*Calls on Urhobos to be focus, patriotic
*This is not political movement, he says
By Fejiro Godswill
One of the champions of the ongoing agitation for the creation of Urhobo State, Olorogun Dr. Wilson Odafe Omene has called out the 1st Deputy President-General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Isaacs Itebu over his recent diatribe against the promoters of the movement.
Fielding questions from newsmen in his country home, Mosogar, in Ethiope West Local Government Area recently, Omene who is the chairman of the Publicity Committee for the agitation of the creation of Urhobo State from the present Delta State, regretted that a Chief from Okpe kingdom and the 1st Deputy PG of the UPU, could demonstrate such high level of crass ignorance and unpatriotic posture towards the Urhobo in which he professed to be a leader.
It would be recalled that Chief Itebu, in a recent interview with a online YouTube platform, Rero Tv has described the movement of the leaders of the agitation for the creation of Urhobo State as a futile effort, which according to him, was dead on arrival.
However, while reacting through the same medium in his Mosogar country home, the chairman of the Publicity Committee of the group, Olorogun Dr. Wilson Odafe Omene, noted that the 1st Deputy President General of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, has exhibited lack of knowledge, ignorance and unpatriotism, adding that the Okpe Chief, ordinarily, would have been stripped of his chieftaincy title for his uncomplimentary and unpatriotic diatribe against those who are selflessly championing the Urhobo cause.
Omene lamented the absence of Itebu at the Town Hall meeting organized by the executive committee of the agitation for the creation of Urhobo State, which took place in Ughelli on January 18, 2025, where all Urhobos were massively invited to grab the opportunity to express their feelings and contributions to the great cause of Urhobo nation for the purpose of coming up with a resolution for onward communication to the National Assembly.
Omene further regretted that had Itebu taken some time out to heed the Clarion call of the Urhobo nation, he wouldn’t have exhibited such high level of crass ignorance and misinformation which he spilled out in the public space recently.
Omene further tutored that it was absurd for the Okpe Chief to have classified the movement for the creation of Urhobo State as dead on arrival by referring to Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which spelt out the procedure of creating a new State.
According to Omene, anything that has a procedure must have an achievable outcome, wondering why Itebu, an Urhobo Chief was ignorant of the effort of the leaders of the movement engaged in a gradual compliance with the procedure spelt out in Section 8 of the Constitution.
“I think he has lost it completely. If he feels he is an Urhobo man, why did he not come to that elaborate Town Hall meeting held at Ughelli to express his opinion so that the house would debate it whether his idea will make some sense or not.
“He decided to come to the public space to disparage those who have embarked on the effort to fight for an Urhobo State for the Urhobo people. Now, let me say this, either he is being paid by anti-Urhobo people to ensure that he causes confusion in the drive for the creation of Urhobo State or he doesn’t have any interest of Urhobo in him.
“He used the word procedure and referred to Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution which spelt out the procedure. He is also uninformed that anything that has a procedure must have an outcome. Procedures mean that there must be an end result and it is that end result we are looking for. It is through the procedure that a people can be considered for the creation of a new State for our people’, Omene said.
He further stated that the procedure referred to in Section 8 of the Constitution include the question as to how viable an Urhobo State would be if created.
Dr. Omene averred that an Urhobo State will be viable and practicable socially, economically, environmentally, politically, educationally, culturally and otherwise, adding that these were some of the procedures, amongst others, copiously considered in the Town Hall meeting held in Ughelli.
“And what are the procedures? They are economic, culture, delineation, social contract amongst others. And the constitution says that follow these procedures and you will get a state created for you and your people.
“Somebody just woke up from his dream and due to his lack of knowledge, say that the procedure is herculian and because they are so herculian, there is no need to start it off. Oh, goodness me”, he exclaimed.
Responding to the allegation of lack of consultation with UPU and the State governor, Omene retorted that the Committee has consulted widely, adding that the Governor is the first eleven 7úof the Committee which must not be put forward first.
“Just like there is a procedure in the constitution for the creation of a state, there is also a procedure in approaching a matter. The governor as he is, is just an individual, an Urhobo man. He has an enormous power to assist. You don’t bring out your first eleven from the very beginning. Go on with the procedures, when you get to the level where you can bring in your first eleven, then you go to them”, he noted.
Omene disclosed that the Committee has consulted widely especially with representatives in the National Assembly who also advised the Town Hall meeting of Urhobos to consult more.
“We have consulted widely especially with the members of the National Assembly, who also advised a wider consultation with the grassroots. And that is what we have done. After now, we will forward the blue print of the Town Hall meeting to the members of the National Assembly where a Bill will be packaged. Thereafter, we can now bring in our first eleven, the kings and then the governor to throw their weight behind the Committee “, he further explained.
While encouraging Urhobos to remain focus on the agitation for the creation of Urhobo State, Omene warned that the movement is not an APC or PDP show, adding that it will be preposterous for the Committee to seek the consent of the governor who at this early stage of going through the procedure, adding that the governor at the moment is a governor of the entire Delta State.
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