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The late Chief Dennis Osadebe, former Premier, Mid-west Region of Nigeria.

Delta North Media advocacy group under the aegis of Anioma Media Professionals (AMP), has called on the Federal and Delta State governments to immortalise prominent indigenes of Delta and Edo states that have contributed their quota in the building of modern Nigeria.

Notable among them are late Chief Dennis Osadebey, the nation’s second Senate President, from 1961 to1962 and the first premier of the Mid-west region, from 1963 to 1966; Chief Jerton Mariere, the first Governor of Midwest region, Pa Anthony Enahoro, who moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence in 1957.

Others include late Chief Sony Iwedike Odogwu, the Chairman of SIO group, who passed on November 5, Olorogun Micheal Ibru and Olorogun Felix O.Ibru, the first elected Governor of Delta State, Chief Festus Okotie -Eboh, the first Minister of Finance, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Major General David Ejoor, Brig. Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia, Prof. Grace Alele Williams, the first female Vice-Chancellor, who was appointed the VC of the University of Benin, among others.

In a statement issued in Asaba on Tuesday the National leader of AMP, Ogbuefi Hugo Odiogor said that “it is disheartening to drive through the length and breadth of Abuja, the Federal Capital, the centre of Unity, without finding the name of these prominent individuals among notable streets in the territory.

He said “it is equally sad to drive through Asaba, Warri without finding the names of people like Chief Jerton Mariere, prof. Alele Williams, Chief Humphery Omo-osagie and other founding fathers of the Midwest region and later Bendel, Edo, and Delta states in prominent places that will remind the young generations of these men.

According to Odiogor “this is contrary to the letter and spirit of our national anthem that says “the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain”. He said that “those that have served Nigeria with their heart and shall never be forgotten as soon as they quit the stage.”

He said that it is improper that such men and women should be forgotten as soon as they reach the stage. He commended the Delta state governor Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa for the naming of the Asaba township stadium after the late football legend Mr. Stephen Keshi and called on the redress this historical injustice that tends to give the impression that the indigenes of the area where these men and women come from have no place in the annals of history of Nigeria as well as create the impression that they do not belong to the Nigerian state.

He said Anioma media professionals will not relent in the pursuit of this advocacy for immortalization of these men and women who have played their part to make Nigeria great.