fire out breaks in sapele

Yesterday, between 3 and 5 pm there was fire disaster in home based hotel in King  Street  Sapele. The fire service came and could do little, until they used the scaffold of the borehole. last week Theresa Okorodud's store at old Bata was burnt, last two weeks a Hotel around Palmer Road, at Olojo quarters, close to Ikomi Village in Sapele was also burnt.

reasons of unemployment in Nigeria

 - reasons of unemployment in Nigeria

There are countless reasons why the vast majority of Nigerians are unemployed. Many people give different analyses for the rate of unemployment in Nigeria.  Mckinsey & co think it is a whopping 50%( Omoh Gabriel 2015) NISER  gives a 55% unemployment rate for the year 2013.  Many others give very different results. Some of them give  results as low as 10%( www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/) . So, the results of unemployment are as conflicting as those who make the reports. As many government officials as possible make the figure to be very low to save face, while as many non government officials report what they see to prove a point , or , even to chastise and castigate the officials of government. The study of unemployment falls into the purview of the Social Sciences, so we are not expected to get as correct results as we would have in the Natural Sciences. All said and done, unemployment is a grave reality in Nigeria. It stares in the face, it eats to the bone marrow, it disturbs the bowel; and it is a source of great suffering and embarrassment to those who suffer from this ill.

There are numerous causes of unemployment in Nigeria , Shadare and Tunde(online) list the following: economic recession, governmental policy, employment of expatriates and trade union wage demand. Other writers list some other factors such as epileptic power supply, ill education lack of skills agricultural negligence corruption etc (   http://nigerianfinder.com/causes-of-unemployment-in-nigeria).  Uzochukwu Mike includes the following : Poor moral, Poor government planning ( http://hubpages.com/money/unemployment-causes-and-consequences). 1P. S. O. Uddin and 2Uddin, Osemengbe O(online). include the following : Rural Urban Migration: rapid Population Growth: Low Standard of Education , The Rapid Expansion of the Educational System etc

                It is obvious from the foregoing that there are many causes of unemployment. This article will pick some of these causes and proffer solution to the unemployment problems in Nigeria .  before attempting to proffer solutions to the problems,   we will list the problems one after the other

                Factors that cause unemployment in Nigeria :

1.       Economic recession,

2.       Government policy

3.       Employment of expatriates

4.       Trade union wage demand

5.       Epileptic power supply

6.       Ill education

7.       Lack of skills

8.       Neglect of agriculture and tourism

9.       Corruption

10.   Poor moral upbringing

11.   Rural urban migration

12.   Rapid population growth

13.   The rapid expansion of the education system etc

We shall now look at these factors one after the other.

1.       Economic recession

“In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction which results in a general slowdown in economic activity.^[1][2] Macroeconomic indicators such as GDP (gross domestic product), investment spending, capacity utilization, household income, business profits, and inflation fall, while bankruptcies and the unemployment rate rise”.( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession)

As the definition indicates, it is a season of a low turn of the economy, economic activities are in low turn, spending is equally in low gear, investors fear to invest and even when they want to invest, Nigeria is not their choice of call. Nigeria has been in recession for as long as people can remember. Being a third world capitalist country, our economy and economic policies are governed from the metropoles – the core capitalist countries. So much for our dependence that if Europe or America, and for now, even if the Asian Tigers sneeze, Nigeria shivers in cold. It is that bad. The effect of economic recession is making entrepreneurs shy away from investing in Nigeria.

2.       Government policy

In Nigeria government policies are not geared towards pro-active means of fighting the unemployment malaise. If it is not ethnicity today, it is religious mathematics and consideration tomorrow, very few government policies are concerned about curing the unemployment fever. Clannishness and parochial considerations are the order of the day. Because of these primordial sentiments, wars, anger, poverty and a whole lot of problems permeate the economic firmament of Nigerians. This is indeed pathetic!

3.       Employment of expatriates

The economic space in Nigeria is very small – very small to a fault. The topmost cadre of the space – the most lucrative part of it all is smaller still, only a very few people are qualified for it. These fe3w who have reached the very height of education and technical skill , find it difficult to be employed in the technical and managerial jobs that would have been allotted them. The causes of these are simple – most Nigerians have inferiority complex; they are not used to doing things their own way. Being under colonial and post colonial domination, they tend to see the ‘foreigner’ as a demigod – as a sort of alien being that comes from space. Again, we are afraid of ourselves. There is that something : perhaps he is not educated enough?, perhaps he doesn’t have the skill?, perhaps he is not good enough? So much for mind of the African man . because the expatriates occupy most of the top echelon jobs in Nigeria VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG(2012) see the employment of expatriates was one of the factors causing unemployment crises in nigera – yes; and for the top echelon of the entrepreneurship cadre.

