Urhobo Nation: When majority becomes minority (1)

                                                                    

                 Chief Patrick Aziza, President Urhobo Progress Union

That the Urhobo nation which is the fifth largest tribe in Nigeria and the single largest tribe in Delta State have been reduced to a minority tribe in the state is not contestable. The Urhobo nation has virtually become a minority tribe in Delta State for the simple reason that no Urhobo person is occupying any enviable position in the present state government. The highest position being occupied by an Urhobo person is the position of deputy governor, a position which was described by the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife,  as “spare tyre”. This is because no responsibility is assigned to the office of the deputy governor in the 1999 Constitution. So, the deputy governor only does whatever duty the governor assigns to him. This makes a deputy governor a mere rubber stamp!

According the three arms of government: the executive arm is headed by the governor; the legislature is headed by the speaker of the house of assembly while the judiciary is led by the chief judge of the state. Thus, in the hierarchy of leadership as presently constituted in Delta State, the Urhobo nation as the largest tribe in the state is craftily schemed out of the decision making mechanism of the state. This ought not to be since the Urhobo nation is in the majority and supposed to play a significant role in the leadership of the state. The Urhobos are crying of marginalisation. But the cry of marginalisation by the Urhoobo nation is self-inflicted. The Urhobos are crying of not being adequately represented both at the national and state levels. The cry of marginalisation is more pronounced by the Urhobos in the Warri South and Patani Local Government Areas of the state in the allocations of political offices. The Ijaws of Egbema in the Warri North Local Government Area have also complained bitterly of marginalisation in the allocations of offices. This resulted in mayhem against the Itsekiris by the Ijaws which led to the death of some Itsekiris recently. However, while writing on the Warri North mayhem in an article titled: “Feeding the monster”, Sam Omatseye, expressed Uduaghan’s position where he noted that the positions the Egbema Radical Group wanted in Warri North were elected positions and if an Itsekiri man won, it was not his (Uduaghan) doing”.

It is however disturbing that while the Itsekiris are capitalising and utilising their numerical strength as the most populous tribe in the three Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas in the state, the Urhobos as the single largest tribe with almost nine local government areas in the state has lost out in the political equation! The Urhobos have almost nine local government councils because the Urhobos of Agbasa and Okere in Warri South Local Government Area and the Urhobos in Ughelli-Uwherie in Patani Local Government Area put together if they are adjecent to each other are qualify to have a local government area of their own. But the Urhobo nation is so divided for selfish reasons-what individuals can get instead of what the entire Urhobo race will get from the Nigerian project and Delta State in particular. Other tribes are united and are fighting for their common goal but for the Urhobos, the reverse is the case. The Urhobos have forgotten the maxim which says united we stand, divided we fall. The Urhobos are not united no thanks to the likes of Olori Magege who said only Urhobo will not rule Delta State. He said the Urhobo nation with almost nine local government councils in the state does not have the capacity to win the governorship election alone but Itsekiris are winning the chairmanship elections in the three Warri Local Government Councils because they are in the majority. Also, the Ijaws are producing the chairmen of Patani Local Government Area because they are in the majority.

Olori Magege is a potent prophet who sees visions and prophesy for others but cannot see visions and prophesy for himself or the Urhobo nation he belongs. His visions and prophesies are always against himself and his Urhobo people. Jesus Christ was never such a prophet; it is only in the Urhobo nation you see these type of prophets who prophesy good about other tribes but evil against their own people!

In an article titled 2015 Guber: Who can stop Orubebe? Posted on the Urhobo Times online, Olori Magege said that the next governor of Delta State will not be an Urhobo person but an “Urhobo at heart”. He went further, “If you are not Urhobo at heart, even if you are Urhobo and you think we are going to dance after you, no way. You must be Urhobo at heart. If you are not Urhobo, you must be a dedicated Urhobo at heart”. In another interview Olori Magege granted John Egie titled: 2015: I have spoken with the anointed governor, Magege reassures: says Ogboru’s case is dead and posted on the internet on the platform of Spynewsng.com, Magege said, “When I predicted in 2007, that the election of Governor Uduaghan will be annulled and it came to pass in 2011, what political dynamics could explain that? When I predicted that Oshiomhole, Aregbesola, Fayemi, Mimiko, Obi and I advised the Senate President that he must settle with young Alhaji if not he is out of the Senate, what political dynamics could inform that? When I also said that Ewherido would defeat Amori and I refused to announce it because of party loyalty, what political dynamics could explain that?”

Magege must be told that he is qualified to be governor. All the energy and efforts he is dissipating to promote other people could better be channelled to prepare himself for the governorship election in 2015. Magege is so intoxicated being the Chairman of the Delta State Waste Management Board which is just a parastatal in a ministry. If Magege is so carried away by being a chairman of a board what would have happened if he was appointed a commissioner or nominated for the post of a minister by Governor Uduaghan? How can a man be so blindfolded simply because he was appointed by a governor to head a waste management board? Can Olori Magege not be a commissioner, minister, governor or president? We do not know why Olori Magege should support Governor Uduaghan who promised Delta North Senatorial District the governor in 2015 when elections have not be held! It is only in Delta State elections are won before they are conducted. Who told Governor Uduaghan that a candidate from Delta North would win the 2015 governorship election? The governor can emerge from any of the three senatorial districts even from the Delta South where the current governor hails from if that is wish of the people of Delta.