Economic Empowerment for Peace and Development of Kirikese (Okrika Kingdom)

Being Keynote Speech By Prince Charles D.S. Ogan (Fnipr, Ksc, JP.) At the Wakirike USA National Convention On Saturday 26 May, 2012

At The Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta- North Lake Hotels Tucker, Georgia USA

“Ikasi-olobo”, Chairman of this occasion,

“Alapu”, Chiefs here present,

“Igoni-apu”, distinguished guests,

“Mina-apu”, Brothers and Sisters,

“Ama-na-Ere na”, Ladies & Gentlemen,

“Obo sa no-e”.

I greet you all in Okrika dialect, an Ijo language of the Eastern Niger Delta. For our non Okrika speaking brethren and friends, it means welcome. On behalf of my wife, Lady Gladys and our lovely daughters- Ala and Nengi- who are here with me, I bring you greetings from our families and friends back home and welcome you to this special Okrika event, here in Georgia, United States.

I sincerely appreciate the invitation to participate in this national convention and I passionately identify with the objective.

The theme: “Youth Development through Vocational Training 11” ( or Skills Acquisition) is very apt and relevant because beneath the challenges of peace and development in Okrika today lies the pernicious problem of thousands of unemployed and perhaps unemployable youths with no skills and disability.

Accordingly, I have chosen to focus on Economic Empowerment for peace and development in Kirikese (Okrika Kingdom)

Background:

(Pix- Another view of Okrika)

Okrika is a strong and dynamic kingdom and one of the early city-states of pre-colonial Nigeria. It has nine ancient towns (Kirike, Ogu, Ogoloma, Bolo, Ibaka, Ogbogbo, Abuloma, Isaka and Ele) and about 150 villages or new towns (Iwo-ama) and more than that number of fishing settlements (fishing ports) spread in three of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State – Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Port-Harcourt City Local Government Areas.

(Map of Rivers State)

There are also the Nkoro people in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, who are recorded in history to be descendants of Okrika aborigines of Port-Harcourt before 1913.

(Pix of Port-Harcourt – Point Block)

The total Okrika territory covers an area of 250.25 sq miles or 648.15 sq km in extent. (Abam 2005:1)

(Pix of Niger Delta Environment)

This is entirely within the tidal salt water zone of eastern Niger Delta characterized by Rivers, winding creeks and thick mangrove trees.

(Pix of Okrika Kings and Chiefs)

Historians tell us that Okrika kings and people have always been courageous, fierce and independent. Charles Livingstone, a British diplomat in a Report to the Foreign office said this of them; “Never before in Africa, have I seen such powerful looking men as the Okrika. I could not but admire the physical strength of the men”.

(Quote: Charles Livingstone)

Another colonial officer, after a visit to His Majesty, King Fibika (Ado V) described Okrika people as “Progressive”.

(Pix- Okrika people: Pride of the Niger Delta)

Yes, Okrika people are known to display exceptional achievement in their original art and craft, their music and dance and other forms of their heritage. These are marks of distinction of Okrika people which we must preserve for posterity.

Similarly, Okrika people are gifted and have made contributions of the first order to modern African Literature and History: Tekena Tamuno, first Okrika Vice Chancellor of a federal university-the university of Ibadan; in Education: Richard Koko, first indigenous Senior Science Master at Kings College, Lagos; in Mathematics: Bright Orisa, respected scholar in South Africa; in Engineering: Enoch George, who designed the modern high ways in greater London of today (Britain offered him citizenship, he refused and Her Majesty’s Government just stamped his Nigerian Passport: “Permitted to live in the UK for life”. This is uncommon pedigree of the Okrika man-proud of his roots; in Medicine: Dinma Denni-Fiberesima an Ophthalmic Surgeon who rendered free eye care service to thousands, through his Odadiki Eye Foundation ; in Enterprise: Tamunobere Oforiokuma, who owned ships; in the Judiciary: Jotham Fiberesima, an erudite Judge of the Federal high court; in Politics: Rufus Ada George, who was Governor of Rivers state; in Foreign Service: Spiff Taribo, Okrika’s first diplomat; in Civil Service: Alfred Abam, who became Director-General of Nigeria’s Federal budget; in Industry: Precious Omuku, who rose to the position of Director in Shell; in Law: Grandville Abibo, the first Okrika Senior Advocate of Nigeria( SAN); in the Military: Rear Admiral O.P.Fingesi, member then Armed Forces Ruling Council ; in Music: Adam Fiberesima, world renowned composer and in Sports: George Ogan, Nigeria’s first Common Wealth silver medalist in Triple Jump and Adokiye Amiesimaka, member of Nigeria’s national football team and so many others in different fields of endeavor.