4.       Trade union wage demand

Unionism is a plague in Nigeria. From the university lecturer down to the lowest unskilled worker – roadside mechanic, commercial vehicle drivers, tomato sellers etc – unionism is the order of the day. They make stringent demand on government. They are ever demanding an increase in pay, they are ever demanding for improvement in government policies, they are ever seeking improvement in conditions of service. Their endless demand put the government in tight corner. Government cannot employ more when they have not been able to meet with the demands of the present union. The result – most employable workers do not enjoy the luxury of being employed  , even if they are employable.

5.       Epileptic power supply

Epileptic power supply is a tremendous problem in Nigeria. Power supply is never sufficient. Many businesses – ice blog business, ice cream business, cold room business, even mortuary business and a host of other businesses, rely on electricity to go on. Most of these businesses are cut low  for lack of light. Imagine a person with only fifty thousand naira to start an ice cream business, the person needs an additional fifty thousand naira to buy a generator set to start the business. If there is no additional money to buy generator the business perishes.

                Nigeria has only 4000 megawatts to feed 180 million people.  South Africa with a population of less than 50 million people, uses more than 40,000 megawatts of electricity. In perspective, it means the average south African has about ten times more access to electricity than the average Nigerian.  Because of this power is rationed. In most towns, electricity is available only twice or thrice a week. In places where power is a little constant – Sapele, Warri Abuja etc – power is got only about 4 hours a day ; and at times once in two days.  This problem of power goes a long way to dwindle business in Nigeria. Since businesses are dwindled because of power, it leads to unemployment.

6.       Ill education

More than 40% of Nigerians cannot read at all. Illiteracy is rife.  Even those who are educated, were ill educated. Very few graduates can defend their certificate. From curriculum development to class room teaching, the educational sector is poor indeed. Majority of schools do not have libraries; laboratories were non existence. Students who are graduates of Biology might never have seen a laboratory in their life time. Indigent students, who could not buy books, have no luxury of reading freely from the libraries. Education is expensive for the poor, the rich do not take it serious, government policy did not take it as priority – the entire sector is in doom. Due to ill education – or worse still – no education – research is low, creativity is low: therefore, the prospect of creating jobs is low. Unemployment is the attendant twin of the lack of creation of jobs due to lack of research.

7.       Lack of skills

Closely related to no education or ill education, is lack of skills. Most Nigerians – educated or not – lack skills. The curriculum is not much concerned with the affective and the psychomotor domain in education. Most of the syllabus deals with the cognitive domain. People know a lot , but applicability is very rare. Thus, skills are not there, creativity, too, is dead. Even those who claim to have attended technical schools are not better off. Courses such as Engineering, Pharmacy, Physics, which should concentrate more on the psychomotor domain do not even encourage the domain. So we have engineers who could not fabricate, pharmacists could not manufacture drugs, even computer engineers cannot repair, talk more of manufacturing a computer. So much for lack of skills as a factor that militates against unemployment in Nigeria.

8.       Neglect of agriculture and tourism

As a developing third world economy, agriculture and tourism would have been a big money spinner. The coming of oil did much to destroy the erstwhile economic mainstay of Nigeria – agriculture. Agriculture could go a long way to curb the unemployment rate in Nigeria. Imagine the tons of tomatoes that could be planted in the plateau plains of Nigeria; imagine the sacks of rice that could be harvested from the Hausa plains, imagine the weight of yams that could be harvested from the middle belt area of Nigeria. But all this is left to ruins by an uncaring government. What about tourism? Look at the beautiful fields of the Hausa; peruse the Calabar plains; introspect the beautiful hills of the Plateau; imagine the finery of the Enugu rocks – what about the varied cultural dances that hang out in all these exotic places. Tourism would have done a lot to do to curb employment crises in Nigeria.

