* Former Delta State Deputy Governor, Chief Benjamin Elue’s recent misrepresentations of facts on the relationship between Chief Mukoro Mowoe & Samuel Jereton Marierie is condemnable.
*That the UPU and Urhobo in politics didn’t notice the misinformation by the former Deputy Governor is no less reprehensible.
* Elue must be abreast of the facts from factual documentation of Urhobo leadership history or desist from dabbling into issues he has insignificant knowledge on.
We are not surprised that the Urhobo in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), are unperturbed, probably didn’t notice it when former Delta State Deputy Governor, Chief Benjamin Elue delved into a misinformation, so maliciously distorting of Urhobo’s history.
Elue was Deputy to thieving ex-convict former Governor of Delta state, Chief James Ibori. It must have been a malice for him to have dabbled into Urhobo history he knew little about.
Elue was quoted to have said that Urhobo revealed hero, “Mukoro Mowoe came to Agbor in the 50s to Mobilize the Urhobo people into politics before independence, and later handed over to Mariere his cousin.” What negative audacity?
We do not know from what misguided book references or oral history Elue consulted to come by this misinformation. Agreed, Samuel Jereton Mariere was a hero figure in Urhobo and Nigeria of his era and his significance in history is unforgettable.
He was, first governor of Midwest Region/Province/State and first Chancellor, University of Lagos, Akoka- Lagos, an undergraduate Residential Hall named after him till date.
However, Mukoro Mowoe didn’t handle over Urhobo leadership to Mariere as stated by Chief Benjamin Elue.
Mukoro Mowoe died 10 August 1948 and was succeeded by Chief J.A.Okpodu as President General of UPU. And Okpodu was succeeded by Chief T.E.A. Salubi.
Even Jereton Mariere was not the biological cousin of Mukoro Mowoe.
Agreed, Mariere was his loyal boy from same home town of Evwreni whom Mowoe took as his son. When Chief Mukoro Mowoe died, they even shared one of his wives to Mariere because of the close bond, not for being blood relations.
At the death of Mowoe, Mariere was a young man who couldn’t have taken over the leadership of UPU then. Chief J A. Okpodu was well to do, rich in that era, being a big merchant in Warri Main Market.
As for Sunday Apah he should be warned not to publish untrue stories about Urhobo nation. Chief T E A. Salubi was President General of UPU for 20 years.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes!