ADDRESS PRESENTED AT THE URHOBO PROGRESS UNION (U.P.U.) CANADA BRANCH INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY CELEBRATION PROGRAMME, HELD ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2025. (Canada.)
BY
OVIE EDOMI (Ph.D)ovieedomi@gmail.com
TOPIC – MEN AS PILLARS OF PEACE AND PROGRESS-BUILDING IN SOCIETY: FOSTERING A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
• ALL PROTOCOLS DULY OBSERVED:
I bring profound greetings from home to our people in Canada especially and those in the Diaspora. I thank you all for being good ambassadors of the Urhobo Nation.
Today, we gather to celebrate the International Men’s Day-A day set aside to honor men who lead with courage, dedication, devotion, steadfastness, patience, compassion, and conviction. We do not honor our men just as individuals, rather we honor them as pillars great and formidable men who have made great giant strides and contributed immensely to shaping destinies of families, communities and nations. Permit me to also add that, today isn’t just a mere celebration dear brothers, I want us to regard it as a clarion call to, and for action – to uproot every stem of backwardness and retardation that stood on the way and hindered us as a people from making genuine progress and sustainable development.
• A PREFACTORY PERSPECTIVE
The role of men as pillars of peace, progress-building and fostering a culture of respect for sustainable growth and development in any human society cannot be overemphasized. This paper centers upon the very crucial and critical role that is expected of men in shaping frontiers of peace and progress building, which are essential to the esteem and respect accorded to men, and upon which the sustainable growth and development of any society is hinged. May I enjoin everyone to please sit back properly and pay close and rapt attention as issues that have long been neglected, and which have the potential to change the current negative narratives which have retarded our Africa-Nigerian societies and generations of lives are appraised.
• GENUINE STANDARDS FOR MEASURING ACHIEVEMENT
We often measure men by their achievements, their strength, their status or their wealth. But we can also truly measure a man by what he gives or the way and manner he shows love, respect and also on how he takes on responsibilities.
For example late Chief Ikie from Eku in Agbon kingdom was a Councillor and Businessman who helped many people in Agbon kingdom to get scholarship opportunities. If you measure such a man by his show of love for others, no doubt, he was a great man. There was yet another man who has over 20 posh cars in his garage. He equally had a micro- finance bank in mid 1990s until it crashed when customers began to make huge withdrawals. His customers later seized some of the posh cars until the cars remained two. Even then the man has no car today as l speak. Now tell me who is a great man among the two men.
The Bible which is the manual for all Christians teaches men to love their wives just as Christ loves the church. The Bible equally teaches us to provide for our families. Men are pillars-not just of families, but of peace and progress for the community, nation and the world. Men are often seen as providers, leaders, protectors-but true strength lies in balancing power with empathy, respect, and responsibility.
• What Society Expects from Men:
1. The Place of Strength
Men are taught to be strong, to never show weakness. But real strength is vulnerability, taking responsibilities. It’s admitting errors etc. Traditional Ideas of “Toughness”, “Silence”. You are dying gradually and you are smiling because society says ” Be tough ”
In Nigeria and the world over, countless men silently battle depression because society says, “Don’t cry”, “Be bold’, “Take charge”. It’s good to be bold but if that boldness or bravery will make the man end up with stroke because of accumulated stress and so on, then of what use is it? Let us all note that life has no duplicate. Anyway, are there ladies/women who enjoy being beaten by their spouses, to prove that they are indeed the men and head of the house? #
Action: Let’s start by showing some care as wives or relatives to men. Men should care for their brothers genuinely. Check on a friend weekly with a text message “How are you, doing?”
• 2. The Significance of Respect
A pillar stands firm when its foundation is solid. Respect for oneself begins with respect for others- Men are allies. When we uplift women, we uplift everyone. Respect for self, Emotional intelligence, mental health, and self-care aren’t weaknesses, but pillars to earning self-respect.
Make it a habitual rule: at every meeting, to listen more than you speak. Respect others opinions. In the family discussion allow people to have their say; don’t behave like Mr. knows it all. Ensure Gender equality by championing women in leadership. It enhances progress for all.
Motivation is Key:: Okagbare was encouraged and today she is one of our brightest Stars in Urhobo land. What if Solomon Ogba a fellow Urhobo said no way to the young Okagbare?
Respect people in all relationships: Treat people like human beings. Listen, show empathy and be fair at all times. The result is that people will feel a sense of respect for their opinions which is good. You build confidence in people. Everyone thrives.
Action: mentor someone. Ask: “How can I support you? if you are in position to do so.
• 3. Be a Crusader of Peace
Be gentle, humble, respectful and a true lover of peace. A responsible man will ensure that his home/house is at peace. We live in a world where so much emphasis is placed on peace and security. Violence starts with words like: Is it me you are talking to like this?, who are you?, you son of a farmer, it could also be mere silence or indifference that would spark a quarrel or fight. The home doesn’t thrive on the virtue of a woman alone – it stands on the shared maturity, discipline, and spiritual depth of both spouses. Men have the power to break cycles. A well-raised man sees a woman as a partner, not as servants. A true pillar doesn’t stand alone-it holds up the world by giving support to others.
Action: Choose kindness. As men, let’s model peace.
• Connecting Community/People to Foster Growth
No man is an island. We need connections. We need a man who will stand for the people. Tompolo and other prominent Ijaws are building Ijaw youths intentionally. We should learn from their example. Help a fellow Urhobo man to stand and make progress if you can.
