By Ufuoma Eugene Ohwevwo
The last one week have seen the UPU leadership come under strident and blistering attacks over its widely publicized endorsement of Chief David Edevbie's as Urhobo candidate in the forthcoming Delta State PDP gubernatorial primary's.
For whatever reason the UPU arrived at its decision in endorsing Chief David Edevbie, it's best known to the Urhobo apex socio-cultural organization, as I do not intend to dwell on that in this piece especially as it holds no traction for me.
However, I felt compelled to join my voice on the issue on account of feeling very uncomfortable over the manner the UPU and its leadership have been subjected to dire public ridicule and denigration in the last one week over the Edevbie's endorsement saga.
Perhaps, if there was any time in our recent history as a people, that the UPU had been publicly attacked and ridiculed, it is certainly not in the same scale of what we have witnessed in the last one week, where the most unsavoury words and remarks have been used to deride and describe the Urhobo apex socio-cultural organization and its leadership.
Let's assume, the UPU erred in it's endorsement of Chief David Edevbie, is the subjection of the organization to the random public bashing and ridicule the best way to express our feelings and anger? Are there no better and more diplomatic ways to do so?
Those who have chosen to use uncouth languages and expressions on the the UPU over the Edevbie's endorsement saga, must know they have erred irredeemably and their actions obviously do not portray them as free born Urhobos.
A free born and culturally inclined Urhobo would never, in his or her wildest imagination, entertain the idea of pouring insults on their elders albeit in public glare and spectacle.
Perhaps, the most vexatious in this whole melodrama, is the action of some Urhobo youths, who in the same of Urhobo youth's association and groups, rained insults and invectives on the UPU ending, forgetting it is unUrhobo and against the norms of our cultural values and tradition to insult our elders, talkless of insulting the leadership of the UPU, which represents the symbol of Urhobo authority and unity.
We seem to forget that, it is the way we carry ourselves that is the way other people carries us. If we the Urhobos, particularly the youths, feel no need to respect the UPU, how do we expect people of other tribes to respect the UPU and by extension, the UPU nation and her people.
At this point, what the Urhobo nation should be concern about, is how our sons can emerge as the gubernatorial candidates of the two major political parties in the country--PDP and APC and not the present infighting that could cost us the opportunity of leading Delta State come 2023.
Urhobo have suffered unimaginable marginalization over last 16 years. And I expect that to serve as a motivation for us to put our House in order, to enable us get to Denis Osadebey's House come 2023.
God bless the UPU
God bless the Urhobo nation
Urhobo wadoo!