By Michael Odiah
A Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Hon. Dr. Liege Lord Keston Muhammed Okoro Al-Amin has said that Urhobo Nation have been marginalized for so long, stating that blame should not be solely tied to the government but that the Urhobos have been quiet for so long and have failed to come out of their shelters to agitate for their rights and needs.
Lord Keston who represented Udu State constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly between 2011-2015 stated this and many others while fielding questions from journalists in Asaba, submitting that, “if you fail to fight your fight, nobody will fight it for you.”
While making an allusion with the Ijaws who he said have never relented in their good fight of faith, Keston emphasized that agitating does not mean carrying of guns and its likes but projecting of interest in a diplomatic way like conferences, petitions and conventions with well guided communique issued out, such that it draws the attention of the government.
The former lawmaker added that there is a need to have proper and faithful representatives in various positions that can fight for the interest of the people, their rights and fundamentals, and protect it in all ways, stressing that the Urhobos have been marginalized due to poor government representation and lack of unity in the Urhobo Nation which needs to be addressed as a house cannot stand against itself.
The Governor’s aide further queried that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) projects allocated to Urhobo Nation, in a state where Urhobos occupy almost 50% of it, is overtly minute, noting that Urhobo Nation have been completely marginalized from the National down to the Local level.
Keston stressed that Urhobos should seek to see how they can have a faithful representative in government to avoid having representatives that will be fighting for their personal interest or will be projecting their interest to supercede the interest of the people which will lead to even more marginalization as the people will not reap from the dividends of their agitations.
