HONOUR TO WHOM IT’S DUE

 UPU, umbrella association of the Urhobo people, honours Sheriff Oborevwori, writes Ochuko Arhagba

Honour is a beautiful thing. The giver recognises worth while the recipient feels worthy. It therefore follows that the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, must have indeed felt worthy when the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) honoured him at the 93rd Urhobo National Day which held at Urhobo House, Uvwiamuge, Agbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

The colourful event which was well-attended by Urhobo sons and daughters as well as their guests featured recognitions for the governor. First was his induction into the UPU Hall of Fame by the President General of UPU, Chief Ese Gam. Then he was conferred with the title of ‘Omorotomo of Urhoboland’ by the Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers led by the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1.

For those who do not know, Urhobos are mainly found in Delta State while few can call parts of Bayelsa State home. Out of the estimated six million population of Delta State, Urhobos are in the majority. All over Nigeria, Urhobos have an estimated population of around seven million. And the UPU is their major umbrella association. The union, which has its organs at different levels including national and international, is a collective of Urhobos. So, it is easy to imagine how honoured Oborevwori must have felt when UPU came calling.

Speaking at the event which had the Itsekiri, Isoko and Ijaw nations represented in the persons of Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, Professor Chris Akpotu and Professor Ben Okaba, Oborevwori aligned his developmental mantra of his administration with the theme of the occasion, ‘Repositioning the Urhobo Nation For More Prosperity.’ He highlighted how the MORE agenda of his administration is targeted at achieving sustainable social and economic development through accelerated infrastructural renewal, youth development and empowerment, and the promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“I am happy to let you know that through the various platforms of the Delta Action (for) Resilience and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) programme, a total of 203,204 persons have so far been empowered with business support packages,” said Oborevwori.

“Another set of 5,426 persons received cash grants under the MORE Grant Scheme for petty traders, artisans, and female entrepreneurs, while 6,000 farmers were empowered with agricultural inputs to boost agricultural production in the state. We have also distributed fertilizers to farmers across the 25 local government areas of the state in support of our drive to grow the family economy and ensure food security for our people. This is in addition to the expanded focus on agriculture under the Result Area 2 – FADAMA (Food Security) of the D-CARES scheme, as well as the release of N1 billion counterpart funding for the Africa Union Development Agency, New Partnership for African Development (AUDA NEPAD), meant to empower 2,000 farmers for food production, livestock and aquaculture. We recently introduced the MORE Biz-Up programme to assist a minimum of 2,000 fledgling entrepreneurs who are finding it hard to cope under the harsh effects of the economy.”

Understanding the importance of political stability and ethnic coexistence in the state which also has people of Isoko, Anioma, Itsekiri and Ijaw extractions as major stakeholders, Oborevwori also used the opportunity to sow unity.

“As individuals, we may have our political differences but we must, nevertheless, stand resolute in ensuring that the interest of our people, the state, and the nation comes first in all our actions and utterances,” he said.

“That is why, as Governor, I have maintained cordial relations with elected and appointed public officials of other political parties. I believe that we can disagree without being disagreeable, and learn to separate politics from governance. This attitude of tolerance, mutual understanding, and cooperation is imperative for peace and sustainable development.”

In line to protect the sanctity of the future, Oborevwori also appealed to parents to be exemplary in training their children in the right ways. “As goes the family, so goes the nation,” said Oborevwori. 

“The get-rich-quick mentality of today’s youths is symptomatic of a breakdown in the family unit. I, therefore, call on our parents to step up to the plate and take this Biblical injunction seriously for the sake of our collective prosperity and future safety. It is also my desire and earnest expectation that Urhobos in diaspora will channel their investments home to complement the efforts of the government to create jobs for our teeming youth population and drive inclusive economic growth.”

The recent death of Pa James Oghorokor, the President-General of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom, in Ughelli South LGA in military detention did not also go unnoticed by the governor.

“As a government, we are saddened by this unfortunate development and we extend our profound condolences to the deceased family and the entire Okuama community,” said Oborevwori.

“We are in touch with the Army authorities and we will ensure that an autopsy is conducted to unravel the cause of his death. I would like to also assure that the autopsy report will be made public.”

Surely, Sheriff, whose experience in governance includes his time as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, should understand what Deltans want. He should also, like an economist, understand the things that are doable given the state’s resources and other capabilities. It is most likely this knowledge is what propelled his administration to embark on road construction and repairs, agriculture, education and healthcare.

At the event, the governor said his administration prioritised key infrastructure projects like Ayakoromo bridge and Trans-Warri Roads and bridges to fast-track their completion. Also, his administration is repairing the Okirighwre-Benin Road as well as constructing the Ughelli-Asaba Expressway and the Issele-Azagba-Otulu Road project in Aniocha North local government area. These are just a few of the sterling projects the administration has embarked on since assuming office in May 2023.

Currently, over two million Deltans enjoy the state’s health insurance scheme with the affordable sum of N7000 annually across 560 public and private hospitals in the state. In July, the Director-General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Isaac Akpoveta, disclosed that the scheme covers “the bills of over 300 Cesarean Sections (CS) monthly at the cost of over N500,000 but it has been a silent activity of the government that people are not aware of.” Deltans are sure in good hands. 

And for 2025, the Oborevwori administration has a budget of N936bn. Out of this sum, it plans to spend N230 billion on road infrastructure; N67.42 billion on education; N30.55 billion on health; N11.03 billion on water resources; and N7 billion on agriculture.

As a big player in the Nigerian oil sector amongst other natural and human resources, Delta deserves to be in the big league. The UPU like other Deltans recognise the sterling qualities of their son, Oborevwori. And it’s good to know that this recognition is not just based on hype. Indeed, the Sheriff steering Delta’s business means business.

· Arhagba writes from Agbarho, Delta State