Urhobo Icons

URHOBO ICONS IN PERSPECTIVE
PRESENTED BY
ENGR. OVIE UKOCHOVWERA(MNSE)

TO URHOBO WORLD UNITED
(UWU) ON SATURDAY THE 28
TH

OF DECEMBER 2013

#1.Chief Mukoro Mowoe(late)

Chief Mukoro Mowoe(late)
Umukoro Oghenemohwo (the latter
name was shortened and corrupted to
Mowoe) was born in 1890. His father was
Oghenemohwo and his mother
Onokporere both of Evwreni.
He was a major trader in palm produce,
rubber and other commodities. As a
general merchant ,Mowoe was both an
importer and exporter. He exported
rubber and piassava.

Chief Mukoro Mowoe(late)
He was the first legislator to represent
Warri Province in colonial Nigeria.
He was the premier nationalist of the
Urhobo people in the Western Niger
Delta of Nigeria who also helped in
facilitating the unification of all the
various kingdoms to make up the Urhobo
Nation.
He died in 1948 ,at the age of 58.

#2 Oshue Ogbiyerin (late)
Oshue was from Orhunhworun Town in
Udu Kingdom.

He lead the major revolt to protest the
British imposition of head tax (osa
uyovwin) when it was introduced in
1927.


He mobilized other nations/ethnic groups
in the Western Niger Delta to oppose the
tax. In July 1927, representatives of the
various ethnic nationalities of Urhobo,
Isoko, Ukwuani, Itsekiri, and Ijaw held a
congress in Igbudu area of Warri
Township.
The congress passed resolutions, which
included a trade embargo on exports to
Britain, the abolition of colonial judicial
and administrative institutions and
declaration of the Warri Province as an
independent republic of free nations.
Oshue himself was addressed as head of
state and "excellency" before his arrest
and detention.
The anti-tax movement was so effective
that it spread across the Niger to Owerri
Province in 1929 where the women
spearheads of it were attacked by
colonial troops, leading to the death of
50 protesters-the "Aba Women's Riot".
The anti-tax uprising compelled the
British to review the Indirect Rule
project.

#3 His Royal Majesty, Benjamin
Okumagba (JP) (OON), Okumagba 1,
the late Orosuen of Okere Urhobo
Kingdom.
Benjamin Okumagba (JP) (OON)
Benjamin Okumagba was born 20th of
October, 1928 to the families of late
Chief Okumagba Eboh of Okere -Urhobo
kingdom, Warri in Warri South Local
Government Area and late Princess (Mrs)
Osikomuenu Okumagba (nee Ojakovo)
from the royal family of Agbarha in
Ughelli North Local Government Area
both of Delta State.
He was selected and appointed by
statutory Kingmakers of Okere Urhobo on
February 22, 2008 in accordance with the
Traditional Chieftaincy Declaration of
Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Warri.
Under his dynamic and visionary
leadership, the UPU started the
construction of the first phase of the ultra-
modern Urhobo cultural centre at
Uvwiamuge-Agbarho which will serve as a
unifying centre for the entire Urhobo nation.
He was selected and appointed by
statutory Kingmakers of Okere Urhobo
on February 22, 2008 in accordance with
the Traditional Chieftaincy Declaration of
Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, Warri.
He died on April 16th, 2012 ,at the age of
83.

#4 Chief Omokomoko Osokpa (late)
Born in March 23, 1920, Chief
Omokomoko Osokpa began playing
music in 1933.He hailed from Obodete-
Orogun in Orogun Kingdom in Ughelli
North Local government Area of Delta
State.
He was a renowned Urhobo musician.
Despite his challenge with his eyesight,
he was well known for playing
instruments with dexterity and rendering
his songs with great expertise.
Chief Omokomoko Osokpa (late)
He sang about the mysteries of life and
death, about family values as of old,
about the challenges of poverty, about
Urhobo unity, about outstanding Urhobo
pioneers and heroes as well as the
bastardization of Urhobo culture by
outside forces.
Chief Omokomoko Osokpa (late)
He propagated Urhobo traditions and
culture with his music. He was the
Urhobo musical equivalent of Oliver De
Coque, Osita Osadebe, Fela Anikulapo
Kuti, Shina Peters, Ebenezer Obey, Bob
Marley, Elvis Presley, and Michael
Jackson.
He died in 2005.
#5 Ambassador Princess (Mrs.)
Elizabeth Ogbon-Day (late)
Ambassador Princess (Mrs.) Elizabeth
Ogbon-Day (late)
Elizabeth Agbarharukevwe was born
December 29, 1949 to the Ogbon Royal
family of Olomu Kingdom of Delta State.
She was appointed Ambassador by
President Shehu Shagari in early 1981,
first as the Nigerian Counsel-General to
Hamburg, West Germany, and then as
Ambassador to the Philippines from the
latter part of 1981 till December 1983.
Ogbon-Day (late)
Ambassador Princess (Mrs.) Ogbon-Day
was very active politically and she
contested the primaries of the PDP in
2007 for the highest office of the land
the presidency, alongside the late
President Yardua, Dr. Peter Odili, Chief
(Mrs.) Sarah Jubrin and a host of others.
In the 2011 elections, she contested for
the Senate seat of Delta Central
Senatorial District.
Ogbon-Day (late)

