A group, Ebira Progressive Ambassadors (PRAMEL) has called on Ebira people of Kogi Central zone, Kogi State, to be united so as to take their rightful place in the State.
They made this known during their biennial oration forum and book launch in Abuja on Saturday, which was well attended by stakeholders across Kogi Central, led by his eminence, the Ohinoiyi of Ebiraland, Ado Ibrahim, who was the special guest of honour and witnessed the display of rich cultural tradition of the people of Kogi Central.
According to the organizers, the forum is a child of necessity, given the perceived decadence and disunity in Ebiraland, which has relegated its people and voice in the scheme of things, both politically and socially, within the state and at the federal level.
The convener of the forum, Engr Ozi – Raji Bill Williams said the Ebiras are wonderful and exceptional people with a history of love, respect and service towards one another and that the recent reality is hard to bear by particularly those who know history and tradition of the homeland.
He said, “When a pain comes to a land, you find the sands riding a horse and the kings trekking. The Ebiras are a great people. No other constituency has produced first class citizens like the Ebiras have done. What is our problem now. At ABU we had the best student overall. We even once produced the governor of Kwara state. We use to have notable people at the head of state institutions like the army, the police, maritime and aviation sectors, as well as the educational sectors.
“But because we were not able to put ourselves together. We suddenly lost our bearing. Because of greed, pride and arrogance, we misused the opportunities we had. We could not put ourselves together and we handed over the governorship to the Igala. From the time the first executive governor emerged, he did excellently well for the state but if I ask from that time, what have we benefited. The answer is nothing.
“So this forum will bring first, a change by awakening consciousness to make the Ebiras remember who they are. The purpose of bringing people together is to say we have missed it. Its time to come together again and chart a common course, to consolidate on the present to sustain the future.
Also speaking during the event, the keynote speaker, Dr Moshood Asuku Bello of the College of Education, Zuba said the Ebira youths should be encouraged to go to school as well as acquire skills that will give them life sustenance and knowledge about the value of life which will make them shun abysmal behavior.
“It is inconceivable that Kogi Central district education suffered such a huge set back during the locust era before 2016 only for the hardship to continue in the post 2016. It is almost too late but never too late, our schools should get uplifted while teachers, who have become endangered species, should be properly remunerated and their arrears duly paid.
“The time is now”, he added.