For the benefit of our esteemed guests and friends, permit me to also say a few important words about the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta means different things to different people ( depending on the side of political and economic spectrum one occupies) Whilst the Authorities, Investors and the uninformed international community view the region as an ungovernable and crisis-prone area, the ordinary masses regard it as the economic locomotive of Nigeria. To us in the region, “the Niger Delta is to Nigeria what the Nile River is to Egypt. Just as there can be no Egypt without the Nile, so there can be no Nigeria without the Delta” (Darah 2008)

(Map of Niger Delta)

The coastal region was a leading star and commercial hub. It was the first area of Nigeria to host international merchants and businesses. The Portuguese who pioneered the relations, built factories in places like Gwato (Ughoton) south of Benin city, Ode-Itsekiri, Escravos, Forcados and Calabar. This trend continued for over 300 years as city –states became the centre of trade and exchange. With time, coastal business and prosperity spread into the major rivers and in land water ways. The chain of industrial and trading routes stretched from Lagos, Okitipupa, Gwato, Koko, Sapele, Warri to Nembe, Brass, Bonny, Kalabari and Okrika. As a boy, I saw the skeletal remains of the African Trading Company (ATC) the forerunner of UAC of Nigeria at Okrika.

(Pix of Nembe city)

In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the city-states of Nigeria’s Atlantic sea board such as Akassa, Nembe, Bonny, Warri, Abonema, Opobo and Okrika, to mention a few, enjoyed a commercial status comparable to that of European maritime settlements such as Lisbon, Barcelona, Venice, Manchester, Liverpool, Southampton, Glasgow and Antwerp.

(Pix of Venice)

When the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade ended in the 19th century, there was a boost in commodity trade involving forest and natural resources. The oil palm was the prime crop for this new era of international business. By the 1920s, the oil palm business constituted about 80% of export trade. Nigeria was the world’s leader in oil palm produce. In later years, rubber, copra (Sun-dried coconut) timber and piassava joined the list of export items.

(Map of Nigeria)

This situation improved the commercial and social life of the coastal communities.

(Pix of Bonny Island)

For example, the first Nigerians to obtain degrees in European Universities were from the coastal belt. Prince Dom Domingo of Itsekiri graduated from the University of Lisbon in 1610. By the 1850s, the Ijaw of Nembe and Bonny Kingdoms had graduates in the United Kingdom. King George Pepple, Perekule VII of Grand Bonny was school mate of Prince Edward who later became King Edward VII of Great Britain. George Pepple of Bonny later attended the University of London between 1856 and 1866.

(Pix of King George Pepple of Grand Bonny)

The rich indigenous merchants such as Jaja of Opobo, Nana of Itsekiri, Ambakederemo and Mukoro Mowoe had choice property including private ships and jetties of the same standard with those of the European merchants of the period.

(Pix of Jaja of Opobo)

Kenneth Dike, Tekena Tamuno, Ebiegberi Alagoa, Obaro Ikime, and other historians have provided copious literature on the capitalist development in the coastal section of our dear country”(Darah 2008)

However, a combination of factors including oil exploration, politics and youth restiveness have dented the image of the Niger Delta.

(*Pix of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Okrika)

Similarly, Okrika before the 16th century was a land which knew peace and prosperity. By 1924, Okrika people were wealthy enough to raise funds and build the magnificent cathedral of St. Peter. Sadly, it has lost its pristine innocence like the rest of communities in the Niger Delta of today. (Tamuno 2008:1) Until recently, the memory of this once vibrant, peaceful and beautiful city-state that survived in the popular imagination of people was that of anarchy, brutality, violence and wickedness. After the Eleme/Okrika skirmish in 1999, Ebubu used its guns on itself. This ended in about two weeks. Onne, another Eleme community, turned its guns on itself; this lasted about one week. But, Okrika turned its guns on itself and for over seven years, its children ran helter-skelter, living with snakes and mosquitoes in the mangroves. (Dr G.I Ogan, 2006:2). We lost human beings; our youths discontinued school and instead engaged in dehumanizing habits, violence and terror. Economically and politically, Okrika’s loss is unbelievably unquantifiable and will linger in the psyche and memory of those who witnessed and survived the self inflicted mayhem.