9.       Corruption

Government officials are corrupt moneys meant for development are diverted somewhere and used for other purposes. Look at the Halliburton scandal. Imagine the billions of dollars lost in the Halliburton hullabaloo. Today, January 2016, the NIMASA scandal is on ground. Tompolo is the corrupt man of the moment. Yesterday, Diezani and others were in the limelight. Billions of naira , or even dollars, meant to build new factories are diverted into personal accounts. The development that should have taken place, are nowhere to be found.  Even when the factories and companies are established, the money expended is just too small – not the amount allotted to such a task. This great anomaly causes a lot of unemployment problems in Nigeria.

10.   Poor moral upbringing

Morality is low in Nigeria. The lack of proper education, embracing European fantasies, without the attendant technology, corrupt religious leaders – uninterested in salvation and morality, but preaches only money – stomach infrastructure leaders, and a whole host of incompetents lead to moral deficiency I Nigeria. With your money, it is almost impossible to find a Nigerian who will be honest in handling your business.  Thievishness, backbiting, gossiping etc, permeate the whole atmosphere. No serious man can invest his money in such an environment. Because of this, most investors prefer to divert their moneys overseas, rather than investing in Nigeria.

11.   Rural-urban migration

Infrastructural development in most rural areas are poor – no electricity, no DSTV facility, no pipe-borne water, no network connection for either telephone or Internet interconnectivity. The quality of life is poor to say the least. What more! Most of the lucrative jobs are in the urban areas: the white collar jobs of high repute. As Hobbes said: “Life is nasty, brutish and short” in the rural areas. So migration to the urban areas is the vogue.  The industries like agriculture and tourism, which could thrive better in the rural areas, are therefore, neglected. This further compounds the problems of unemployment.

12.   Rapid population growth

By 1960 Nigeria was just about 40 million people. Today, 2016, Nigeria boasts of more than 180million people. The growth of infrastructure does not tally or go in tandem with the growth of population. We have a whooping population growth of about 2.5%, while infrastructural growth lags much behind. So, the number of spaces to work is not as plenteous as the spaces of those to work.

13.   Increase in the educational space

Closely related to the population growth is the increase in the educational space. More than ever before, we are shunning out graduates in different institutions of learning. Tertiary institutions in nigera : Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education etc are more than a hundred in the Federation. Graduated are made on a higher proportion than ever before. So, there is no space to accommodate the graduates of all the tertiary institutions in the country. Unlike in the seventies, when graduates were begged to work, graduates of 2016 are destined to walk the streets until their shirt shoulders are torn and their soles are battered.

14.    Epileptic network

GSM and internet interconnectivity is in very bad shape in Nigeria.  Communication is difficult. Getting money from someone too is difficult. Imagine a scenario. A rich man is about to send you money. He3 goes to the bank and there is no network. He has promised to send you let’s say 500000 naira to start a small provision business. He goes five times to the bank to effect the transfer but could not make it. He will naturally stop going there. You will not receive the money and the little business you are to set up will not be put in place.

 Solutions

There are many solutions to the problems enumerated.  Government should prioritize agriculture , tourism and other small scale industries. In all cases, indigenes should be given priority over non Nigerians in the employment sector. Government should give priority to the power sector.  The GSM companies working in Nigeria should be coerced to work up to the approved standard. They should be seen to be working rather than just gulping the moneys of Nigerians. Moral education should be taken seriously by both parents and teachers. This will go a long way to curb corruption in the country. Children should be taught to be patriotic. Patriotic citizens are not wont to steal the funds of their countries.

Tompolo and the Yoruba doom

Tompolo paved his way to wealth by killing Isekiri in the Warri Crises. His career will also finish with the blood of Isekiri. The end of Tompolo is here. The end of injustice is here. The end of the fake Gbaramatu Kingdom is here. Let the idiot continue, Jonathan has been disgraced out of office, EK Clark has disgraced himself out of glory, Alamayiesigha , who sent killer squad to Warri, disgraced out of life; Tompolo will be disgraced out of existence. He stole Omadino( people of Ijebu descent) land, he will die without ceremony - like a helpless chicken on Christmas day. Thus, is the end of the wicked. If Gbaramatu people know what is good for them, they should renounce the DEVIL - end is VERY NEAR. . A word is ENOUGH for the WISE!

