…. Urhobo is God’s idea- Waive
By Joel Grandball & Omamuzo Efidhere
In a bid to motivate the study of Urhobo language amongst the Urhobo Nation, Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege is set to pay yearly bursary to all students in Urhobo Language Studies Department at the Delta State University.
The Deputy Senate President stated this at the 3rd edition of Dr. Ovie Ughwanogho sponsored Urhobo language challenge facilitated by Urhobo Progressive Youth Association, UPYA.
Represented by his Director General, Chuks Erhire, Senator Agege requested for the compilation of students studying Urhobo language at the Delta State University for bursary disbursement as from 2020.
According to him, “as Urhobos, we must not allow our language to go into extinction otherwise posterity will judge us and our fore fathers will not forgive us if we fail to do something quick to revive the use of our language in interacting with our children at home and in diaspora.
“It is not because I have free monies to throw around but the preservation of our language and culture is what is spurring me to do this; encouraging the department to open Urhobo study centres across the nation for those who are interested in learning the language but reside outside the state just as French language is not studied only in France”.
Also speaking, Member Representing Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, said Urhobo is God’s idea and charged Urhobos to be proud of their heritage.
“Like I always say none of us choose our families, choice of our languages, where we are born and all of that. It is something that God in his infinite wisdom doe, and He does it for a purpose. So, if you are an Urhobo, God made you an Urhobo for a purpose and that is to strengthen the language, the culture and the people. And all of us as Urhobos must Identify this and pursue it.
Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive, MHR
Continuing, Waive urged Urhobo sons and daughters to apply for federal civil service job as his office would ensure that they are employed. “I recently found out that our people do not apply or seek employment in Federal Ministries, Agencies and Departments.
“I do not know if they are afraid of being posted to the other part of the country, we concentrate only on Asaba, we congest Asaba, we want Delta civil service jobs whereas our quota at the federal level is been taken by people from other parts of the country. This is a challenge but I am personally taking up particularly for my constituency.
“Am going to ensure that my people get what they deserve and what is rightfully theirs in these four years I am going to be in the House of Representatives. Their letters of application should be sent to my constituency office at Ughelli/Patani road and once I receives them every Monday, I will personally go and submit them because I came to find out the slots of job coming to Delta central state is being taken by people from Delta North that do collect local government of origin from Delta north but are from across the Niger”.
