THEME: URHOBO NATION AND THE RESTRUCTURING OF NIGERIA
Keynote Speaker: Professor G. G. Darah, Professor of Oral Literature and Folklore, Delta State University, Abraka
Lead Discussants:
- Professor Ben Oghojafor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, University of Lagos.
- Professor (Mrs.) Otete Cecilia Okobiah, Vice-Chancellor, Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State.
- Professor Joe Abugu, Faculty of Law,
- Chief Ede Dafinone, Managing Partner, D. O Dafinone & Co.
- Ese Onosode, Chairman, Delta State Economic Summit Group, (DESG).
Moderator: Mr. Emmanuel Okotete, Executive Vice Chairman, Hybrid Oil & Gas Services Limited
The Urhobo Foundation 2017 Lecture resolved as follows;
- The timeliness of the theme of the lecture and the deliberations are very relevant to the current mood of the country vis-à-vis the debates on restructuring of the federation.
- The Urhobo Foundation as a Think-Thank of Urhobo intellectuals and professionals should constantly interrogate the political, economic and socio-cultural issues in Nigeria which impinge on the Urhobo Nation; and through robust intellectual discourse make recommendations and evolve pathways and options to guide policy formulation and implementation.
- The Urhobo Nation are a very proud and enterprising people. Driven by our core values of Integrity, Entrepreneurship and Friendship; you will find the dynamic strides of our people all over Nigeria and the diaspora. We remain one united and indivisible people despite the challenges facing us. All patriotic Sons and daughters, associations, groups, royal fathers and leaders of Urhobo descent must unite for the common good of Urhobo Nation. Accordingly, we must deconstruct our mindset to develop urhobocentricism and agitate in every ramification to avoid being ignored and our enormous resources plundered and leaving the land wallowing in abject poverty.
- We unanimously frown at the way some ethnic nationalities continue to covet the wealth of Urhobo land by their inclusion of the Urhobo Nation in their “republics” through deliberate misstatement of facts and their redrawn map of Nigeria.
- The current campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria’s political and economic systems is an opportunity for patriotic and freedom loving people to rally together in defence of equity, justice, and federalism. The Urhobo Nation supports this call because the current Federal government mechanisms are not adequate for running our multi-ethnic, culturally diverse and economically backward country. We remain committed to a great and United Nigeria subject to a renegotiation of our terms of engagement and resolution of the National Question.
- To engender a fair territorial redistribution, Nigeria must revert to true federalism of the old federal system as enshrined in the 1960 Constitution where the federating units owned and controlled their resources to drive their developments under their respective constitution. The Niger Delta in general, and Urhobo land specifically are victims of injustice in Nigeria. We abhor the 13% Derivation formula in its entirety as it portends an 87% Deprivation sharing formula.
- The exodus of critical oil company and allied operations away from the Niger Delta is the genesis of diversion of resources away from the region and a significant factor in the deterioration of the economy of Urhobo land. Operating headquarters of oil and allied companies operating in the area must relocate back to the region and all pipeline security and sundry oil services contracts must be awarded within the communities where the pipeline are located and operations carried out.
- For the industrialisation of the Urhobo Nation a structured 25-Year Master Development Plan should be developed and religiously implemented. The Urhobo Foundation will be a key facilitator of this plan with the involvement of all key stakeholders to focus on Education of our people, Agriculture, Power and Energy, Industry and the preservation of our Language and Traditions.