King Owen Sylvanus Ukafia of Obolo History

Abstract

This treatise uses thematic analysis in reconstructing the historical events in the life of King Ukafia Ede VI. The events include his evolution; sexton, master fisherman, parent and mentor; his journalism and nationalism that prepared him for the enormous tasks during his reign as a monarch. Among his legacies are the creations of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council and infrastructural and intellectual developments for his people. Yet, his initiative of the one thousand naira (N1000.00) Nigerian currency during his Chairmanship of the State Council of Chiefs is a macro contribution to nation building. He performed these feats before death seized him, though his legacies still speak for him. Elements of time-dimension and inter-related innovations are intertwined in this brief analysis of his life and legacies.

Introduction

Eastern Obolo (Andoni) of King Ukafia-Ede VI is a Niger Delta community. It is economically significant as a major centre of petroleum resources in the Niger Delta. Okoroete Town where King Ukafia-Ede VI was born is the chief city and headquarters of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area where he traditionally ruled for thirty-seven years, 1977-2014. His contributions were towards its development as a way of nation-building.

Prior to his reign, Eastern Obolo (Andoni) was not a Local Government Area. It was a clan created and administered in the Obolo County Council area of Eastern Region, later South-Eastern State, Cross River State and now Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. Its natural environment in the historical Niger Delta portrays the Eastern Obolo people as a distinct group in Akwa Ibom. There are five known groups in Akwa Ibom State, namely, Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Eastern Obolo and Ibeno. The last three groups occupy the seaboard zone of Akwa Ibom State. Their geographical locations in the Eastern Niger Delta Limits exposed them as sub-groups of the Obolo (Andoni) whose central cluster originally stretches from the Rio Real to Andoni and Imo rivers estuaries. With the great migrations of the forebears of the Oron, Eastern Obolo and Ibeno from Obolo (Andoni) to their present locations centuries ago, the Obolo now spread from the Rio Real to Cross River estuary.

The reign of King Ukafia Ede VI contributed assiduously to the development of Eastern Obolo in basic amenities and in making the Obolo communities in Akwa Ibom State administrative units. He was also noted as a monarch that corrected some wrong impressions Governments and non-governmental organizations had on his people. An insight into the origin of these phenomena is what this brief history is all about. We will begin with his evolution and progress to his death.

Evolution of Owen Sylvanus Ukafia

Born on Thursday 16 November, 1933, into Ede Royal Group of Houses in Okoroete Town with the name Ukafia Sylvanus Ukafia, he was the first generation of his parents, Mr. Sylvanus and Mrs. Lear Sylvanus Ukafia Iturougane. His junior brother, Amos, a master fisherman, was born in about 1935 but died in 1975. Their junior sister, Mrs Rose Ama U. P. Ijente, a retired school mistress, survived them. They are the three children of the above named parents that belong to the founding and ruling house of Okoroete Town. Their father, Mr. Sylvanus Ukafia King Ukafia 2Iturougane, was traditional elite in Okoroete Town in his days with an unblemished reputation. He participated enormously in subduing the members of the Yok-Obolo traditional religion for the introduction of Christianity. His conversion and baptism is reflected in his change of name from Igoni Iturougane Ukafia to Sylvanus Iturougane Ukafia. He was also the first son of his father, Ukafia Iturougane. But his early departure when his three children were still young became a source of worry.

Nonetheless, Ukafia’s ancestral unit in Ede Royal Group of Houses is Iturougane. Iturougane descended from the ancient lineage of Ede-Ugane which is the founding lineage of Okoroete Town in particular and Eastern Obolo in general. In his adulthood, Iturougane was polygamous with many biological children and formed his own compound, Egweile (Egwile), where he lived with his children. His biological children were Ukafia, Ede (named after Ede-Ugane), Enemugwem, Isotukene, Ukafiaenenwaan (f), Awaji-Otobo (f), Ephraim, Mbikan, Isotuk, Adasiokwaan, Isotuksongung (f), and Johnson Okwaanosoiba. The last of his children, Okwaanosoiba, was converted and baptised a Christian later with the name Johnson, after Bishop James Johnson of the Niger Delta Pastorate in whose episcopacy and ecclesiastical times he was living. Hence, his name was a local veneration of Bishop Johnson. Okwaanosoiba’s longer life, 90 years of age, exposed his contributions to humanity up to1968 when he and his nephew, Dede Raymond Isotukene, among other fishermen, died in a tremendous fracas between the Obolo and their neighbours of Ibibio at Aganasa in 1968 during the Nigerian Civil War.

Local tradition proves that Iturougane was a magnanimous personality who allowed two of his great grandfather’s generations, Ogwunte and Oron, and their families to leave their ancestral place of abode and join him and his children in peopling his compound. With this in view, Egweile Compound was having the largest population among other compounds in the community. All and sundry in Okoroete Town named it Egweile, meaning “large compound,” to reflect its large population and for easy identification in the community. In the course of calling the name through the centuries, it went into elision which they elided the second ‘e’ in Egweile and called it ‘Egwile,’ till the present times.

