By Alex C. Omolu
Port Harcourt:The cultural journey into the traditional stool of Umukwata land, in Ukwuani LGA of Delta state has brought so much controversies, unnecessary antagonism; animosity; despair; hatred; calamity and untold hardship to many people for a course that is vaguely understood by most people. My greatest surprise and concern is the parochial perception of some people thinking that our rich ancestral cultural heritage is a fairy tale. These uncivilized and undignified phenomena is alien to our land and should be handled with utmost caution, simplicity, wisdom of the old and a great sense of understanding and love to rationally usher in a platform of resolving the anomalies for peaceful co-existence.
Its volcanic movement is catastrophic like the ill wind that blows no one any good. It is dehumanizing, blasphemous, cankerous and anti development. I may be keeping you in suspense but not to worry, I will unfold them one by one. First, I want to ask a question. Do you know that the Nigeria /Biafra Syndrome in Umukwata is a heinous attribute to a faction of our esteemed citizenry and a seed of discord which is tantamount to breaking the peaceful co-existence and love we share in our community and it is bringing dichotomy between brothers, sisters, families, friends and groups? What a ridiculous situation and attribute? What an unkind way to alienate your brother in an egalitarian and just society where culture is held to high esteem? What an unfortunate situation in our dear father land? Well, I will not drag us into the issues of divinity of our ancestral origin but to give you my personal encounter over the ugly menace in our community.
Some time last year my childhood friend visited from Lagos and requested my company to see his aged father in our home land. Personally I was excited because I haven’t been there for a while and we enjoy the wisdom of this great gray hair man each time we stay together; the great sense of humour bestowed on him; and his witty words. When we got there, he received us with so much joy and gave us cola as tradition demands. He started his usual rib creaking jokes and we laughed and laughed like never before, it was in indeed an exciting moment.
However, a young man who came there almost spoilt our day, probably he wanted cheep recognition, being too forward, he was calling this old man with gray hair by his name repeatedly and talking to him with so much impunity without an iota of respect as if he was addressing his peer group, an Okpala-Uku for that matter. It is not cultural and indeed very disrespectful to address elderly people by their names in our tradition. I mean it is un-African except he was not there then such address could be acceptable for clarity and easy identification. As if that was not enough, he intruded and digressed in our conversation by asked if I was a Nigerian or a Biafra. I was startled by this kind of ridiculous question. And I asked him, do we have a community that is called Nigeria inside our Umukwata or a community that is called Biafra inside our Umukwata? He could not provide the answer, so I left him in his ignorance even as my friend did not like the way he changed our topic.
Umukwata our father land has about five communities which include: Obinomba, Obiedike, Owah-Abbi, Obi-Onye-onicha and Obi-Oluku and so many large families and quarters like Umu-Ngbolobia Umu-Ogbebunu, Ogbe-Ofu, Ogbe-Utagba, Ogonogo-Edem etc; so where did this Nigeria and Biafra come from? Where? I ask again. There are no communities or families such as what he referred to in our father land. It is totally unacceptable, unfair and uncalled for; for people to address some members of our great community as Nigerian or Biafran as it is currently being done to some people. We are all Nigerians in our land: we are one. The Nigeria/Biafra syndrome in Umukwata is an irrational and parochial symbolism that is capable of jeopardizing the development, unity, peace and love that we share in our father land.
Umukwata is a great community with highly placed sons and daughter that have the interest of the community at heart. We lived a communal life where peace and love existed and will still exist amongst these communities that make up Umukwata. In my childhood days, people from Umukwata trekked to Obinomba for festival at least to bathe in River Ethiope. We enjoyed their overwhelming population so also people from Obinomba and other communities trekked to Umukwata to witness the festivals and then go to Ude(River) to show their forte in swimming; such were the spirit of camaraderie we all enjoyed.
Like I said before, Umukwata has great sons and daughters who have the interest of the people at heart. Some of them are great philanthropists and gregarious in nature, they have been giving so much to the community without any form of exploitative mentality. For instance, the person of Chief Isaac Onyesom, a noble gentle man has been helping people and the community. A clear example is the church building he donated to his community, he has been giving both cash and materials to people, especially bags of rice to widows every year, donated transformers to the community. These gestures of goodwill have earned him the title of “Omeni-osa 1 of Umukwata”. Is this not historic my people? Is this not gratifying and exemplary in tandem with our culture and our aspiration on development?
Another uncommon great philanthropist is his friend and brother: Chief Friday Abaja: he is an hotelier colossus of our generation; his contribution to the community is countless and almost unquantifiable, people in and outside Umukwata are desirous of having this mogul as a brother or friend. Even some governmental projects cannot be equated to his monumental projects in our God given community. These contributions earned him the title. “The Achiame 1 of Umukwata”. This is the man who single handedly tarred a 7.6km road to Umukwata, build Modern Market in Umukwata, built Health Centre, and Inter-locked almost all the streets in Umukwata. Recently he built a hotel in Umukwata where people can relax and feel at home, he has also employed so many of our youths in his well over sixty five hotels in and outside the shores of Nigeria. We have several others that are doing similar things in their own capacities.
