or called to account for his stewardship.
Can you imagine? How can the head of UPU not be signatory to the account when the bulk starts and stops with him? The trio must be subjected to forensic audit on the books of UPU because nothing suggests they spent N250Million on that Uvwiamuge Conference Center.
Need I say they show the sharing formula for the N100M Okowa brought in bullion van they used to buy votes of delegates to impose Ese Gam’s led UPU plus another N30M given through a proxy at the Effurun home of a key Uvwie born officeholder at the moment. It was shared through some Ivie and LG chairmen to also be used to mobilise delegates for Ese Gam’s led executives.
With all of these, Ese Gam’s UPU have no moral justification to hold annual Urhobo Day. Let Ese Gam Owe, Ifeanyi Okowa, PDP and the Ivie hold their Urhobo-Okowa PDP Day. Any Urhobo Ovie who will join their Okowa-PDP Urhobo Day will be seen as one of them.
There is urgent need for Urhobo to drive a new cause that will restore the UPU that was once respected and admired.
On how to strengthen and restore the pride of UPU, we call for –
¶ Immediate amendment of the UPU Constitution to remove Urhobo Ivie from the selection of UPU leadership.
¶ Various Urhobo Kingdoms and Clans to, henceforth, ensure they install men of proven integrity as Ivie in their respective domains. Part of the problem has been the growing cases of government imposed monarchs who have no honour at home.
¶ The subjects of the Ivie to also provide checks on their monarchs when they derail from their role of being custodian of their culture and tradition and not involved in partisan politics.
UPU will reclaim its lost glory if the ‘Ivie’ and Delta government are divorced from influencing selection of UPU leaders.
Ese Gam Owe and his executives must be sanctioned for the disgraceful visit to Okowa. We are aware some Urhobo monarchs also engaged in the disgraceful ‘solidarity’ visit to Okowa. We won’t hesitate to call them out when if we receive the incontrovertible evidence.
All patriotic Urhobos should boycott the UPU-PDP-Okowa Day.
Zik Gbemre, a social crusader and activist wrote from Iwhrekan in Ughievwen Kingdom in Delta State.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