Okumagba was house boy to Awani

Liberator of Okere Urhobo, Chief Okumagba Eboh, 50 Years After

Olorogun Okumagba Eboh, the patriarch of the Great Okumagba Dynasty of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom Warri

By Ese Adagbra
Greatness is not something you achieve overnight, but indeed it something you work or struggle for while some people are born into greatness. The Iyete (heavy weight) of Africa, Olorogun Okumagba Eboh, the patriarch of the Great Okumagba Dynasty of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom Warri of blessed memory fall into the category of great men who achieve their prominence through hard work, honesty, doggedness that is laced with tenacity of purpose. One is force to come up with this piece because historians are not fair to him that such a great man, was not given the proper recognition he deserve simply because he was from the wrong corner of the country.
Today, people like late Chief Gani Fawhimi, Professor Wole Soyinka, late Obafemi Awolowo are popular just because the western press is there to amplify every little thing they do but here you have somebody who liberated his Urhobos of Warri from both internal (Itsekiris) and external colonialism (British) little or nothing was written about him. Probably because he hailed from the wrong corner of the country (Urhoboland) or how else do you juxtapose a person who is the progenitor of other great Okumagbas, late Chief Daniel and His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Okumagba 1 of Okere-Urhobo Warri Kingdom whose efforts today are reference point in any land dispute in the Nigerian legal system, young generations of Nigerians, will not forgive Nigerian historians for hoarding or even kill information on this great African leader and his contributions towards the emancipation of Africans’ were it not for his siblings who have vowed not to allow the name Okumagba to die. Nigerian historians have not done anything. I may be making a mistake whether oral or documented about the patriarch of Okumagba Dynasty and the Iyete of Africa, the truth is that some of us just recently got to know who the Real Iyete of Africa, Chief Okumagba Eboh is after fifty years of his demise as a result of various lectures and activities used to mark his Golden Anniversary celebration recently in Warri.
As a student of History, I must confess were it not for the lectures and talkshop on the Life and Times of the Real Okumagba, a lot of us never knew that before the late Mukoro Mowoe, T.E.A. Salubi, Jabin Obahor etc, a great Urhobo and African Nationalist in the person of late Olorogun Okumagba Eboh was that great. I am not wrong to say that the likes of Late Mowoe, T.E.A. Salubi, Jabin Obahor are the “children” and products of the first Urhobo nationalist, Iyete of Africa, before I will continue this piece as a mark of high honour and esteem respect for the patriarch of the Okumagba Dynasty, I have a word of advice for not only his siblings but for the entire Urhobos, Urhobo as a people should learn how to celebrate their illustrious sons, not only the late Olorogun Okumagba Eboh alone, the likes of late Mukoro Mowoe, Jabin Obahor, T.E.A. Salubi, late Essi of Igbudu, Chief Daniel Okumagba etc should be celebrated for their contributions towards the development of modern Urhobo in order for their struggle not to be vain. Today, Yoruba and Hausa children can tell who late Obafemi Awolowo and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa are but how many Urhobo children even some fathers of Urhobo origin can tell you who and what are the contributions of the likes of Urhobo foremost leaders, like Olorogun Okumagba Eboh, Mukoro Mowoe, T.E.A. Salubi, Jabin Obahor even our living military icon and legend Chief (Gen.) David Akpode Ejoor to the Urhobo nation? It is high time we learn how to blow our trumpet.
Olorogun Okumagba Eboh, who himself was history and titan was born 1853 at a time the colonial masters were yet to colonize Nigeria he was alive and witnessed the resistance to the colonialization of Nigeria and partition of Africa. So also was a living witness to the attacks on various African kingdoms by the British, King Jaja of Opobo 1887, Chief Nana 1897 and the 1897 massacre in Benin against Oba Ovoranmen and his eventual deportation to Calabar by the British imperialist.
He was born in 1853 in Otor-orere, Okere-Urhobo Kiingdom in the present day Warri South Local Government Council in Delta State. His father was Chief Eboh Olodi of Okere Urhobo clan and his mother was Aye-Oluwe Eboh, from Otien family of Edjeba-Agbarha Kingdom Warri. The name Okumagba was gotten from Ekwomagbe (let us come together unity).
He started providing leadership to the community at a tender age even though he has no formal or western education, he was a great wrestler, no wonder today you discover that the Okumagbas are dominating in the area of leadership among the Urhobos; his 2 sons Olorogun Daniel Okumagba, a great Urhobo leader who later become Secretary-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and a great politician and His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Okumagba 1 who later also become the President-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) confirms the saying that it is only a lion can give birth to lion we shall talk about the roles played by these 2 great sons of Okumagba toward the building of modern Urhobo nation as well later.
It is on record that Olorogun Okumagba Eboh single handedly fought and won a lot of battles on the economic and political exploitation and respect for Urhobo rights, retaining of Urhobo lands and territorial integrity against their internal colonial master (Itsekiris) led by Nana and later Dore Numa in addition to European colonialists. Indeed there is no doubt that Olorogun Okumagba was the first Urhobo nationalist or say father and doyen of Urhobo and Nigerian nationalism because he started the resistance against internal and external colonialists in 1920s long before late Herbert Macaulay,late Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo who later become the first President of Nigeria and Premier of Western Region respectively.
Perhaps, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in a bid to punish the Urhobos for not voting for Action Group rather than National Council for Nigeria and Cameroun would not have change the title of Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri in 1952 probably, if Olorogun Okumagba Eboh were to be active because as at 1952 he was already 102 years old. He would have challenged Awolowo’s action in the court.
As a leader, he never betrayed his people despite the harassment, intimidation and threats from his oppressors; he stood by his people and continue to protect the territorial integrity of the Urhobos in Warri, it is on record that he did not hate the Itsekiris rather what he was really interested in is the equality of all men irrespective of their tribes most especially a better deal for his Okere-Urhobo people.
He married two Itsekiri women and his sister married Itsekiri man while most of his 24 children have Itsekiri names but however he was resolute in his commitment to the liberation of Okere-Urhobo people and their land from the Itsekiris. He instituted a lot of court cases which led to the stoppage of levies imposed by Itsekiri Warrant Chiefs on the Urhobo, he also made his Okere-Urhobo people realized and understand that they are Urhobos not Itsekiris therefore they have no business in Awankere Festival Okerejuju. That was how the Urhobos stopped participating in the Awankere or Okerejuju Festival.

