GBEMRE RAISES CONCERNS OVER UGHIEVWENS HONOURS LIST; My Fears For The UHS & IDEALS Of Prof Peter Ekeh.

Prof. Peter Ekeh

It is saddening that the ideals for which Prof Peter Ekeh founded the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS) to preserve the collective dignity, heritage and history of the Urhobo nation may be lost to poor commitment or capacity to sustain the temple after the passing of Peter Ekeh.

I am highly disappointed at the manner the UHS picked its perceived Ughievwen heroes to honour in the latest round of clan by clan identification of deserving Urhobos who have made remarkable contribution to the growth of their clans, kingdoms and Urhobo at large.

I would like the UHS to explain to us the criteria used in selecting those honoured in Ughievwen. We accept that the pioneer Okobaro of Ughievwen, C.E Ugen and a few others listed and honoured were deserving.

Ugen was also Vice Chairman of Mid-West/Bendel House of Chiefs and as well as dual Odede of Ebor and Igbu-Eshovwin. His reign and leadership remarkably impacted positively on Ughievwen clan as he also mentored many Ughievwen sons and daughters.

Now, what manner of studies or consultations did the research team carry out to list Koforo Dafioghor who hijacked the Okobaro of Ughievwen stool for less than 21 days as Okobaro of Ughievwen Clan? Dafioghor wasn't in line, not qualified to be Okobaro at the time he forced self in. He used his UPN partisan link to then Governor Ambrose Ali of Bendel who tinkered with the edict without popular consent just to have Dafioghor forced in.

With his UPN connections, he stole what belonged to Vadje Gbemre who was the Otota Ode (Most Senior Spokesman of Ughievwen from Orhowhe subclan of Ughievwen and automatically next in line to be Okobaro in the unambiguous succession process for the throne. Vadje Gbemre was also the Odede of Ade (Ilorogun) of Ughievwen clan at the time.

It was the greed and vaulting ambition of Dafioghor that induced the avoidable contention, acrimony and protracted litigations that forced the interregnum and prejudiced enthronement of a divisive Okobaro without recourse to the customary rites of enthronement which forced the conflict among sub clans that still hunt the Kingdom till date.

As I raise this concern, the incumbent Okobaro has still not been accepted by a significant proportion of the Ughievwen people, especially the Uhurie sub-clan having emerged from the rancour created by late Dafioghor against the due process of installing an Okobaro in Ughievwen even with staff of office given to the current Okobaro after a controversial court judgment.

I still don’t understand how B. Fole made the honours list. What were his outstanding contributions to Ughievwen and Urhobo? Only recently, precisely in October, there was a fatal boundary crisis between Owahwa town and Okwagbe people. 

Though I am not from either of both Owawha and Okwagbe sub-clans, but for my quick intervention ensuring that security operatives promptly moved in, more than 200 persons would have been killed. And where were those 'busybodies' who championed those to be honoured in Ughievwen in resolving that crisis?

I am not interested in or struggling for any recognition and because of that I have refused to take titles. But let it be mentioned, so we don't mislead posterity, that there were no effective background checks before the supposed honour by the UHS on some of the Ughievwens so recognised.

Those who selflessly fought for creation of Ughelli South LGA without collecting a dime from any person or expecting any reward in return were completely not mentioned/honoured . What could be greater, more recognised, than the sacrifice they made?

I didn't see any meaningful contributions by those honoured except for Ugen and one or two others. Why politicing the good intention of Prof Peter Ekeh who founded the Urhobo Historical Society(UHS)? It is such a sad commentary.

Zik Gbemre.
"We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes."