The Ogbakha-Edo Indigenous People Welfare Foundation, a Benin group, has expressed concern over the declining social, political, and economic status of the Benin people in Edo State and Nigeria. According to the group, this decline is attributed to a lack of collective action, pursuit of individual interests, unhealthy competition, and a diminishing sense of history and identity.
In a communique released after its September general meeting, the group emphasized the need for concerted efforts to address these challenges. The communique, endorsed by the group's president, Professor Sam Guobadia, and secretary-general, Dr. Oosaretin Izekor, called for extensive orientation and enlightenment campaigns to promote cooperation, unity, and collective action among the Benin people.
The group announced plans to launch a sustained campaign for the rediscovery and restoration of the cherished Benin personality, founded on values such as dignity, discipline, industry, and communal responsibility. This campaign aims to promote a renewed spirit of cooperation and collective responsibility among the Benin people, both at home and in the diaspora.
The Ogbakha-Edo Indigenous People Welfare Foundation urged the Benin people to understand that individual aspirations and achievements are not incompatible with collective advancement. The group emphasized that the progress of one Benin person should be seen as an opportunity for others to advance, rather than a cause for resentment or unhealthy competition.
The group attributed the challenges confronting the Benin people to a lack of collective action and a failure to take responsibility for their circumstances. While acknowledging that external factors may contribute to these challenges, the group stressed that restoration of their collective strength must begin with the Benin people themselves.
Ogbakha-Edo called on all Benin indigenes to rise above personal differences and narrow individual interests, embracing a renewed spirit of cooperation and mutual respect. The group's objective is to ensure that the Benin people are organized, conscious of their history, and confident in their identity to participate meaningfully in the social, political, and economic affairs of Edo State and Nigeria.
The group committed itself to a renewed campaign of unity, historical consciousness, and collective self-worth, and invited all Benin people to join in rebuilding the bonds that once made collective achievement a defining characteristic of their people. The campaign aims to promote equitable participation in the state's social, political, and economic affairs, without diminishing the interests of other people or communities.
Key points
- The Ogbakha-Edo Indigenous People Welfare Foundation has called for collective action to address the dwindling fortunes of the Benin people in Edo State and Nigeria.
- The group attributes the decline to a lack of collective action, pursuit of individual interests, and unhealthy competition among the Benin people.
- The group plans to launch a sustained campaign to promote cooperation, unity, and collective action among the Benin people.