It is on record that when the British made him Warrant Chief to help administered his people, he was dragged to court by the Itsekiris. He won them and all cases he instituted against the Itsekiris. Let us give kudos to the judiciary for it fearlessness, objectivity as epitomized by incorruptible judges, unlike what we have these days when the rich man gets justice. Can we get judges like Justice Ekererche, even though married to an Itsekiri woman, whose daughter bear the Itsekiri name Alero yet he did not allow his Itsekiri wife (mama Alero) to influence his judgment between D.O. Idundun & others vs Okumagba in favour of the Urhobos on the land housing the present Hussey College( 281 acres) and finally in the Supreme Court in 1976? Credit and thanks should be given to late Daniel Okumagba, as well for his organizational prowess and his carefulness and other Okumagbas on the victories of various cases against the Itsekiris over the ownership of Warri. If not Urhobos would have been long driven out of Warri by the Itsekiris, the present marginalization they (Urhobos) are suffering today in Warri would have been a child’s play.

Having won internal independence for his people of Okere-Urhobo clan Warri from the Itsekiris by his appointment as a Warrant Chief by helping the British in the administration of the clan; he later head the Olodi, Oki and Ighogbadu Dynastic until he died on April 13, 1963.
However, he used his position as a wealthy rubber merchant with the largest rubber plantation and palm oil merchant as well as his position as head of the Olodi, Oki and Ighogbadu Dynasty to sponsore a lot of Urhobo sons to school and advanced Urhobo nationalism even at old age, when his Urhobo people embrace NCNC, he did not hesitate in joining his people.
When the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) was formed in 1931, the likes of Late Mukoro Mowoe, S.J. Marierie, T.E.A. Salubi, P.K. Tabiowho, A.J. Kpodu, have been meeting him for advice and the way forward, it is on record that they recognized him as the father of Urhobo nationalism. Are you saying such a person does not deserve to be celebrated or given a place of record in Nigeria history? Here was a man who contributed both cash and kind to resist the British imperialists, he also witnessed the period when the British colonialism started and ended in Nigeria (1861-1960), one hundred years. He died April 13, 1963, four months away to the creation of Midwestern Region which he equally joined in its agitation both in cash and kind.Haba Nigerian historians should apologize to the Okumagba Dynasty and the entire Urhobos for deliberately not given this great son of Africa his rightful place of recognition in the history of Nigeria and indeed Africa
Indeed Olorogun Okumagba Eboh was an astute administrator, rich and wealthy farmer, a disciplinarian, a politician and economic colossus, a dogged fighter, first Urhobo and African nationalist, a selfless leader who left behind an immortal legacy behind, he left behind a big shoe, which among his children, Olorogun Daniel Okumagba and His Royal Majesty Benjamin Okumagba 1 wore. Nigerian historians are not fair to the Urhobos and Nigerians for documenting nothing about this great son of Urhobo and Africa; let’s x-ray 50 years after his demise.
50 years after were if not for the fact that he left behind level headed children who also have the spirit of Okumagbaism in their blood today there would have been nothing like Okere-Urhobo kingdom Warri in Nigeria. The name Okumagba is a master key that open doors in Nigeria so also is one of the oldest name 150 years after the name is still ringing bell as a result of the legacies left behind by late Olorogun Okumagba Eboh down to the 5th generation from Chief Eboh Okumagba children, grand children, great grand children, great great grand children “Sakpegodi”
Late Olorogun Okumagba Eboh had 8 wives and 24 children with only 4 alive, 3 women and one man in the person of Chief Emmanuel Ono Okumagba who is presently the Head of Okumagba Dynasty.