She died on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at the
age of 62.

#6 Justus Esiri (late)
Justus Esiri (late)
Justus Esiri was born 20 November 1942
to the Esiri family of Oria-Abraka,Oria-
Abraka Kingdom of Delta State.
He attended Urhobo College and later
went to Germany to study engineering
where he developed an interest for
theater. Thus he began his acting career
on stage in Germany. He was the only
Nigerian male performing on stage in the
years 1968/69.

Justus Esiri (late)
He was a renowned artist in the Nigerian
film industry and African film industry at
large. His fame was launched widely for
his role in the ever popular African TV
series, The Village Headmaster, where he
played the "Headmaster".
He acted in 128 films.
The Thespian died on February 19, 2013
at the age of 71 following complications
from diabetes.
#7 Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido (late)
Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido (late)
Pius Akporokena Ewherido was born 4
May 1963 to the Ewherido family of
Eghwu-Urhobo Kingdom of Delta State.
Pius Ehwerido was fondly called
Gogorogo by his political fans and
admirers.
He was a brilliant parliamentarian. A
philosophy graduate from Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, before he
later obtained a law degree from the
University of Benin LLB Law and Nigerian
Law School.

He represented Ughelli South
Constituency at Delta State House of
Assembly (DTHA) from 1999 to 2007
where he held the position of Deputy
Speaker and Speaker respectively.
He then represented Delta Central at the
Nigerian Senate having won the 2011
Senatorial Election. He didnt complete
his tenure. He died on 30 June 2013 at
the age of 50.
He touches the lives of his constituents
by provision of economic empowerment
to women and youths, scholarships, ICT
Centre in Delta State University, Abraka
and Ughelli, among other things.
He sponsored the project to get Urhobo
language into WAEC/NECO examination
syllabus .
Ewherido in less than two years in the
Senate sponsored four Bills and over 10
motions.

#8 Blessing Okagbare
Blessing Okagbare
Blessing Okagbare was born September
10,1988 to the Okagbare family of Okpe
Kingdom of Delta State.
She is a renowned international
long/triple jumper and short sprinter,
who has made Nigeria proud at several
international athletics competitions.
Below are some of her feats:

Blessing Okagbare
At the 2007 All-Africa Games she won
the silver medal in the long jump and
finished fourth in the triple jump.
As a 19 year old, she won a bronze
medal in the women's long jump event at
the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
At the African championships in 2010,
she won gold in the long jump again with
a distance of 6.62m. Okagbare also won
gold in the 100m distance with a run of
11.03s flat
Blessing Okagbare
She won her third gold at the end of the
African 2010 championship as part of the
Nigerian 4x100m women's relay team.
The team of Okagbare, Osayomi, Lauretta
Okoh and Agnes Osazuwa set a new
games record with a run of 43.43s.
At the 2013 World Championships in
Moscow, Okagbare won the silver medal
in the long jump. She also placed third in
the Women's 200m race.

#9 OLOROGUN (DR.) MICHAEL
CHRISTOPHER ONAJIREVBE IBRU, OFR,
Olorogun Michael Ibru,OFR
Michael Ibru was born in 1931 to the
family of late Pa EPETE IBRU, a
missionary worker, who also was a
Nursing Superintendent at Igbobi
Orthopaedic Hospital and late Madam
JANET OMOTOGOR IBRU, a fish trader
who traversed the creeks of the Niger
Delta to transact business.He hails from
Agbarha-Otor Kingdom of Delta State.

OLOROGUN MICHAEL IBRU, is an
entrepreneur of no mean feat. At the age
of 24, he took the bold step to register
Laibru, a trading company which he
formed in partnership with Jimmy Large,
an expatriate he met in the course of his
duties at UAC.
Within a short period, Laibru grew to
become a conglomerate of about 25
companies, reportedly the largest
indigenous conglomerate in Africa.
When IBRU introduced frozen fish in
1957, its detractors, including meat
sellers, labelled it mortuary fish. He
waged a vigorous campaign that
successfully persuaded the whole nation
that frozen fish was good, establishing
over 350 distribution depots throughout
Nigeria.

