File: Some Urhobo leaders

The Urhobo Renaissance Society has watched, with keen interest and caution, the unfolding planks of ethnic tension resulting from the destruction of a signpost naming Urhobo House—the Urhobo cultural heritage, situated at No. 18 Okere Road, Otovwodo, Agbarha Kingdon, Warri South LGA, to reflect the territorial location of the edifice. That was in line with the legal document gazetting territorial boundaries delineating the present kingdoms within Warri South Local Government.

As a peace-loving ethnic group, the URS, in a statement signed by Dr John Uwa, General Secretary, said “It came to us as a rude shock that the naming is perceived in some quarters as an attempt to fan the embers of ethnic violence.”

This rude shock, as contained in the statement, stems from the fact that the URHOBONESS of the said building and its location “has never been a subject of dispute; but it is now paradoxical to think that the (re)naming to reflect its ethnic ties is being contested.”

Below is the full statement:

The Destruction of Signpost at Urhobo House and the Brewing Tension in Warri: A Call for Peace, Equity and Fairness

The Urhobo Renaissance Society has watched, with keen interest and caution, the unfolding planks of ethnic tension resulting from the destruction of a signpost naming Urhobo House—the Urhobo cultural heritage, situated at No. 18 Okere Road, Otovwodo, Agbarha Kingdon, Warri South LGA, to reflect the territorial location of the edifice, in line with the legal document gazetting territorial boundaries delineating the present kingdoms within Warri South Local Government. As a peace-loving ethnic group, it came to us as a rude shock that the naming is perceived in some quarters as an attempt to fan the embers of ethnic violence.

This rude shock stems from the fact that the URHOBONESS of the said building and its location has never been a subject of dispute, but it is now paradoxical to think that the (re)naming to reflect its ethnic ties is being contested. Even more disturbing or disappointing is the video, in circulation, of the Warri South Local Government Chairman, Hon. Tidi Michael Ejueyitsi) acting too hastily, even without consulting the leadership of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), by personally removing the signpost at the premises of Urhobo House in a way that we consider as clannish and despotic, and unbecoming of an elected public officer. We are sure that the Local Government Chairman would have regretted this action after a retrospective evaluation of his action. We want to use this press release as a reminder of the Warri crisis (1997-2003)—something that no right-thinking person or group(s) would want to encourage under any disguise; and something Warri never really recovered from, even after over 20 years. To that extent, and as a peace-loving people, we call on all youths and stakeholders to the Warri heritage to tread with caution and explore only peaceful avenues in seeking justice, equity and fairness. By the same token, we encourage peaceful coexistence and call on the State Government to provide quality mediation towards resolving whatever tension is brewing in Warri.

Therefore, we, the members of Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS), do make the following pronouncements in good conscience, to guide the general approach in whatever demands or claims to Warri:

1. There is an extant law guiding the establishment of five independent kingdoms and kings of equal status in Warri (The Orosuen of Okere Urhobo Kingdom, The Ovie of Agbarha Kingdom, The Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, The Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom and the Olu of Warri) with clearly marked boundaries. Therefore, we expect all parties to respect the law;
2. The Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris will continue to live together as neighbours with common boundaries; we must come to terms with this reality and embrace mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and equity;
3. The Local Government Chairman should not be seen as the one fanning the embers of tensions; we therefore encourage Dr Tidi Michael Ejueyitsi, the Chairman of Warri South Local Government, to make a public statement discouraging violence or crisis in Warri;
4. The current location of Urhobo House, of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) is under Agbarha Kingdom, in Warri South Local Government Area; and any signpost designating such address should not be considered as threatening, disturbing or divisive, except the ownership is under contention—something we know nothing of. Therefore, the appropriateness of No 18 Okere Road, Otovwodo, Agbarha Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area as the address of the Urhbo House is within the ambit of the law, of no threat to the pace of Warri, and acceptable to us;
5. The Wado City Group is only an advocacy group and should not be demonized as long as it carries out its advocacy within the precincts of the law; and its call for the renaming of the Urhobo territories, no more no less, within Warri should not be considered as criminal except the group operates outside the laid down laws for advocacy groups in Nigeria. We say this with all sense of responsibility because the territorial history of mankind has been shaped by war and advocacy. The former explores violence and the latter explores dialogue. We must continue to respect the group as long as its dialogues and advocacies are legitimate and not because certain groups find them disturbing for no legitimate reason.
6. Finally, we call on the Delta State Government to do all that is within its constitutional right to ensure and secure the peace in Delta State and deal decisively with those found truncating the peace of the State.

Long Live Urhobo Renaissance Society

Long Live the Urhobo Nation

Long Live Delta State

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Signed

            Dr John Uwa

(General Secretary)