• There is a special Ijaw School where very brilliant secondary school students are being trained and sent abroad for further studies. They are expected to return to become great leaders of the Ijaw nation tomorrow. UPU did that in the 19th century when they (UPU) sponsored some Urhobo youths abroad. One of them returned to Nigeria to become the Principal of Urhobo College. Though the legacies of Urhobo College and the people who the UPU groomed then are still lingering, the Urhobo nation as at today needs prominent men to stand in the gap. As l speak back home in Urhobo land, Nigeria, men are saving lives in diverse ways. I hear our people in Canada are donating books to schools. I hear we are carrying out free surgeries for underprivileged persons. This is very good and highly commendable. For every good deed done without expectation of direct payment or reward from man; God will never fail to reward such deeds. A true pillar stands firm not by pushing others down, but by lifting them up. You can join in reducing isolation/depression. Use the International men’s day to foster connection and help people grow.
• Boldly Identify With Your Creator
The Scriptures declare that man was made by God in His image and likeness. Thus, everyman ought to be prayerful and maintain a close walk with God. Please be prayerful and be determined to give spiritual leadership in your home, community and wherever you are looked up to. Men ought to pray and not to faint is an admonition from the Holy book. Men should be the Pastors in the Home. Our wives are the prayer warriors and the children are the members of the home/family church. Let’s guide them right because God has put them in our hands as shepherd leaders.
• Men as Pillars of Peace and Progress: Building a Culture of Respect and Growth: What We Should Teach Our Sons as Fathers
•Self-Control:
Anger is not authority. A true man knows that strength is proven by restraint, not through fighting. We should teach our sons to walk away from provocation. They can manage temper by speaking with grace.
•Have Value for Women:
A woman is not a property. Marriage does not translate to ownership. A wife is a helpmeet, not a housemaid. No man has the right to raise a hand upon a woman. Violence is never a sign of strength – it is evidence of weakness and moral decay. If a man’s motivation for marriage is because he is “tired of washing his clothes,” or because he wanted someone to help him cook that’s not love – that’s dependency.
•Teach Your Sons To Respect, Especially Women:
Respect is not gender-based. The same way we teach girls to honor men, we must teach boys to honor women.
•Teach Your Sons Domestic Responsibility:
Teach them to cook, clean, and organize things. Marriage is not a laundry or catering service; it is a partnership of care. Marriage is not also a rescue mission. Let them know how to fix a simple meal, keep the environment clean, and manage time and money. When a young man judges a woman’s character by whether she washed his clothes or swept his floor, it reveals his immaturity – not her inadequacy. Some have missed great wives because they were testing submission instead of proving responsibility
•Boundaries:
Teach them consent. Teach them to guard and guide their eyes and minds. Seeing a woman’s body is not a license for touch. Godly men know the meaning of restraint and honor.
• Accountability:
When he does wrong, correct him – don’t excuse it. Let him learn early that consequences build character. A boy who grows up without correction becomes a man who blames everyone else for his shortcomings and failures.
• Lastly, the UPU Canada Branch President said and I quote “Men naturally are builders. They build homes, they build nations, and they build legacies. They stand as providers, as visionaries, and as protectors. In every generation, men have been the silent strength behind families and the visible energy behind progress.” I believe this is a great saying and very aptly said. Our men will with a renewed understanding, patience, and humility offer inspirational leadership, direction and where necessary offer help to our women and daughters who aspire to hold top leadership positions in different areas of life. Let’s do this as heads of the home. Let’s promote peace, love, unity and respect, especially in our homes in Urhobo land, amongst Urhobo in the Diaspora; and we shall have a better society.
• We need to effectively build a culture of respect and growth beginning with ourselves and by so doing build a stronger society of Urhobos, Nigerians, Africans and global communities. To mention an array of personalities who have earned respect widely as source of inspiration, I want us to be inspired by the following personalities amongst others in your own climes. They include in no special order Ben Okri, an internationally acclaimed poet and novelist who was awarded the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1991; Bruce Onobrakpeya, a renowned visual artist, sculptor, and painter whose works have been exhibited globally; Blessing Okagbare, an Olympic bronze medalist and IAAC silver medalist who has achieved international fame as a sprinter and long jumper; Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), a Nollywood actor that is very highly regarded across Africa and in the diaspora; Sophie Okonedo, an international actress of British and Urhobo descent, known for her roles in Hollywood films.
• Others include Michael Ibru, the pioneer industrialist and businessman, the founder of Ibru Organization, one of the largest Nigerian-owned conglomerates, with global business connections; and Senator David Dafinone, whose family is proudly in the World’s Guinness Book of records for producing the family with the largest number of accountants.
• Conclusion
What better way to begin this conclusion than to thank the organizers of this great programme for offering me the opportunity of being its main speaker. I wish to say from the bottom of my heart that I deeply cherish the vision of this noble ties fostering union and I commend the giant developmental strides that UPU Canada branch has made in many ramifications as well as the immense contributions they have made to the development of Urhobo nation, Africa and the global arena.
However, before closing the address finally, I am inclined to pray and my prayer is, May the Almighty God continue to bless, promote, increase, and sustain you all. May the good Lord lift you all to higher heights. May the desires that brought you far away from Urhobo land, Nigeria and Africa, to far away Canada, be fulfilled soon enough by the special grace of the Almighty God.
Once again, thank you for this golden opportunity and for your kind attention
Yours faithfully
Dr Ovie Edomi (Ph.D).