Sad Day for Opokuma as King William joins his Ancestors

The Opuokun of Opokuma Clan, King William Ogionwo, retired professor of Sociology and Social Psychology, erstwhile Secretary to Government of the first civilian administration of RiversState of Nigeria under Governor Melford Okilo died this morning in Port Harcourt after a brief illness. Born on 8^th September 1937, King Ogionwo was crowned the paramount ruler of Opokuma Clan on the 11^th of August 2007 after a meritorious professional life in academia and the public service. His unexpected death has thrown the whole Opokuma community into mourning.

The late Professor William Waripamo Ogionwo was born in Igbainwari Town, Opokuma in the present day Kolokuma -Opokuma Local Area of Bayelsa State. The late King distinguished himself in academics. He was a holder of two PhD degrees from the universities of Lund, Sweden and Leeds, England respectively. On leaving Europe, he went to the University of Ibadan to teach sociology and social psychology when he had the unique reputation of being the only staff of the university to hold two PhD degrees and from very from reputable academic institutions in Europe.

He was a very prolific academic - publishing scholarly papers in well-respected academic journals all over the world. He also authored several books, prominent among which are: Innovative behavior and personal attitudes : a case study of social change in Nigeria; Migrant families in an African City- A case Study of Port Harcourt; An introduction to sociological studies (jointly with Otite Onigu,) and Agricultural modernization: The adoption of agricultural innovations among cocoa, oilpalm [sic], rice and rubber farmers in S Nigeria.The title, Innovative behavior and personal attitudes is a very popular reference materials for sociology researchers, scholars and students all over the world.

Apart from academics, he made his mark in the public service by becoming the first Secretary to Government {SG} of the initial civilian administration of the Rivers State of Nigeria under late Chief Melford Obiene Okilo, the Governor at that time. In recognition of his services to the nation, he was awarded the national honour, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.

On August 11, 2007, he was crowned Opuokun of Opokuma and a became a member of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council as HM King Prof. William Waripamo Ogionwo, Ibedaowei of Opokuma Clan. He will be sorely missed by his peers in the council. At his coronation, he espoused the philosophy of servant king to emphasise his mission to serve his people and be a catalyst for development in the clan.

He is the father of several children and grand children. It was only on Boxing Day December 26 2009 that one of his sons, Prince Douye Olamire Ogionwo married Ochuwa Itsemehekhone, the second daughter of Vice Admiral Okhai Akhigbe rtd. His death is a big blow to his immediate family and all sons and daughters of Opokuma at home and in the diaspora.

A very special day - Clocking 21112

Today, Saturday June 20 2009 is a very special day for me - a lover of palindromes. I have clocked 21112 days of life. Interesting figures indeed!!

Melford Okilo's Legacy - Opokuma's Contribution (Culled from Melford Okilo By Stephanie Ney)

The late Senator Melford Obiene Okilo, first civilian Governor of the old Rivers State who died in July 2008 will finally be laid to rest at his home town Amakalakala, Ogbia, in Bayelsa State this weekend. May God grant this great fighter for the emancipation of the Ijaw nation, eternal rest.

Melford Okilo became a member of parliament for Brass South in the National Assembly under the banner of the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) party during the First Republic. Due to the alliance of the party with the Northern Peoples Congress in parliamentary Melford was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the head of the NPC government. That government came to an abrupt end when the military took over government in January 1966.

Later Chief Melford Okilo played a key role as a Commissioner for Education in the first government of old Rivers State headed by Commander (now Chief) Alfred Papapriye Diete-Spiff. After the return to civil rule he subsequently became the first civilian governor of Rivers state (1979-1983). His service to his people continued when he was elected to the senate to represent Brass Senatorial District (1999-2003).

Chief Okilo was launched on the national scene after his unexpected victory at the 1959 Federal elections when he defeated the NCNC candidate to emerge winner for Brass South in the federal parliament.

It will be of great interest for the people of Opokuma to note that the key to that victory was his political comrade and head of his campaign team, Rodger William Obubo of Igbainwari, Opokuma. Without the untiring efforts of Rodger William Obubo who had hitherto been a Secretary-General of the Ijaw State Union and a seasoned community organiser, it was doubtful that Melford Okolo would have won that election. Having served as the first Secretary-General of the Ijaw State Union, Mr. Obubo knew the Ijaw terrain very well and used this unique knowledge to great advantage in the election campaign. Completely out-resourced by NCNC, the dominant party in Eastern Nigeria, in terms of campaign funding, they had to devise strategies to capture the soul of the Ijaw nation, through inspiring speeches and songs. Because of the belief they had in the cause of the Ijaw nation and the need for the Ijaw people to resist subjugation in Eastern Nigeria, they shunned the temptation to join the dominant party to win easy victories.Thankfully those were the days when guns and ballot box grabbing had not come to play a deciding role in winning elections. They were helped in this task by the late singer Chief Sondu of Sampou who helped to electrify the crowds with his melodious and inspiring music of traditional balads before the speeches began at every political gathering during the campaign. Against all odds, the NDC and its candidate, Melford Obiene Okilo, stunned the NCNC by winning the Brass South parliamentary seat.

I recall very vividly that Chief Melford Okilo publicly declared at the eulogy he delivered at Mr. Obubo's funeral in 1992 that the impact of Mr. R. W. Obubo's campaign strategy that saw him through to the Federal House and also revealed that that singular act was instrumental to the appointment of another illustrious Opokuma son, Professor William Ogionwo (now King William, the Opuokun of Opokuma) as the first Secretary to Government of the civilian government headed by Chief Melford Okilo.

