By Esada Uyono
Calls for unity, accountability, and a stronger commitment to Urhobo identity echoed through the halls of Wetland Hotel on Friday as the Urhobo Editors and Publishers Alliance was formally inaugurated before an audience of journalists, community leaders, and political representatives.
Senator Ede Dafinone, represented by Hon. Mercy Okiemute Orhierhor Lance, set the tone with a message urging Urhobo media professionals to wield their influence with integrity and purpose.
Describing the press as “one of the strongest pillars of democracy,” he charged practitioners to elevate the Urhobo narrative through truthful, balanced, and culturally rooted reporting.
“You are the watchdogs of society, the voices of the voiceless, and the bridge between the people and their leaders,” he said.
Dafinone pledged to collaborate with the new body and encouraged its members to serve as catalysts for unity in Urhoboland.
“Let this gathering chart a clear vision for integrity, unity, and progress. Let it strengthen the voice of the Urhobo nation, a voice of truth and pride.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Chris Obiuwevbi Ominimini, delivered a stirring address, praising the establishment of the Alliance while highlighting the internal challenges slowing the advancement of the Urhobo nation.
He expressed concern that despite the abundance of oil wells, flow stations, and vast energy assets across Urhobo land, the people remain underrepresented in critical decision-making structures.
“These resources are enough to make Urhobo a great nation, yet our people are not occupying the space they should,” he said, attributing the setback to internal divisions and a lack of collective resolve.
He urged members of the Alliance to be bold in promoting transparency and scrutinising public office holders.
“Government money belongs to everyone. Community money belongs to everyone. If you are not ready to serve, stay away from the office,” he cautioned.
His confidence in the quality of professionals present, he added, was a sign that the group could restore dignity and discipline to public discourse.
Guest Speaker, Dr. Obire Odiakpo, widened the conversation by spotlighting the realities of inadequate infrastructure, decaying public services, and dwindling cultural values.
He lamented the gradual loss of the Urhobo language, arguing that cultural erosion weakens communal bonds.
“Other ethnic groups uphold their language with pride, but we discard ours at the slightest opportunity,” he said.
He urged the media to build “shrines of Urhobo honour” platforms that preserve identity, history, and collective memory. “Urhobos should not follow history, we should make history.”
Earlier, Alliance Chairman, Comrade Fredrick Umurure, described the formation of the organisation as a necessary response to the diminishing visibility of the Urhobo voice in national conversations.
He pledged that the Alliance would collaborate closely with traditional institutions, political leaders, and grassroots communities to reclaim the narrative and promote stories that reflect Urhobo resilience and aspirations.
The event, attended by editors, publishers, journalists, council chairmen, cultural leaders, and representatives of the Delta State Government, concluded with a renewed sense of duty. By the close of proceedings, one message had become unmistakably clear:
If Urhobo does not tell its own story, others will, and not always truthfully.