Okumagbas are known to be Urhobo patriots, they don’t shy away from anything that affects the general entire Urhobos, the Okumagbas always contribute their quota without hesitating, this Urhobo patriotism and nationalism is a trait in all Okumagba children to the present generation which they inherited from their great grand father, Olorogun Okumagba Eboh that is what you cannot take away from them, that is one of the reasons other Urhobos are jealous of them. These days, the name Okumagba is gradually synonymous with the name Urhobo after 150 years as a result of open display of Urhobo patriotism by any child with Okumagba blood.
However, we cannot x-ray 50 years after the Iyete of Africa without going into numerous contributions by his children or say other Okumagbas in the sustenance of their patriarch legacies, the Okere-Urhobo of Warri and the general Urhobo struggle.
50 years after his demise apart from the fact that Chief Henry Okumagba who was a teacher and later to customary court worker Bendel State while Late Chief Alice Okumagba, a foremost female footballer and later gave birth to Victor Oduah who captained the Nigeria Green Eagles, also Chief Abu Edward Okumagba who was 3 in command in the Niger Fire Service but died at a young age among the 24 children of Iyete of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, it was late Daniel Okumagba, His Royal Majesty Benjamin Okumagba, Okumagba 1, Orosuen of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom Warri and the present Head of the Okumagba Dynasty stood tall than any.
While both Daniel Okumagba, ‘the Lion of Bendel’ as he was fondly called and His Royal Majesty, Okumagba 1 stood out and distinguished themselves as Urhobo patriots and nationalists of a high standard who never compromised the interest of Okere-Urhobo and the entire Urhobos, they worked selflessly and tirelessly for the overall interest of Urhobos and Midwestern later Bendel and Delta States.
Chief Emmanuel Ono Okumagba, an astute politician, proved himself as an ambassador off his people while he was in public service.
Chief Daniel Okumagba lived a life that was inspiring and emulating, he worked tirelessly, selflessly for the peace, progress and development of Urhobos and Nigerians. If today Urhobos have the types of the Lion of Bendel, Urhobos would not have been complaining of marginalization either in Delta State or Nigeria in general Urhobo would not have been relegated to the background as it is today.
A great mathematician of those days and a teacher of high standard who does not compromise, students who passed through him in Urhobo College today have distinguished themselves in their various fields.
He was appointed as the Secretary of Oki, Olodi and Ighogbadu families of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, he used this position meticulously for the interest of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom and the entire Urhobos thereby making Urhobos to have a say in the affairs of Warri and still presently living in Warri if not by now, the Itsekiris would have driven the Urhobos out of Warri and Delta State.
He won the suit instituted against the Okumagba by the Itsekiris in question of the land purchased by the Itsekiris from the Okumagba family for the building of Hussey College (821 acres of land) which was decided by Justice Ekeruche of blessed memory and a radical judgment at the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1976 in favour of the Okere-Urhobo and the entire Urhobos due to his carefulness and organizational prowess, by keeping the receipt that the Itsekiris signed in purchased of the land housing the Hussey College Warri. This judgment put to the paid ownership tussle of Warri. So also the loss of the Olu of Itsekiris over leadership in Warri; all in a bid to correct the problem created by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1952.
As a principled Urhobo man, he joined Chiefs T.E.A. Salubi, Dennis Akpore to stage a workout from the N.C.N.C. when he discovered that Urhobo interest was at stake and later joined them in forming the Midwest Democratic Front (MDF) led by T.E.A. Salubi. How many modern day Urhobo politicians can do such thing? Even though when they know that the general interest of Urhobos is in jeopardy,they will continue to say I am a loyal party man, I am loyal; loyalty my foot!