I will not want to bore you with the causes or circumstances of that better forgotten episode or what some commentators have dubbed, “the darkest days of Okrika’s history”. But I will try to show that capacity development through skills acquisition or vocational training and economic empowerment can to a great extent prevent such calamity from befalling us again and bring peace and economic development to Okrika kingdom.

In the aftermath of the chaos that brought Okrika to a developmental standstill (1997 to about 2007) and the peace initiatives funded by two international NGOs- IFESH and USAID, it was discovered that:

Where there are guns they will be used.
Politicians will always use the lack of unity of purpose and minds to pursue their selfish and private goals.
There existed at least seven militant groups in Okrika
Lack of early parental guidance was fundamental to violence that engulfed Okrika from 1997-2007 and up to 2009 before the Amnesty.
No community that has a majority of its youths roaming the streets unemployed should expect peace.
Idle youth minds and idle hands always constitute the devil’s workshop.

Recommendations: The way forward

(Pix of Vocation Training- a furniture maker)

Train youths in skills that can create jobs towards self employment and improve their self worth.
Place emphasis on creation of self employment and create micro credit schemes that address individual choice of vocation (rather than imposed vocations), schemes that encourage a savings culture and for each beneficiary to train someone else from his compound, biri or polo in his skill area in the first year and then train someone from another compound or biri in the second year.
Target Population: Youths especially those dropping out of the school system between ages 15 and 35 years.
Commitment to monthly or weekly payment of agreed rates.

The Ama Ibi Gose Microfinance Project

In 2008, Wakirike USA established the Ama Ibi Gose Microfinance to economically empower Okrika women. We are beginning to see the impacts. At Ogan-Ama community for instance, where a chapter of Ama Ibi Gose exists, the microfinance project has changed the fortune of about 12 women whose lives before now depended on selling akara (bean cake), cassava, fruits, small vegetables, garri, yams and kerosene.

Individual efforts

We also commend George & Michael Etomi Foundation for their silent but incredible work in Kirikese and the Wakirikese language committee, under the auspices of the Rivers State Readers project, who are working assiduously to develop the Kirike se Language. They need your support and encouragement. Our language is becoming unfashionable, particularly among our children and it is sad. We call on Okrika and Ogu/Bolo LGAs, Organizations like Wakirike USA, Individuals and our friends to identify and invest in this kind of society uplifting projects.

(Image – G.I.O Foundation)

The G.I.O Foundation

It’s a nonprofit and Non Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in 2011 by a retired physician, sports man and great son of Okrika, Sir (Dr) George Ibiene Ogan (JP) to provide economic empowerment and change lives at Ogan Ama and by extension Okrika. The foundation aims to:

(Quote)

“Build community peace by creating youth self employment and self reliance to boost self confidence and a savings culture through a revolving micro credit scheme”. (Dr. G.I. Ogan)

(Pix of Dr.G.I.Ogan presenting keys of motorbikes to beneficiaries)

Through this foundation, 23 persons from 11 compounds in Ogan-Ama have been empowered to own buses, taxi cabs, and motor cycles, which are used for commercial purposes within and outside Okrika. Some have expanded their roadside stores, plank shades into big supermarkets and furniture shops. And women who used to buy and sell small quantities of food stuffs are now big or wholesale traders. The beneficiaries are mainly women and youths- among them repentant militants- who had participated in the orgy of violence that desecrated Okrika lands.

To run the foundation and manage the micro credit scheme, leaders of each arm of the youth ministry of St. Agnes Church, Ogan-Ama (the Choir, Boys’ Brigade, Youth Fellowship, Prayer Band and Daughters of Hope) were chosen, trained and allowed to manage the fund following two workshops:

The loans are interest-free; some dues are however collected during meetings of beneficiaries. These are used to buy exercise books, writing materials and uniforms for indigent pupils & students in the community.

(Pix – beneficiaries – motor cycle, bus& taxi cabs and wine , provision and food stores – 3 slides.)

