The President General of Urhobo Progress Union, Olorogun Moses Taiga, has urged the Federal Government to jettison plans to set up a radio station devoted solely to broadcast in Fulani language.
In a press statement he personally signed, the UPU PG said “the Urhobo Nation is appalled by the setting up of a Fulani Radio. Whatever the argument the government might put forward, this radio station is ill timed and insensitive to the feelings of the Urhobo people and other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, whose portions of land towns and villages the Fulani herdsmen have forcefully taken over. The UPU appreciates the need to promote the speaking of indigenous languages, but any government effort should either be holistic or each ethnic nationality should be left to preserve its culture and language. The selective promotion of the Fulani language has heightened tension among ethnic nationalities in the country and the project should be jettisoned at once.”
Taiga also lamented “worsening insecurity in Nigeria, including Urhobo land. The condition in Urhobo land is worsened by the activities of herdsmen by the massive destruction of our farms, which is the mainstay of our people. Urhobo towns and villages, such as Abraka, Eku, Uwheru, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Ughelli North, Ughelli South and many more communities continue to be under siege by Fulani herdsmen. We reiterate our earlier for these herdsmen to be brought to book.”
The UPU PG also reiterated the UPU’s earlier call for fiscal federalism. “While we believe in one Nigeria, the Nigerian federal system, as currently constituted, is not functional. The Urhobo Nation demands true federalism where the component units will in control of their resources and pay taxes to the federal government.
Taiga assured that “the Urhobo Nation that the UPU is working hard to ensure there is peace and security in Urhobo land. We are peace-loving people and the UPU will continue to work towards ensuring that peace reigns in Urhoboland.”
