…Urhobo Editors, Publishers Alliance Launches in Ughelli
The Senator representing Delta Central, Ede Dafinone, has urged Urhobo media professionals to embrace responsible reporting, deepen unity, and drive the positive transformation of Urhoboland, stressing that “the press remains one of the strongest pillars of democracy.”
Speaking on Friday, November 21, at the Wetland Hotel, Ughelli, during the inauguration of the Urhobo Editors and Publishers Alliance, the Senator — represented by Hon. Mercy Okiemute Orhierhor Lance — praised the emergence of the body and challenged members to rise to their historic duty. “You are the watchdogs of society, the voices of the voiceless, and the bridge between the people and their leaders,” he said, urging the media to uphold integrity and proudly project Urhobo culture and values.
Dafinone promised close collaboration with the Alliance, noting that credible journalism remains vital to public accountability. He encouraged the body to use its platform as a unifying force, adding, “Let this conference not only celebrate your achievements, but chart a clear vision for responsible reporting, unity, and the positive transformation of Urhoboland.” He closed with a rallying call for “a stronger voice for the Urhobo nation — a voice of truth, progress, and pride.”
In a goodwill message, the Delta APC founding leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, while commending the group for putting Urhobo fist, tasks them to use their platforms to promote Urhobo interest and ensure that issues concerning Urhobo Nation are brought to the fore.
According to him, “all well meaning Urhobo sons and daughters must unite to promote Urhobo interest and culture, we must use our contact, position and influence to project Urhobo, time has come for Urhobo Voice to he heard clearly and loudly, we must tell our stories and tell it well,” he added.
The tone of the event shifted when the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Chris Obiuwevbi Ominimini, took the podium. His speech was fiery, unapologetic, and deeply personal — a challenge to conscience. He hailed the formation of the Alliance as a long-awaited step forward but did not shy away from confronting what he called Urhobo’s “self-inflicted setbacks.” “It is a shame that we do not have someone we can confide wently call an Urhobo leader,” he said, warning that any Urhobo person in authority who refuses to uplift the Urhobo nation is “nothing but a fool.”
Ominimini lamented that despite hosting dozens of oil wells, flow stations, and energy assets, Urhobo people remain locked out of key decision-making spaces. “These resources are enough to make Urhobo a great nation, yet our people are nowhere to be found,” he said, describing the dominance of politics and internal rivalry as major obstacles. He criticised the culture of exclusion that filters opportunities through party loyalty and personal blocs, insisting that progress requires unity, courage, and truth-telling.
He urged the Alliance to act as a watchdog for the people, boldly spotlighting leaders who fail in their duties. “Government money belongs to everyone. Community money belongs to everyone. If you are not ready to serve, don’t go near the office,” he warned. With a brief look around the hall, he added that the calibre of professionals present convinced him the group would restore dignity to Urhobo discourse. He pledged to support the body “anytime, any day.”
Guest Speaker, Dr. Obire Odiakpo, expanded the conversation, turning attention to the human cost of leadership failures. He pointed to failing roads, schools, and hospitals as evidence of a region struggling under its own contradictions. He criticised the erosion of the Urhobo language, noting that unlike other ethnic groups who embrace theirs with pride, many Urhobos reject it immediately in public spaces. “Our language should unite us, but it has become a weapon of bitterness and division,” he said.
Dr. Odiakpo called for leaders with courage, vision, and love for the Urhobo people, insisting that cultural pride must return to the centre of governance and everyday life. He urged the media to build platforms that function as “shrines of Urhobo honour,” producing content that promotes identity, history, and collective progress. “Urhobos should not follow history — we should make history,” he said.
The Alliance Chairman, Comrade Fredrick Umurure, had earlier set the tone for the day, describing the body as a movement born from necessity. He said the Urhobo voice has grown faint in Nigeria’s political and cultural landscape and must be reclaimed. The new Alliance, he noted, will work hand-in-hand with traditional institutions, political leaders, and the wider community to ensure Urhobo stories are told boldly, accurately, and proudly.
With editors, publishers, journalists, council chairmen, traditional leaders, and representatives of the Delta State Governor in attendance, the inaugural conference closed with a renewed sense of duty. By the end of the event, one message echoed clearly across the hall: Urhobo must tell its story — or risk having others tell it for them.