He formed the IBRU Sea Foods, an
importing company solely owned by
himself.
Michael Ibru is a renowned
philanthropist, he donated a college
Abraham College which was later re-
named IBRU College, to his people at
Agbarha-Otor.
He at different times, donated classroom
blocks, vehicles and money to various
educational institutions and charity
organisations.

Olorogun Michael Ibru is touted among his
people to be a major pillar in the economic
empowerment of the Urhobo nation.
Urhobo men and women have profited at many
levels since the rise of the IBRU brand in the
second half of the 1950s. First, Urhobo market
women were among the first batch of Nigerians
to embrace the IBRU frozen fish. Many of
them rose from relative poverty to higher
economic brackets because they participated in
the new IBRU ventures from market stalls.

He has mentored professionals that rose
to become financially independent in
their chosen fields of endeavour.Some
notable Urhobos have undergo tutelage
under him:Robin Imishue, Sam Okudu
(half-Ijaw, half-Urhobo), Albert Egoh,
Patrick Okitiakpe, Wilson Nakpodia,
He has helped to project the Urhobo image
here in Nigeria and the globe at large.
It is Michael Ibru who popularized the use of
the title Olorogun in place of Chief.
His efforts at developing the economic
landscape of Nigeria and stemming the
tide of poverty have not gone unnoticed,
as he has a deluge of recognitions and
awards for his enterprise. Among the
awards are: Officer of the Order of the
Federal Republic (OFR) in 1981;
Outstanding Businessman Award of the
Nigerian American Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, 1983;
Honorary Doctor of Laws (Hon. LL.D.) of
the University of Benin (1978) and
University of Ibadan (1978), Doctor of
Agriculture (Honoraries Causa),
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
2004.
In addition, Olorogun in 2003 won the Zik
Prize in Leadership and in 2005; he
received the prestigious Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah Excellence in Enterprise Award.


Olorogun Michael Ibru is a blessing to the
Urhobo Nation.
#10 Chief (Major Gen.)Patrick Aziza
Chief (Major Gen.)Patrick Aziza
Patrick Aziza was born on 23 December
1947.He is from Okpe Kingdom.
He was raised in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
He went to Ibadan for his secondary
education before joining the army and
participating in the Nigerian Civil War
(19671970). Aziza then attended the
Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna,
graduating in 1970.
He was commissioned 2nd lieutenant
and promoted to lieutenant in 1970, and
was posted to the 3rd Marine
Commando. In 1971 he was promoted to
captain. He was appointed ADC to the
Chief of Army Staff, Major General David
Ejoor.
He was appointed the first military
administrator of Kebbi State, holding
office from 28 August 1991 to January
1992,
when he handed over to the elected
civilian governor Abubakar Musa at the
start of the aborted Nigerian Third
Republic.
Aziza served as communications minister
in the military regime of General Sani
Abacha. In this role he revoked the
licenses of 12 companies that had earlier
been given the go-ahead to provide
various telecommunications services.
He was appointed Minister of Commerce
and Tourism during the transitional
regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
He was required by President Olusegun
Obasanjo to retire from the army in June
1999 after the return to democracy with
the Nigerian Fourth Republic, along with
other former military administrators.

He is the Present President General Of the
Urhobo Progress Union (UPU)
REFERENCES
www.wikipedia.com
http://www.osundefender.org
http://thepointernewsonline.com.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/sunday-
magazine/kaleidoscope/119484-the-real-
okumagba-risen-again).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ibru
http://www.mandcfoundation.org/mcfdocu/o
lorogunmconew.html).

REFERENCES
http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/princess
elizabethogbon/Subpage.aspx?mod=1.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/justus
-esiri-laid-to-rest/#sthash.n8O9yYJN.dpuf
http://www.senate.gov.ng/zh/senators/2012-
09-27-15-49-24/delta-central/413-senator-
akpor-pius-ewherido
www.waado.org-The Life and Times of Chief
Mukoro Mowoe of Warri(1890 1948)by
Obaro Ikime.
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS.

REFERENCES
http://www.waado.org/urhobohistory/Addres
ses_Lectures/mowoe_darah.html.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com.(Tuesday,
August 10, 2004).

THANK YOU!
EGUONO RE URHOBO O!

Urhobo Icons

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Urhobo Icons

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

URHOBO ICONS IN PERSPECTIVE

You might also like