The Impact has been tremendous: improvement in quality of life generally at Ogan-Ama today due to the multiplier effects. Youths who previously roamed the roads are now gainfully self- employed. There is less tension and greater harmonious relationships. About 83 prospective beneficiaries are now on the queue for the G.I.O micro credit. The vision is to extend this gesture beyond Ogan-Ama. Okrika people in high positions of authority- politicians, our local governments, clubs and societies such as Wakirike USA are called upon to replicate such business models at Ogu, Ogoloma, Bolo, Ibaka, Ogbogbo, Abuloma, Isaka, Kalio-Ama and George-Ama. Rather than buy guns for youth gangs or sponsor “ju na ju na bere”- things that divide us, Okrika is looking for personalities who can use their money to float loan schemes at Anyongu biri, Awolomebiri, Ambemebiri, ATC, Amadi Ama, Okuru Ama, Gream Ama, Wakama Ama and other settlements of Kirikese.

More Recommendations

Wakirike USA can also champion or focus on Vocation Training or Skills Acquisition in our Riverside Culture such as:

Welding – graded towards under sea welding and diving geared towards pipeline welding and fitting towards flare-out date lines by oil companies.
All skills required on Trawlers. A trawler costs about N50 million and can gainfully engage about 40 youths with skills in ship piloting, as solar dryers for fish, laundry, cooling: air-conditioning and refrigerating maintenance or even as cooks and stewards. All you need is one or two technical advisers. Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Governments can afford one trawler each and this will provide opportunities for our boys. Provide the steer.

(Pix of shoals of fish)

Retraining of youths in modern fishing methods – shoals of live fishes can be used to reinforce fish farmers. Okrika is rich in variety of fishes. At certain tides you see shoals of fish – the bemes, the kigbos, Songu and okwe will just emerge in their midst to feed and you see the smaller fishes disappear. It’s such a fascinating spectacle.
Tourism – Eco tourism: Niger Delta is the largest brackish water mangrove forest in the world extending from Badagry to Bakasi.We invite investors to invest in this virgin area. We must begin to diversify into Eco tourism to create opportunities in cultural and museum tourism- to show case our fishing and masquerade festivals, the majestic regattas and odumu aquatic display.

(Pix- boat regatta and Odumu)

And in our rich historical artifacts: monuments, cathedrals, kings – the legendaryJaja of Opobo, William Dappa Pepple of Grand Bonny, Abe Amachree of Kalabari and Ibanichuka of Okrika.

(Pix of King Ibanichuka)

We must open up this terrain for which Brazil is making billions of Dollars every year from the Amazon basin.

(Pix of the Amazon basin)

Sand filling, shore protection, canalization and road construction are labor intensive. With construction of roads and standard gauge rail networks, we will never do enough in 20 years- developing roads and rail roads in the Niger Delta to create employment. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt 32nd President of the United States assumed office in 1933, it was a dark time in American history. There was unprecedented Depression. Unemployment was at 25%, family savings accounts had been wiped by bank failures and farmers were losing their land to foreclosure (Maxwell 2006) There was discontent and social unrest. He used massive construction of rail roads and roads (Boulevards) from West to East and the Great Lakes to the Southern Coasts, to create jobs, investments and products, to stem youth restiveness.
Dredgers: Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Governments can own two dredgers each to provide employment for youths.
Agriculture- we must utilize the presence of Songhai Agric centre in Rivers State to re-orientate our youths toward Agriculture and Aqua-culture. Agriculture is the highest employer of labour in the world. The era where we sit and wait for jobs in Shell, Mobil, Total, NDDC, is over. Jobs are scarce, even here in the United States. We must begin to exchange youth energy with old women’s subsistence agriculture. Money from agriculture goes to individual pockets. But the one from oil industry goes to Nigeria’s federal government and leaves us impoverished.

Dr. Iruonabere- a consultant and specialist in the Rivers State Ministry of Health, is owner of a vast fish market in Kaduna, Ibadan and Lagos and he is a member of the Lagos Market Women’s Association. He is a physician by training, but every month he goes to sit with the market women under the bridge where they usually hold their meetings. We must teach our children and youths that there is dignity in labor. Agriculture (Fishing) pays him better than medicine.