Some Hope for Curbing the Militancy

Glad to know that kidnapped Lebanese Engineer, Mr. David has been released.

In Kolokuma Opokuma LGA, we were all relieved to hear of the safe release of the kidnapped Lebanese Construction Engineer who was abducted from his work site near Sabagreia. The construction of this strategic road that links our LGA directly with the State capital without the need to go through another state can hopefully resume. The hapless perpetrators have been apprehended and are now helping the police.

It is with hope and great expectation that we read the following story about the renewed efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to bring militancy and criminal activity in the Niger Delta region under effective check. We pray that they will succeed so that the pace of development can be quickened.

FG merges Military Forces In N-Delta
Culled fron The Vanguard
Written by Kingsley Omonobi
Thursday, 12 March 2009

In a renewed effort to contain militants’ attacks on oil platforms, hostage-taking and piracy among others in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government yesterday announced a major reorganisation of the joint military task forces operating in the oil-rich region, merging Operation Restore Hope in Warri with "Operation Flush Out III" in Port Harcourt.

With the merger, initiated by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, and approved by President Umaru Yar'Adua, there will now be one single Joint Task Force known as ‘Operation Restore Hope' with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Further, the task force will now be commanded by a two-star general who will have a deputy while there will be Sector Commanders in Warri and Port Harcourt.Maj-Gen Yakin Bello heads new outfit. Named as Commander of Operation Restore Hope is Major-General Sarkin Yakin Bello. General Bello, promoted to the two-star rank last December was former Commander of Operation Flush Out III, in Port Harcourt. He is to be assisted at the headquarters in Yenagoa by Brigadier-General Nanvem Rintip, the former Commander of Operation Restore Hope in Warri.

Confirming the development in Abuja yesterday, Director of Defence Information, Colonel Chris Jemitola noted that “obviously, the new Joint Task Force will have a new mandate for the Niger Delta", adding that the mandate is being worked out by the Chief of Defence Staff and would be made public at an appropriate time.
Explaining that one of the purposes of the merger was to make for better command and control, logistics support and to maximize the synergy of efforts from the three services, the Director of Defence Information said that General Bello will report directly to the CDS.

Joint Military exercise to hold in Ondo
The merger is taking place just as the Defence Headquarters will this month carry out the first Joint Operations Exercise nicknamed "Ologun Meta" which in Yoruba, means ‘The Three Warriors', around Ori Oke Iwamema, Okitipupa, along the coastal area of Ondo State.

The training exercise which would involve the Army, Navy and Air Force, is to practice and test the planning and execution of the Tri-Service joint operation and inter-operability of equipment in the armed forces.

"Other areas of training are beach landing, and special operations to include military operations other than war in phases of a limited war", Col. Jemitola said, adding "there will be large number of troops as well as military hardware in that area and as such, members of the general public are advised not to panic as this is just a military exercise. Locals of the exercise area will be adequately alerted before the exercise commences as armoured vehicles, fighter jets and naval gunships will be deployed" he added.

The Bane of Underdevelopment in Bayelsa

The embarrassing activities of militants appear to have been resuscitated in Bayelsa State with the recent attack at the construction site of Elite Construction Company. Heavily armed gunmen struck at Sabagriea in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area, abducting a Lebanese construction engineer whose name was given as Mr. David to an unknown destination.
Mr David who works for Elite Construction Company, was kidnapped in the afterrnoon of Wednesday March 4 2009. Eye witnesses said the suspected gunmen were heavily armed and sped off in a speed boat with their hostage through Igbedi Creek.. Elite Construction Company is handling the construction of the Polaku/Sabagriea road project under the auspices of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). A bridge linking the two sides of the road is currently under construction and was expected to be completed within the next 6 months. This abduction can prolong the expected completion dates by months if not carefully handled..
Security agencies are reported to be spreading their intelligence drag net in the area to secure the release of Mr. David.
The issue of kidnaps of development workers has been a source of shame and embarrassment to all well-meaning Bayelsans. To the the people of Kolokuma-Opokuma, this parfticular incident is asetback. The road under construction will help to bring Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area closer to the seat of government in Yenagoa as the new road bypasses the East -West highway and Mbiama and makes travel to Yenagoa very direct and much shorter.
The Bayelsa State Government must embark on a social campaign to educate these ignorant and sick enemies of development that their economic prosperity can never be secured by criminal and selfish acts of hostage taking and ransoms. They are pulling Bayelsa State back and attempting to make it a pariah state that nobody would want to take a risk to live in or work in.

Opokuma's First Billionaire

Wednesday February 25 will go down in history as the day when for the very first time an indigene of Opokuma became a billionaire. Thanks to a friendship struck up with a Zimbabwean professor, I was twenty billionaire dollars richer.
Such is the value of the Zimbabwean dollar that I cannot secure for myself even a simple lunch with all of my new wealth.

A Professorial Welcome

Today I had the task of two meetings at the University of Nairobi and ICRAF.
The day started early as I got up a lot earlier that usual on a Sunday at 0445 hours only to realise that I was in Nairobi and it was actually 0645 hours.
I had a good breakfast - breakfast at the Nairobi Hiton is always full of a big variety of delicious items. Unfortunately for me I took on some cold fruits and spent the last five minutes of the breakfast sneezing. I gave up on the breakfast to restore my personal dignity as my usual antidotes did not work this morning. Even hot maize meal did not do the trick.