Dafinone Urges Urhobo Unity, Cultural Revival, Strategic Investment in Future

The Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ede Dafinone, has urged the Urhobo people to strengthen their unity, preserve their cultural heritage and build strategic networks capable of advancing the interests of the ethnic nationality.

Dafinone made the call during a visit to the Ovie of Udu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Engr. Michael Ogheneovo Orugbo, JP, KP, Okporua I, where he sought the monarch’s prayers, blessings and counsel on his continued service to Delta Central and the Urhobo nation.

The senator said his office remained accessible to traditional rulers and urged them to approach him whenever issues requiring intervention at the national level arose.

Responding to concerns raised by the monarch on effective representation and development, Dafinone said he viewed his position in the Senate as a platform for creating opportunities for the people rather than a personal possession.

He said the people of Delta Central should benefit from the networks he had built in Abuja, particularly in the areas of employment, education, government contracts and other legitimate opportunities.

Dafinone, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character, said human-capital development remained a major priority of his representation, noting that first-term legislators often lacked the financial and political leverage available to more experienced lawmakers.

He disclosed that his office had facilitated federal employment opportunities for some Urhobo people within two months of his emergence as committee chairman, adding that more opportunities were expected.

The senator said his interventions also covered scholarships, accommodation, contracts and other opportunities for qualified constituents.

He assured constituents that his office did not charge for assistance and warned that anyone attempting to extort money from people in his name would face consequences.

On constituency projects, Dafinone said he had deliberately spread interventions across the wards in Delta Central, adding that projects had so far reached 83 of the 85 wards, with plans to cover the remaining two.

Among the projects he highlighted were a 53-bed student hostel at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), a railway halt at Egbo-Urhe in Ughelli South, a maternity ward at Ughelli General Hospital and an Accident and Emergency Ward at Sapele General Hospital.

He, however, said his vision extended beyond conventional constituency projects, stressing the need for major industrial investments that could create sustainable economic opportunities for the Urhobo people.

Dafinone disclosed that he recently spent four days studying the situation at the Delta Steel Company, Ovwian-Aladja, and was preparing a memorandum to present to the Federal Government on possible intervention.

According to him, the future of the steel company requires a comprehensive technical assessment to establish whether the facility can be revived as an integrated steel plant or transformed into a modern manufacturing and industrial village.

He said the assessment would determine the actual condition of the facilities, identify equipment that might have been removed and establish the financial viability of restarting production.

The senator also called on Urhobo traditional rulers and leaders to intensify efforts to preserve the group’s cultural identity, particularly through proper documentation of the Urhobo language, traditional marriage rites, funeral ceremonies and the presentation of kola nuts.

He disclosed that he had sponsored the Urhobo Language Competition for two consecutive years and would sponsor the competition for a third year in honour of the late Senator Pius Ewherido, whom he credited with initiating the programme.

Dafinone expressed concern over what he described as the gradual distortion or replacement of some Urhobo cultural practices with those of other ethnic groups.

He recalled an occasion during a traditional Urhobo prayer when participants were asked to remove their caps, saying such developments showed the need to properly document cultural practices and transmit them to younger generations.

The senator also urged Urhobo people to redefine wealth around service, legacy and collective advancement rather than personal accumulation.

He said his late father, Senator David Omueya Dafinone, left behind a name and reputation which he was determined to uphold, adding that his ambition was to contribute to the advancement of the Urhobo nation and prepare a new generation capable of sustaining its progress.

Dafinone said his growing network in Abuja remained one of the valuable assets he could deploy for the benefit of his people, noting that relationships established in the National Assembly had improved his access to ministers, permanent secretaries and other senior government officials.

He argued that returning for a second term would provide greater leverage, as legislative experience and political networks become stronger with time.

Earlier, the Ovie of Udu Kingdom urged Dafinone to remain accessible and focus on using his legislative position to attract opportunities to Udu Kingdom and the wider Urhobo nation.

The monarch said the senator should not be judged solely by the amount of money distributed to individuals, but also by the quality of laws he makes, the networks he builds and the opportunities he attracts to his constituency.

He called for stronger community engagement, greater support for gas-based industries and the protection of community and industrial assets, particularly those connected to the steel sector.

The monarch also urged Dafinone to collaborate with relevant National Assembly committees and government authorities to ensure that Udu and the wider Urhobo nation benefit from economic opportunities within their domain.

Dafinone said the future of the Urhobo nation ultimately depended on unity, identity, mentorship and effective succession, stressing that the people could no longer afford to work at cross-purposes.

He described Urhobo as one of Nigeria’s significant ethnic groups, with highly educated, skilled and successful people across the world, but lamented that the people often appeared marginalised because of their inability to work together.

“Everyone cannot be the captain of the ship at the same time,” Dafinone said, stressing that his present responsibility was to help move the Urhobo “ship” towards its rightful destination before handing over to the next generation