In one Indian community, all the sewage is channeled into a certain river and at one end robots with fingers gather the waste which are burnt into ashes. These ashes are then put back into the other side of the river and along the banks fishermen just harvest big prawns and shrimps sold in international markets.

In Port-Harcourt, our own Princess (Dr.) Hetty Ogan has established a big farm at Iriebe. The waste from the birds will be converted into electric power and manure, while a planned sausage factory within the farm will create employment opportunities.

(Pix of boats)

Boat building: Okrika boys are now experts in boat building which they used for illegal bunkering. We can turn this criminality to legal business. If bunkering is legalized, these boats can be used to transport petroleum products legitimately in the creeks and on the coast. Prizes of these products increase with distance from Port-Harcourt especially Kerosene used by the masses of Nigeria. An alternative is to commercialize and modernize this boat building skill under a proper factory atmosphere.

Other ideas on economic empowerment.

Wakirike USA can partner with Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Port Harcourt City Local Governments to create micro-finance schemes for:

Okrika youths to obtain credits to purchase boats with two 45 HP Yamaha Engines for commercial river transport business.
Boats with small portable Yamaha engines (for girls) to pick Isam (Periwinkles) in bags for wholesale in Port-Harcourt and other places. Kalio Ama women are today merchants in Isam business.
Small boats for Ikinji using Ikata and other fishing gears. Okrika is rich in these species.

Road transport business:

Buses- To assist market women at normal charges to bush markets and return them at agreed times without interrupting their routine jobs. This will ease stress on the market women and increase sales since their wares will be landed at their door steps.
Owner-Driver Taxi cabs. Fairly used – pay out within one year.
Motor cycles – as chosen by owner-riders with accessories- raincoat, crash helmet and remote control.
Soft drink and wine business in various Okrika communities.
Encourage cement sales – in trailer loads.
Cooking and small chops with ice cream- taking advantage for example, of over 1000 school children that attend primary and secondary schools in Ogan-Ama and Dumo-Ama from mainland communities of Okrika. This can be replicated in various Okrika towns.
Beef up small entrepreneurial businesses with soft loans of about N100, 000 each for a certain number each year in the two LGAs.
Support carpenters/wood – sawyers to own machines from planing, cutting, revelting, etc to furniture, upholstery.
Educational empowerment. Investment in education remains the catalyst for other forms of development. We must continue to support our children to further their education and change their orientation of life generally. Wakirike USA can assist the Diocese of Okrika to recreate Okrika Grammar School (OGS) to produce brilliant science and arts graduands into our universities.
The Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs (ODCC) under Chief Nemi Wisdom Adoki recently led Okrika chiefs and intelligentsia to Abuja with a view to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NNPC Refinery. This is a new dawn for Kirikese, as such an initiative will help protect our polluted environment and stimulate economic growth. There is need to add voice for remediation of our seas and mangrove from NNPC, Federal and State Governments.

Finally, it is the constitutional right of Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Governments to collect property rates (for which Obio-Akpor is the richest Local Government in Rivers State today) for all harbors and jetties, NNPC and PPMC (Pipelines&Products Marketing Company) installations including fuel tanks, surface pipelines, the Oil Jetty and from all the oil service companies including Intels at Ikpokiri (Onne) and the pipelines of both the SPDC and NLNG at Alakiri. This will increase internally generated revenues and consequently the ability of the two Local Government Councils to provide soft loans and other economic support to Okrika youths. We must sign MOUs with these companies.

Also, Okumgba Ama is today a virgin forest inhabited by dangerous animals and reptiles, a land where evil men and women now commit all kinds of rituals. We also have beautiful lands at Isaka. Okrika Local Government can champion their development into modern cities and tourist centers with world class infrastructure and create opportunities. Diete-Spiff, first Governor of Rivers State established the Isaka Holiday Resort. Wakirike USA can provide new ideas. Indeed, there are limitless opportunities for Okrika youths to improve their lives economically.

Conclusion

For growth and economic development in Okrika, we need peace and to sustain peace the people especially youths must be engaged meaningfully. They need encouragement and support from our Local Governments, Politicians, ODCC, NGOs, Clubs, Associations like Wakirike USA and individuals.

Okrika must think, plan and act as one.

I thank you all for your patience and for being such a wonderful audience.

“Omini-imama, miebaka, Tamuno-ogbein”, God bless you all.

Thank you.