By Godswill Osurume
The Urhobo Editors and Publishers Alliance (UEPA) was on Friday inaugurated in Ughelli, Delta State, marking a renewed push for cultural reporting, media solidarity and professional standards among Urhobo journalists at home and abroad.
Themed “The Media as Custodian: Revitalizing Urhobo’s Traditional Institutions in the Digital Age,” the event atteacted journalists, academics, politicians and civic actors who emphasized strategies for strengthening the visibility and invincibility of Urhobo narratives through the various media channels and platforms.
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Chris Obiuwevbi Ominimini, who set the ball rolling hailed the formation of the Alliance as a long-awaited step forward, adding that for too long the Urhobo nation has inflicted self injury on itself.
“It is a shame that we do not have someone we can confidently call an Urhobo leader,” he said, warning that any Urhobo person in authority who refuses to uplift the Urhobo nation is “nothing but a fool.”
The national spokesman of PANDEF, lamented that in spite of playing host to several oil wells, flow stations, and energy assets, Urhobo people remain locked out of key decision-making spaces, blaming it on bad politics, selfishness and greed among those in leadership positions.
“There are resources that are enough to make Urhobo a great nation, yet our people are nowhere to be found,” he said, describing the dominance of politics and internal rivalry as major obstacles.
He criticised the culture of exclusion that filters opportunities through party loyalty and personal blocs, insisting that progress requires unity, courage, and truth-telling.
Ominimini therefore urged the Alliance to act as a watchdog for the people, boldly spotlighting leaders who fail in their duties.
“Government money belongs to everyone. Community money belongs to everyone. If you are not ready to serve, don’t go near the office”, pledging his readiness to serve the Urhobo nation “anytime, any day.”
The Guest Speaker of the occasion, Dr. Obire Odiakpo, in his very thought-provoking speech, drew the attention of the audience to the human cost of leadership failures, stating that leadership failure manifest in the form of failing roads, schools, and hospitals.
He criticised the erosion of the Urhobo language, noting that unlike other ethnic groups who embrace theirs with pride, many Urhobos reject it immediately in public spaces.
Dr. Obire further urged Urhobo public officials and professionals to strengthen mutual support, insisting that politics should unite—not divide—the 24 Urhobo kingdoms.
“Our language should unite us, but it has become a weapon of bitterness and division,” he said.
Dr. Odiakpo called for leaders with courage, vision, and love for the Urhobo people, insisting that cultural pride must return to the centre of governance and everyday life.
He urged the media to build platforms that function as “shrines of Urhobo honour,” producing content that promotes identity, history, and collective progress. “Urhobos should not follow history — we should make history.
In his message to the group the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ede Dafinone, who was represented by Mercy Okiemute Orhierhor Lance, urged Urhobo media professionals to embrace responsible reporting, deepen unity, and drive the positive transformation of Urhoboland, stressing that “the press remains one of the strongest pillars of democracy.”
The national lawmaker commended the effort of UEPA, charging the members to live up to the expectations of the Urhobo people.
“You are the watchdogs of the society, the voices of the voiceless, and the bridge between the people and their leaders.
“Let this conference not only celebrate your achievements, but chart a clear vision for responsible reporting, unity, and the positive transformation of Urhobo land.”
“You must position yourself as a stronger voice for the Urhobo nation – a voice of truth, progress, and pride”, he advised.
In a goodwill message, the Delta APC founding leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, while commending the group for putting Urhobo fist, tasks them to use their platforms to promote Urhobo interest and ensure that issues concerning Urhobo Nation are brought to the fore.
According to him, “all well-meaning Urhobo sons and daughters must unite to promote Urhobo interest and culture, we must use our contact, position and influence to project Urhobo, time has come for Urhobo Voice to he heard clearly and loudly, we must tell our stories and tell it well,” he added.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the chairman of UEPA, Comrade Fredrick Umurure, had pledged the group’s readiness and commitment to transparency, counter misinformation, foster unity and highlight development efforts across Urhobo communities.
He described the body as a movement born from necessity, adding that the Urhobo voice has grown faint in Nigeria’s political and cultural landscape and must be reclaimed.
According to him, the new Alliance, will work hand-in-hand with “traditional institutions, political leaders, and the wider community to ensure Urhobo stories are told boldly, accurately, and proudly.”
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