A Statement by Urhobo Progress Union (UPU)
(On Behalf of the Urhobo People)
The Urhobo Nation is one of the major oil and gas producing ethnic groups in Nigeria with about 400 oil wells. Much of the gas reserves in Nigeria are also located in Urhobo land. It is noteworthy that Nigeria has the 7th highest gas reserves in the world and the highest in Africa. That makes the Urhobo Nation a major stakeholder in the Nigerian project, although it has remained short- changed on all fronts.
For some time now, there have been discordant voices on the way forward for Nigeria. In these circumstances, it is important that major stake holders in the Nigerian nation-building project should speak out on ways that will calm the current inflamed political situation while addressing Nigeria’s longstanding problems that do give rise to these excesses. It is in that patriotic context that the Urhobo Progress Union – representing the Urhobo people, the largest ethnic nationality in the Western Niger Delta and the fourth largest in the Nigerian Federation – wishes to state as follows:
(1) The Urhobo Nation believes in one Nigeria. We believe in a Nigeria built on fairness, equity and justice, principles which incidentally have guided the Urhobos in their interactions long before the entity called Nigeria came to be.
We believe in true federalism. In line with the 16-point resolution of the Southern Leaders Forum, the UPU wants a reversal to the 1960 Constitution where each region controlled its resources and contributed to the centre. The whole idea and practice of states of the Federation converging in Abuja – or of LGAs assembling at state capitals – every month to receive allocations, without which they cannot operate, is appalling. Such wretched dependency on central allocations kills industry and initiative.
(2) Nigeria is also an amalgamation of ethnic nationalities where the constitution however guarantees all citizens freedom of association. We have grown to be interdependent over the years as Nigerians move outside their lands of birth to other communities within the country to seek gainful livelihood. We implore those who have resettled in other communities to be respectful of the cultures of their host communities. Whether they are Igbo merchants or Fulani cattle herdsmen or any other class of workers, it is important that violence is eschewed in their relations with their host communities. The UPU, however, deplores the quit notice given by some groups for citizens of other ethnic groups to vacate their territory. The constitution gives no ethnic group such powers.
(3) Ultimately, peace and inter-ethnic harmony will only flow from good governance, especially at the Federal level, in Nigeria. The practice of crowding out certain ethnic nationalities from Ministerial appointments and other political offices violates the doctrine of “federal character” that is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. It is one of the factors fueling ethnic and secessionist agitations. Our union should be based on merit, fairness, justice and equity.
(4) Urhobo Progress Union urges political leaders to summon the courage to restructure this country in a manner that will strengthen the
All Comments