URHOBO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P. O. Box 1454
Buffalo, New York 14226, USA
Web sites: http://www.waado.org/contents.html
http://www.Urhobo.Kinsfolk.com
Email: UrhoboHistory@waado.org ; Fax: (707) 276-2340

                                      

 January 16, 2003

To Members of the 2002 UHS London Conference Organizing Committee,
United Kingdom & Belgium:

 Simpson S. Obruche
Wilson Ometan
Henry Erhiaganoma
Francis Omohwo
Godwin Oghenede
Felicia Emessiri-Akusu
Henry Ogboru
Aghogho Natufe
Ejiro Ughwujabo

 

Dear Compatriots:

Re: A NOTE OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE FOR A JOB WELL DONE

 Please accept my thanks on behalf of the Editorial and Management Committee and other members of Urhobo Historical Society in North America for your various roles and efforts in making the Third Annual Conference and General Membership Meeting, a huge success. Your contributions went beyond our expectations and our membership here is particularly happy and proud of everyone of you for your sacrifice of time and services.

Apart from the commitments of time and money from many of our people in London, we are most impressed by the fact that many of you traveled from outside London and other parts of Europe to be with us in London. The frequent use of Urhobo language during the various meetings and the seriousness with which issues were discussed, especially those relating to Urhobo language, are sure proofs that we are all aware of our problems  and are eager to find lasting solutions to them. As Professor Ekeh reported earlier, the quality of the papers presented and the huge attendance from Nigeria are, no doubt, the result of the hard work, many of you had put into the planning for the conference. Since the conference, good news has reached us that many of you, particularly those in Belgium and London are seriously organizing themselves into functional units with the sole aim of promoting the ideals of UHS.    

We must thank Mr. Simpson Obruche, and others who worked with him, for all the arrangements made to secure the Theatre Hall at Goldsmith College of the London University, for our lectures, and the use of Goddis Place for  our receptions and meetings. We are also grateful to Mr. Godwin Oghenede, Proprietor of Goddis Place, not only for allowing us to use his restaurant for free but also for preparing and serving such good food, particularly the various Urhobo dishes that reminded us of home. The proud display of Urhobo attire and the artistic use of the language, certainly helped us to see the working of our culture in ways that many of us in the Diaspora had not witnessed in a long time. Again, what all this shows is that we are together in the struggle to strengthen Urhobo culture and to bring an era of progress and development to Urhoboland.

We are also grateful that you have accepted to shoulder once more, the responsibility of hosting the Annual Conference and General Meeting for 2003. We appreciate the fact, as  we know that you will approach the preparation involved, with the same amount of vigor and enthusiasm that you have shown during the 2002 conference. Your readiness to take on this assignment in addition to your regular duties either at home or at the workplace, reminds many of us of Mukoro Mowoe ideal’s of paying to serve.

Indeed, Urhoboland and its people have many needs-- be they the issue of the Delta State Capital, good governance, the fair sharing of oil revenue, or the need to develop Urhobo language. The solutions to these problems, no doubt, require a lot of sacrifice and every Urhobo person should be concerned enough as you are, and be prepared and willing to pay in time and money to help or serve the needs of our people.

We wish you and your family, an abundance of God’s blessings in a prosperous New Year. We look forward to working with you, and again, please accept our thanks, for your contributions towards the success of UHS 2002 Annual Conference and General Membership Meeting.

Yours in the Service of Urhobo People

Andrew Edevbie (signed)
Secretary