Even though the MDF was rigged out by the NCNC, the likes of Chief Daniel Okumagba, TEA Salubi, Johnson Ukueku and others have made it clear that they can never compromise the interest of their people. After the banned of politics was lifted, he later joined National Party of Nigeria (NPN), even though he lost to become Governor of Bendel State for his doggedness,straight – forwardness and astuteness in politics, he later became close and the right hand man of President Shehu Shagari who later appointed him as the Chairman of Ajaokuta Steel Company and also consult him on key national issues. So also a lot of Urhobo sons such as late Chiefs Patrick Bolokor, Elizabeth Ogbon-Day, Dr. Mudiaga Odje, Dr. Fred Esiri, but today despite the huge votes given to President Goodluck Jonathan by the Urhobos, what have we gotten from him? No Urhobo man was even consider as a cook in Aso Rock! As Secretary-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), he also brought his wealth of experience to bear on the aims, objectives and ideas of the founding fathers of the UPU. Late Chief Daniel Okumagba is a political icon and the like and class of Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), Alhaji Maitama Sule, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Uba Ahmed etc, the Great Lion of Bendel passed on July, 2000.What a great loss to the Urhobos and Nigerians
Another prominent son or successor of Chief Eboh Okumagba was Chief Benjamin Okumagba, Otota of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom Warri and later His Royal Majesty, the Orosuen of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, who used his wealth and connections to sponsored a lot of Urhobo children to acquired western education, so also as the President-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), he gave life to the body at a time the Union was in state of comatose.
A dogged fighter who did not mind whether his life is at risk or not but believe and fight to secure the territorial integrity and lands of the Urhobos,he agitated for the political and economic advancement of the Urhobos, respected by all even his enemies because he always tell them the truth, eye ball to eye ball, most especially when it comes to the issue of the ownership of Warri. The man popularly known as ‘Edadu Uri, the arrow that never misses its target’ for his fearlessness and frankness, he was highly respected and feared by the political class who are mostly liar according to one of the grand children of late Chief Okumagba Eboh who gave this writer the story of the Okumagba Dynasty said that His Royal Majesty Benjamin Okumagba 1 Oroseun of Okere-Urhobo kingdom warri is a true replica and carbon-copy of his father (Olorogun Okumagba Eboh)also an Urhobo political leader once says that “if you are not a straight forward person, you cannot relate with President-General (P.G.U.P.U)honoured and feared both at home and abroad during his days as President General of UPU, he introduced Urhobo Annual Cultural Day. HRM, Okumagba 1 was a True General of the Urhobos because he fought and won many battles for his people of Okere-Urhobo kingdom Warri and the entire Urhobos.A fearless and a dogged fighter indeed.Ovikparobo,may you reign wherever you are! Akpor ke dee fa.
Chief Emmanuel Okumagba is one of the last direct child of Chief Okumagba Eboh fortunately,he is the (Okpako) Head of the Okumagba Dynasty, the Awhotu of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom a politician of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he was appointed as Chairman, Delta State Primary Education Board SPEB, he used the position to the positive interest of Urhobos and Deltans. Typical of the Okumagbas, he used the position to assist every Urhobo man and Deltan that came to him for one assistance or the other.
Today, people still believe that he deserves to be appointed most especially at the federal level because he was South-South Co-ordinator of Jonathan -Sambo Campaign Organisation.
Chief Okumagba Eboh grand children are projecting, protecting and promoting Urhobo course as well help in shaping, Delta State and Nigeria as well in their various fields today, you have Albert Okumagba, a financial guru,Benard Okumagba,first class material and a financial expert of international reputation who is presently the commissioner finance who is judiciously and meticulously managing the resources of Delta state for the intrest and benefit of Deltans, Francis Daniel Okumagba, Paul Okumagba, Mamode Okumagba, Edward Okumagba, Mrs. Mercy Irivwieri are all Okumagba’s children doing well in their chosen careers.
One thing that is most spectacular that makes the Okumagba family stand tall above a lot of families in Urhobo land, today is that after the demise of their patriarch, the name of such families collapse; because of lack of unity and not being able to follow the foot path of their late fathers,thereby making them to be living on past glory, but the Okumagbas are hard working, diligence and self reliant who will never go in begging; the Okumagbas are worthy of emulating for their pride of place, dignity and above all Urhobo nationalism. I stand to be corrected apart from the Okumagba family which other family(s) in Urhobo land has ever from generation to generation, fought and still continue to fight the cause of Urhobo selflessly in terms of cash and kind? If today there is need for an ethnic conference in Nigeria who should represent Urhobos? But in the days of Daniel Okumagba, Benjamin, T.E.A. Salubi, Jabin Obahor, Mukoro Mowoe, do we need to find who will represent us? So what is happening now? even though today the gang up against Urhobo is heating up, who is the true Urhobo leader presently? Like Chief Christopher Ominimini would say when we see the true Urhobo leader, we will know him, recognized and work with him because Urhobo need the likes of late Daniel Okumagba, Mukoro Mowe who were selfless and genuine. The level of sycophancy in Urhobo land is too much we must change our attitude as a people and unite to fight for our common goals.”
Conclusively, “it is good to emulate someone that is good, Urhobo as a people have a lot to learn from the Okumagba Dynasty if not for anything but for their patriotism and nationalism,” we must as a people go back to the drawing board to imbibe things that will make us great as a people. In this regard, the UPU has a great role to play. The Urhobo man must identify his root as an Urhobo man. A lot of Urhobos are lost, they cannot speak their language even some Urhobos have “foreign names” you cannot find such anomalies in the Okumagba family. Were it not for the spirit of Urhoboism that is synonymous with the Okumagba family, today Urhobos would not have a say in Warri? But the question is what role or in what way the Agbarha, Edjeba, Ogunu man, even the entire Urhobos is doing to sustain the Warri vis-à-vis Urhobo struggle? We must as a matter of fact know that we are Urhobos and we should be ready to contribute our little quota to make Urhobo great once more. Urhobo ke eni.

