IT was a day when commitment, loyalty and selfless service were recognized as the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS), a collaborative arm of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) ended its eight yearly conference and 10th anniversary celebration.

At the ceremonies which climaxed at Ovu, Ethiope East Council Area of Delta State, three UPU former presidents and 15 others where rewarded for their contributions to the Urhobo nationality.

A gamut of issues on Urhobo society, ranging from agriculture, business, culture, education to security were x-rayed at the yearly conference held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State.

Elsewhere, some Urhobo and kindred ethnic groups such as the Isoko of Delta State and Edo communities deplored their longstanding marginalization by federal authorities in various spheres of national development, including most recently, their exclusion from the amnesty programme for militants.

And, again, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has dismissed the the much talked about Vision 20:2020 developmental agenda of the Federal Government, saying that it would fail unless true federalism was practised in the country.

Papers on various topics were delivered by erudite scholars at the UHS conference. On Day One, a lecture titled: "Fish and fisheries of Urhoboland: An investment option," was delivered by Assistant Director, Water and Fisheries Research, NIFFER, New Bussa, Prof. Solomon Ovie, followed by a Professor of Agronomy, University of Ibadan (IU), Malachy Akoroda's insightful lecture on "Root and tuber economy under a weakening ecology and culture."

The second day, a plenary session on peace and personal security in Urhoboland chaired by UPU's first Deputy President, Chief Patrick Aziza, was held. This was followed by a paper on "Challenges of cassava farming in Urhoboland: Problem and prospects," by Prof. Peter Eruotor of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. Another plenary session tagged: "Current methods of combating violence in Urhoboland," rounded off activities for the day.

Former UPU presidents honoured at the occasion are Omorohwovo Okoro, Chief Mukoro Mowoe and Adogbeji Salubi who the UHS named some awards after. The awards include the Omorohwovo Okoro Co-Leadership Service Award, Chief Mukoro Mowoe Service Award and the Adogbeji Salubi Urhobo History Service Award.

Receiving the Omorohwovo Okoro Co-Leadership Award was

Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark for a lifetime of steadfast commitment to Urhobo welfare and for encouraging the virtues of courage, selflessness and good governance in Urhobo leadership.

For his extraordinary patronage of UHS and uncommon dedication to the society's ideals, Olorogun Moses Taiga emerged as one of the recipients.

Chief Mukoro Mowoe Service Award went to Chief Johnson Ukueku for a lifetime of selfless leadership, using his own talents and resources for peerless leadership in the affairs of the Urhobo subculture of Agbon and his native Eku.

The Adogbeji Salubi Urhobo History Service Award was won by Prof. Onigu Otite. He was picked for his pioneering works and major achievements in the historiography and anthropology of Urhobo and its subcultures and for a path-setting ethnography of the Okpe Kingdom of Urhoboland.

In the same category, Prof. Revd. Samuel Erivwo got an award for pioneer intellectual exposition and analysis of Christian missionary activities in Urhoboland, as well as carrying out a study of Urhobo traditional religion and writing the biography of Bishop Agori Iwe.

Other award recipients included UPU President-General, Olorogun Felix Ibru, Olorogun Oskar Ibru, Dr. Helen E. Ekeh, Chief L. U. Ighomrore, Chief Simpson S. Obruche,

Chief Gordon Mukoro, Victoria Oti Akpobome, Clementina Bakpa, Chief Johnson Barovbe, Victoria Obruche, Margaret Barovbe and O. Oyiborhoro.

Revd. Canon Joseph A. Oghenekaro received the Ighrakpata Urhobo Language Award for the advancement of Urhobo language and for playing a leading role in the development of Urhobo orthography by an Urhobo Language Committee.

According to UHS Chairman, Prof. Peter Ekeh, this year's event was unique because it marked a precedence in the history of the society, adding that for the first time, the virtue of past UPU founding fathers were extolled.

But some groups such as the Urhobo Development Front (UDF) and the Isoko Positive Agenda (IPA) have cautioned the Federal Government on the dangers of isolating some communities in the ongoing post-amnesty deals for militants in the Niger Delta.

A statement by the UDF's National Coordinator, David Ogheneovo, warned that the "peaceful and cooperative disposition of the majority Urhobo people of Delta State can only be at the peril of the amnesty programme."

The IPA said in a statement by its Chairman, Sam Idise, that coming on the heels of plans to train 15,000 youths "from a particular axis," it was wrong for the government to take into consideration only those who took up arms in the struggle for the development of Niger Delta.

According to the statement, thousands of Isoko youths were spoiling for a fight like their neighbours but were prevailed upon by the elders to toe the path of peace.

"Most of them obeyed and they are now being excluded from post-amnesty programmes, which is tantamount to being punished for preferring dialogue to violence in resolving the Niger Delta problem.

"As it is a common knowledge, the Isoko are no cowards; so the government should not unwittingly encourage them to take arms against the state because violence seems to be the only language it understands."

IPA advised the Federal and states' governments to involve all ethnic nationalities in the negotiations and development plans, while avoiding divide and rule tactics.

It added: "What we expected the government to do is to come up with a comprehensive training programme for all youths in the region, even if it is in phases. We urge the government to spread development to all oil producing communities in the region.

"It is wrong to favour a particular area in the provision of infrastructure and appointments to the detriment of other stake holding communities."

On the 2011 elections, IPA urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Preisdency, National Assembly and the leadership of the various political parties to provide a level playing ground for all candidates, saying that a situation where candidates are handpicked by a cabal is undemocratic, and an invitation to chaos.

Election rigging starts from handpicking of candidates, and the process is further complicated by not allowing the people's vote to count, IPA said.

Soyinka who spoke in a keynote address he delivered at the third Annual Forum of Laureates of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), 2009 Award Winners' Lecture in Abuja, contended that until genuine electoral reform was in place to make the peoples vote count, the nation would continue to grope in darkness.

He regretted a situation where the initiator of unitary system of government in Nigeria, the late Gen. Johnson Aguyi-Ironsi was hastily exterminated by his critics, while successive governments (military, civilian and militricians) have continued to perpetuate it for their own selfish interest and to the detriment of the masses.

The Nobel Laureate who spoke on the topic: "Attainment of Vision 20:2020 global best practices," further argued that the word 'nation' has lost its meaning in Nigeria. According to him, the people make up the nation and not the geographical space.

He added that true federalism, genuine electoral reforms and a truly representative constitution were prerequisite for national development.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed said Nigeria has all the wherewithal to be one of the leading economies of the world but blamed the system that does not allow the right people to be put in the right places.

According to him, the system repels credible people, adding that he may not even be allowed to emerge as a councilor in his Ward despite his enormous experience in the Civil Service.

He stated that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was sincere in his policies by allowing the rule of law to prevail. He described the Vision 20:2020 document as a powerful one that when sincerely implemented would put Nigeria in its rightful place in the comity of nations.

The Minister of Special Duties, Amb. Ibrahim Kazaure, said the forum was organised to "avail Nigerians the opportunity of sharing in the vast and seemingly untapped knowledge of these Laureates, thus achieving one of the aims and objectives behind establishing the Nigerian National Merit Award, which among others is to evolve a system that provide opportunities for networking with government, with a view to generating ideas that can foster national development."