By Festus Ahon

MR Abel Oshevire is the National Publicity Secretary of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Worldwide. He was elected alongside Olorogun Moses Taiga and others on January 2 at  Urhobo  Cultural Centre, Uvwiamughe-Agbarho.

In this interview, Oshevire speaks on  issues affecting the union, particularly the seeming factionalization of the union with Chief Joe Omene leading a faction.

Congrats on your election as the National Publicity Secretary of the UPU.  After Joe Omene held a Congress and an exco was elected, another Congress took place where Moses Taiga and other members including yourself was held. Do you agree that UPU is factionalised?

It can’t be said in anyway that the UPU is factionalised. We have one UPU, Worldwide, which is led by Olorogun (Dr) Moses Taiga.

The election of Olorogun Taiga and other members of the National Executive Committee at the national emergency congress, held at the Urhobo House on Monday, January 2, 2017, was in accordance with the constitution of the UPU.

Abel Oshevire

The union’s constitution empowers the Board of Trustees (BoT) to, hold the forte  in the event of a vacuum, as witnessed when the tenure of the Chief Joseph Omene-led executive expired on December 2, 2016, and was  prevented by a competent court of jurisdiction from conducting any election. But, in the former executives desperation to cling  to power, it picked a handful of people and went to organise a UPU election.

Who were the delegates? Yet, the head of that executive about saying he remains the President-Gen of UPU. Which UPU? The man needs to apologise to the Urhobo nation, particularly our royal fathers, that he has insulted.

The constitution of the UPU clearly states that a new exco can only be constituted during an annual national congress. Do you see the Jan 2, 2016 emergency congress held by three BoT members as fulfilling the provision of the constitution?

With the prevailing situation, the BoT had the option of perpetuating itself in office until the annual congress where elections should hold, but the members, in their wisdom and patriotism, chose to call an emergency congress to conduct elections and constitute a proper executive to run the affairs of the union. Members of the BoT deserve commendation. As to the number of BoT members, all past President-Generals are automatic members. But how many of the former President Generals are alive today? None, except Omene.

The slogan of UPU is ‘Urhobo Ovuovo’.   Do you see the Moses Taiga-led exco being able to achieve the import of that slogan in the face of the factionalisation of UPU?

Of course the UPU slogan of ‘Urhobo Ovuovo’ is very much on course with the election of the Olorogun Moses Taiga  executive. The emergency congress was attended by more than half of the traditional rulers of the Urhobo nation and delegates from all the 24 kingdoms.

No person of substance in the Urhobo nation was left out, apart from those in government so that they don’t use their positions to influence the outcome of the elections. Again, Olorogun Moses Taiga has the capacity to lead a united Urhobo nation.

The constitution in Art 5(4) provides for the kings to participate in the decision-making of UPU. Two years ago, the kings purportedly sacked the Omene exco and installed Ofotuku exco as interim committee. The kings also championed the election of the Taiga-led exco on Jan 2. Would you  say the kings action is constitutional?

The kings constituted the Ofotoku interim administration to reposition  UPU. So, in collaboration with the BoT and other stakeholders, the emergency national congress was organised to properly elect an executive committee to pilot the affairs of the union. The congress and elections of Monday January 2, are legal and constitutional.

Considering the calibre of politicians that attended the Jan 2  emergency congress and the category of persons elected, people are alleging that your UPU election was hijacked by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and PDP with a view to neutralising Urhobo force in 2019. What is your take on that?

There was virtually no government presence in that ceremony. I consider it an insult and mischief for anyone to insinuate that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa or the PDP hijacked the election so as to either weaken the Urhobo nation in 2019 or get them to their side.

This is one of those palm wine bar tales. Let me put it plain to you that there was nothing of such. The current UPU leadership is made up of men of integrity, whose commitment to the Urhobo cause is sacrosanct and uncompromising. These are people who think and place Urhobo first in all issues.

Do you see Olorogun Moses Taiga as a man who can be influenced to abandon the Urhobo project? Anyone who ever imagines such  a  thing does not know the man one bit. He is too independent -minded and principled to be compromised.

Do you see anything wrong with the current UPU constitution? If so, what is the plan of the Taiga-led exco to address it?

We shall carefully study the constitution and do the needful.

What is the UPU’s vision for the  Urhobo nation?

UPU’s vision for the Urhobo nation is clearly defined in a five-point agenda and these are; firstly, Re-inventing the rich Urhobo culture and tradition which accords respect to elders and the traditional institution. The present situation the younger ones insult elders and our traditional rulers which is alien and unacceptable to our culture and the present Executive Committee is going eradicate this impunity through systematic orientation of our people. Any society that does not accord respect to elders and the traditional institution cannot enjoy peace nor development.

Secondly, the UPU is going to invest substantially on technical education   by partnering with the state government to ensure that all technical schools in Urhoboland are well developed and equipped. We want to encourage our children to take to technical education so that they can become self employed, rather than acquire degrees that compel them to search for paid employment, which are virtually non existent presently. The UPU will work with the state government to uplift the technical schools in Urhoboland to higher standards.

Thirdly, it is the plan of the Exco to give Urhobo College a face lift. We ere very happy to learn that the state government has chosen the college as one of such schools in the state to be up-graded to model schools. So, the UPU will compliment the efforts of the government in the uplifting of the college.

The fourth plan of the Executive is to build a world class university that would be named after Mukoro Mowoe. Already, our landlords at Uwviamughe have agreed to give additional land for the University.

The fifth programme is the establishment of a micro finance bank that will give soft loans to mostly our women to enhance their businesses. Hopefully, the bank should go into operation by the end of this year.

Finally, what is the way forward for the Urhobo nation?

The way forward for the Urhobo nation is for us as a people to be united.