Urhobo youths stage protest, block road, drum support for Atiku, Okowa, Oborevwori

A group under the auspices of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, UYLA on Sunday staged a peaceful protest as they blocked the ever busy Okere road in Warri South Local Government, Delta State.The Urhobo youths bear chanted solidarity songs during the protest as they matched to meet with the Executive members of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU Worldwide at Urhobo Cultural Centre in Warri.The youth beared placards with inscriptions such as," Urhobos need Okowa & Atiku for 2023", " Okowa never betrayed anybody", " Sheriff Onyeme our own", "Okowa is very qualified to be VP of Nigeria come 2023", "Derivation fundwell utilized", " Urhobo governor is Sheriff","-Atiku & Okowa is the answer", " Urhobo need Okowa 4 VP", "Nobody should pull our Urhobo sons down", "Okowa is not a tribalist"," Sheriff for advanced Delta" amongst others.The youths drummed support for the Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates of the People's Democratic Party,  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa in the forthcoming general elections.The youths also canvassed supports for the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly,  Rt.Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta State PDP Governorship. In an address presented before the Executive members of the UPU during the peaceful protest, President of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, UYLA, Chief Samuel Oghotomo said, "We are here to say we've noticed so many things that are capable of drawing Urhobo nation backward and we are here to say enough is enough regardless of the activities of some Urhobo political elements who use the name of Urhobo to always attack the government of Sen. (Dr.) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa."According to Chief Oghotomo, "Just recently, one Efemena Umukoro criminally used the name UPU to protest against Sen.(Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa's purposeful and focused government that has demonstrated equitable utilization and distribution of the State's resources in the three senatorial  districts."This is worrisome because the reoccurrence of this act is not welcomed. It's highly condemnation in its entirety. It's  believed to be the understanding  of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association that those actions and activities are being sponsored by enemies of the State and Urhobo nation who want to force themselves on Deltans and they'll never see the light of the day because God is above all.".While noting that the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and his wife are both Urhobos, he stressed that he had lived all his life in Urhobo land.Chief Oghotomo said, "Those attacking him(Oborevwori) are also Urhobos. He said it's a clear demonstration of the disunity and lack of oneness amongst the Urhobos.While pointing out that Political campaigns should be issue based, Chief Oghotomo  said, "The campaign of calumny, character assassination of brother against brother is against the progress of Urhobo as a nation.He urged the UPU to wade into the matter and call to order the persons who believes in dragging their urhobo brothers down because of primitive quest for power."Today, the election cases in Court, the Urhobos Vs Urhobos can account for 60%. Urhobo was not like this in the days of Mukoro Mowoe. They wouldn't have achieve much like they achieved, just like the Urhobo College and the Urhobo House in Okere, Warri. "Urhobo  Youth Leaders Association are satisfied with the Okowa government  in terms of the utilization of State resources as well as the 13% derivation. Okowa promised to return power to the Urhobos of the Delta Central, he kept to his promise. The Urhobos should appreciate him instead of blackmailing and attacking him."Chief Oghotomo said Urhobo will appreciate governor Arthur Okowa with votes in the forthcoming  elections. He called on Urhobo sons and daughters to come out in enmass to vote for him.The President General of Urhobo Progress, UPU Worldwide, Chief( Barr.) Ese Gams who received the protestant youths said, "The UPU has no Youth wing presently."Chief Gams who was flanked by other members of the UPU Exco explained that, "since the coming into being of this present UPU administration, it's now we are meeting to take certain decisions. Unfortunately, in the heat of that meeting, you people came."The legal practitioner noted that because of violence and riots, the Urhobo people have lost so many things.According to Chief Gams," I just told them in the Exco meeting that we take pleasure in pulling down our people and this UPU will not accept such a thing. It's enough of the doctrine of Phd (pull him down). We said, enough of it. We will not allow anybody particularly, we urhobo to pull down each other."While noting that election primaries have come and gone, Chief Gams enjoined politicians to go about their campaigns in peaceful manners."The beauty about this particular election is that urhobo man must be governor. If you go to Asaba without wearing a garb, that's not befitting of your personality, UPU is alive and alert at all times to derobe you of that garb. That coat you're wearing and parading yourself as UPU Youth wing or whatever, has not been received and it cannot receive our blessings."At this particular moment, Governor Okowa is the executive governor of Delta State and he must be accorded with all deserving regard and respect at all times.  Before now, Chief James Ibori, our own son was the governor of the State and the people of our present governor gave him all the respect. Thereafter, Uduaghan our son became governor, he was allowed to run his government peacefully without anyone disparaging him."The UPU has benefitted so much from the government of Okowa. That house at Uvwiamuge, when I was National Secretary, he volunteered and he did it. He gave us a very large sum of money (N150million) and above and it's from that money we did the roofing of that Uvwiamuge house. If you pull down your governor,  who are you going to bring to come and help you?"So, we are not in support of anybody taking the laws into his hands" as he promised to work for the interest of Urhobo nation.