Ben Dunno, Warri
Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged politicians, especially those vying for the governorship position across the various political parties to exercise restraint in their choice of words in public places no matter how provoked they may be over some issues they are out to address.
Making the appeal in his remark at the 90th Anniversary of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) held at Urhobo Cultural Centre, Uvwiamuge-Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, weekend, Okowa noted that words capable of igniting ethnic acrimony and crisis should be avoided by those seeking elective offices no matter the anger in them.
According to him; “I don’t believe that we must fight everything through; sometimes a kind word or a conversation can help you to get to where you want to be”.
“It is therefore based on the need for peaceful coexistence that I want to appeal to those seeking political offices, mostly the governorship aspirants to exercise restraints in the kind of words they use during their consultations and campaigns”.
“I want to appeal to our sons and daughters who seek to be governor. It is usually best when you approach it on the basis of friendship”.
“It is usually best that we are choosy on the kind of words that we use in the public so that we don’t start any round of fights”.
“No matter how provoked, any person aspiring to the position of leadership must learn to control his anger and speak peacefully to people because in so doing, he attracts friends to himself,” he said.
On the large number of Urbobo sos that had shown interest in the governorship race, Okowa called on Urhobo leadership to prune down the number of aspirants in the governorship race, advising that it was in their best interest to reduce the numbers.
“When there are too many sons and daughters in a race, it creates its own challenge and I believe that the elders have understood this.
“There is a need to trim down and I believe that the time is now.
“I thank you for the support you have given me as a people through the course of governance in the last six and half years.
“It is my prayer that Delta will remain peaceful and united and whoever is coming will recognise the fact that we are better off as united people and once this is done we will continue to be stakeholders in our own state,” Okowa added.
Earlier In his welcome address, President-General of UPU, Chief Moses Taiga, had said that UPU was celebrating 90 years, a decade short of a century, adding that the union was Nigeria’s oldest surviving socio-cultural organisation.
He said that UPU saw education as the light that would illuminate Urhoboland and liberate its people.
Taiga told the gathering that UPU was working on bequeathing an economic legacy to future generations with the proposed establishment of Okugbe Microfinance Bank which was awaiting operational license from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Taiga said that the Urhobos would build alliances with other ethnic nationalities in the South-South and beyond to proffer a new destiny for Nigeria as the nation tottered to a new beginning.
“While we do not support secessionist agitations, we align with the call for the restructuring of Nigeria in line with the tenets of federalism.
“We support the call for the relocation of the headquarters of all oil companies to the Niger Delta and the call for election results to be transmitted electronically.
“Urhobos are in support of states’ collection of Value Added Tax (VAT), the enactment of Anti-Open Grazing Laws, the establishment of State Police and other such progressive factors that will make Nigeria great again,” he stated.
The ceremony featured presentation of awards to deserving sons and daughters who distinguished themselves in various disciplines and made Urhobos proud in the past 90 years.