At least I have a very close philanthropist who I see as a brother, friend, and a mentor the person of Mr. Sunday Onojaife. This gentle man has distributed some bags of rice to widows and has been helping others in so many ways, he has focus on intellectual property: he organizes free seminars for teachers and others from time to time, this he does with joy and love. Can you beat that? If you can, then try, history will keep a date with you. He has vision for our people and this would easily be achieved if we embrace peace and key into his educative vision and mission of wisdom and wealth.
There is also another philanthropist, the person of Benet Animam who has also employed some of our youths in some oil firms within and outside our Ndokwa nation. Another area of interest he has delved into is the boosting of the socio-cultural activities which are great unifying factors in our community. Shouldn’t these people be applauded for their great works? Should they not be highly rewarded and commended for their enormous contributions to the community? Shouldn’t others emulate them to help build our community?
Today the two major leaders we have are involved in a serious conflict that affects all of us directly or indirectly, it requires urgent attention so that all aggrieved individuals will be engaged in a round table talk. I know that there have been moves by some few individuals that yielded little or no significant result, but it should not stop there. How can a case of such magnitude be treated with little or no concern? These are people who wade into other people’s case dissolve them like a substance thrown into a solution and gets dissolved instantly. Now is their own case, nobody seem to be that interested in resolving it, no one wants to dare, nobody can tell them where they have erred irrespective of whose axe is gored. It looks mountainous, mysterious and irresolvable but it is not. The latest of such settlement was the one of 27th of June 2015 where the news filled the air that Lagos Elites have concluded arrangement to settle the matter. Waoh! A lot of responsible people were so happy to end what looked like a perpetual crisis. As it is commonly said, “you don’t shave somebody’s hair in his absence.” Neither the two major people were present at the meeting which involved a whole community nor were a large number of our prominent sons and daughters in Lagos attended the meeting. Only four people were sent from Lagos to intervene in a matter that is as crucial as the traditional stool of the sacred land. It shows no commitment and I believe that a ground work was not done to end this imbroglio once and for all, today, history and tradition bacon on us to have a rethink and put our communities in one fold for our happiness and the development of our land.
Let everybody sheath his or her sword for peace to reign, for Mahatma Gandhi once said “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world go blind”. Two brothers never light fire to have their meal. Whoever that is aggrieved should remember that leadership comes with ember of rumor and hatred which only conscience and love can quench. I want to ask you, do you have conscience? Do you have Love? If you do, why then do you rephrase Isaac Onyesom’s statement against Friday Abaja or others? Why then do you rephrase Friday Abaja’s statement against Isaac Onyesom or to others? Why do you want to incite others against Isaac Onyesom or Friday Abaja because of little favour. Remember history does not forget itself not to talk of others. If you are a talebearer, history will remember you as a talebearer, if you are a peace ambassador history will note you as a noble man. These two great figures should also realize that the opinion and collective interest of Umukwata citizens is of great importance to the development of our land. It should not be jettisoned or undermined just because most people are not as rich as they are. Leaders lead by example with great sense of humility and dignity.
It is also unfortunate that Obinomba youths as part of Umukwata citizens have been clamoring for a transparent youth election and representation, but all to no avail. Who is responsible for the cancelation or postponement, for what reason? It is actually embarrassing and discouraging. Our leadership system needs proper reformation and adaptation and not this Nigeria/Biafra syndrome some people are putting us into. We have to put an end to it now. This can be achieved if our noble citizens give maximum support to settle this problem to avoid throwing the young ones and the unborn children into unnecessary rivalry. Do not say or think that your children or generation will have nothing to do at Umukwata therefore it is not your business because you live in the city. You may not be there when they will have something to do there one day. Perhaps that your child could be among the leaders or may need the support of Umukwata people some day, so make your little contribution as a patriotic citizen. Your little effort could bring succor to people who will in turn pray for you and history will never forget you. It is obvious that most people are feeding the two sons of Umukwata with a lot of fabricated stories; creating mountain out of a mole hill thereby aggravating the matter just to enjoy undue recognition and probably some financial benefits at the detriment of others. Oh they forget that there is a prize for everything no matter whom and what you are. It is a common saying that those who tell you about others also tell others about you, so be careful of such poeple.
While appealing to every citizen of Umukwata land to contribute his or her own quota towards ensuring peace and development in every part of our community, I also implore our brothers to sheath their swords, embrace peace and seek the way forward to create an enabling environment towards the development of our land if you truly love our land as you claim. The hero and victor of any crisis is the one who takes the decision to call for peace irrespective of the sacrifice but brings the peace at last. That is the leader of the moment and the leader with history. Make yourself a leader now for you a leader.
By Alex C. Omolu
Alexcel2002@yahoo.co.uk
08036351234