By Ese Adagbra, a Warri based journalist

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1. Okumagba Eboh was not a great man. he was a house boy of Awani in Okere. Okumagba Eboh won no single case. It was Daniel Okumagba(partly an Isekiri) who won a case. he did not win by presenting truth. He won by misrepresenting facts. It is true Rewane and some leaders consulted Daniel Okumagba(not Okumagba Eboh) for a piece of land. It was true that Daniel later won this case in the supreme court. But that in no way made Okumagba a Warri man. The Okumagba(Idimi-Sobo) lineage came from Okpari in Olomu. Olomu clan was founded 1640( Okumagba 1980, Honsbira &St.Ifa 2010, 2011; Onigu Otite 1972) . So , if celebrated Urhobo authorities – including one Okumagba took the 1640 date, it meant Daniel Okumagba (not Okumagba Eboh – for he was an illiterate) was lying in the court. Rewane, Begho, Prest, did some land deals which they needed land from Okere community. They then consulted Okere, and the community asked them to meet Daniel, who was the secretary. Daniel was later advised by his lawyer to toe a line of lies. to prove that Daniel and later Benjamin was lying, there are many points. 1. No single authority from 1472 – 1960 ever mentioned anythig about Okumagba or about Okere-Urhobo kingdom. father Monteleone visiter Urhobo areas from Ode-Isekiri in 1790. he could have mentioned Okere kingdom if there were one. The other missionaries who visited places like Benin and Ife, and Ijebu , never visited Urhobo, because they were too uncivilised to visit. These same missionaries and traders avoided the Ijaws of Delta – Burutu , Ogulagha , Bomadi – who , like the Urhobos – were also living in a state of nature.2 Everybody in the Okumagba family – including Okumagba himself- had Isekiri names. This is an ample proof they met Isekiri on ground. As for Awolowo, he had no reason to punish the Urhobo, he only stated the old history he knew from the Portuguese archives, the Binis, the Yoruba and other enlightened people. For your information Okumagba Daniel never won ownership to land, but only a possesory title over 281.1 acres of land . Daniel is the semi-great man who won possesory title to land. As for Okumagba Eboh he was a domestic servant to one Awani(Umukoro 1997) Okumagba Eboh was never a great man; he can never be a great man except in Urhobo(falsified) history without any document, verified oral tradition and scientificity

Augustine Oghanrandukun