From the above documentation, Ukafia’s father is from Iturougane, his mother is a great granddaughter of Oron. Oron occupies the southern wing of Egwile Compound unlike his brother, Ogwunte, at the western part. Iturougane and his children have both the eastern and northern parts of the same Compound. In ancient times Egwile ancestors knew their backgrounds as a family of ancient lineage of one ancestry. The foregone analysis depicts an historical fact that Ukafia was born into a group of lineal descendants with indigenous traditions before his exposure to Western education that brought him into modernity.

Western education was established in Okoroete Town at the time of Owen Ukafia’s birth. St. Silas’ Primary School founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1934, a year after he was born, became his Alma Mater. Before his enrolment in this school, he was baptized in the Anglican Communion with a new name, Owen. His parents expected him to answer, not only his new name in school but also, the names of the generations before his father as was the tradition then. Hence he was known as Owen Sylvanus Ukafia Iturougane Ukafia Ede Iturougane Ede-Ugane, a name that portrays Andoni tradition of venerating the elders and spans seven generations prior to his birth in 1933. But to shorten the elongated names, he preferred answering only the first three, Owen Sylvanus Ukafia, in his youthful exuberance down to his pen name in journalism, the fourth estate of the realm.

            Owen Sylvanus Ukafia started his primary school career at St. Silas’ Anglican School, Okoroete Town, in 1940 and progressed to Standard IV. For lack of Standard V & VI at his home school, he moved to Methodist Central School Ikot-Akpaden, established in 1912, where he completed his primary education in 1948. This institution was known all over Old Calabar Province for its disciplinary measure towards making the pupils good Nigerian citizens. Both the teachers and pupils experienced his brilliance and assumed it to be synonymous with Niger Delta inhabitants that consume more of seafood than forest products.

Be that as it may, Owen Ukafia became more religiously inclined during his days at the Ikot-Akpaden School. During his primary school career, he was operating in tandem with his father’s first cousin, Mr. Horace O. Enemugwem. They were doing things in common such as sleeping together, discussing their affairs and mapping out their strategies and exploits, owing to their intimacy. During his penultimate year in school, he intimated his cousin, Horace that he cannot continue because of the high level of discipline. But his cousin advised him to persevere as well as encouraging him in two other ways. One was the mandatory rule that all pupils in Standard V must possess the Michael West Dictionary which he had no money to buy. Horace surmounted this obstacle by providing him with a dictionary. The second was punishment to daily late comers to school. In his own case, he was trekking from Okoroete Town to Ikot Akpaden every school day, a distance of about seven miles then.

The Headmaster who was a strict disciplinarian earmarked a day to punish them severely. With his catchwords, “spare the rod and spoil the child,” Owen Ukafia was one of those to be stripped naked and well beaten. But Providence smiled on him through the advice of Horace. The latter advised him to pray and fast with Psalm 23 for three days, Friday-Sunday. The day of punishment was Monday. This saved him as the Headmaster was sick. His right hand was internally weakened. He could not flog pupils as usual. None was punished again on that day and thereafter the Headmaster was transferred to another school after three schools had rejected his transfer because of his high-handedness of pupils. It became proverbial that the prayers of Owen Sylvanus Ukafia saved the pupils of Methodist Central School, Ikot-Akpaden. This increased his intimacy with Horace as the story repeated itself of the goodness of God. He, too, became like a praying mantis all his life.

By the end of 1948, he was one of the high flyers in the First School Leaving Certificate Examination, an educational career he interchanged with the traditional education of Obolo economy and culture. These two were among the highest levels of indigenous education in his community then which many men and women attained. Only few aspired to the post-primary level and they could be counted. But traditional education assisted him greatly to join the middle class gentry in Obolo (Andoni). Before becoming a Church sexton, he experienced no lack due to the fishing economy which he was highly engaged.

Sexton, Master Fisherman and Parent

At a more specific time, Owen, son of Sylvanus and Lear, started another aspect of his early life in Okoroete Town. According to him, he completed his primary education at the age of fifteen and voluntarily served the St. Silas Anglican Church, Okoroete Town, as sexton. His duties include ringing the Church bell for martins, evensong and as duty demands. Others include conducting prayer meetings and teaching in the Sunday school, cleaning the Church interior and exterior and tendering the flowers in the Church premises. Oral and written data saw him as a Local Helper of the Church.

Although his service was not to attract any stipend, there was expression of gratitude from the Church. But then he was bent on serving the Church gratis. What made it proverbial were his interest in Church work and his effectiveness in it. His service to the Church coincided with the consecration of the pioneer indigenous bishop of the Niger Delta, The Right Reverend E. T. Dimeari, at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in 1949. It was speculated that Owen may go for the ordinate ambition. This could not materialize as his service continued till 1953 when his love to marry and own a family brightened.

By the provisions of Church regulations, it was mandatory that every Church worker should marry as pre-marital sex was an abomination. Owing to this fact, Ukafia thought of marriage when he was a full grown man of twenty years of age. He had not wanted to go against the wrath of the Church by having girl friends and earn severe punishment. So he informed his mother that he wanted a wife so that he can have children early enough and name after them as tradition demands. But his mother exclaimed, thus,

You have just left school; you neither have work nor fishing nets.

With what will you maintain a wife? Where will you get the money

for the marriage ceremony as you have no father living?

He was bold to answer his mother that she was there to provide him with nets to fish and produce the money. The mother did exactly that to approve his wish.

Owen became a fisherman and progressed to the rank of a famous fisherman, known all over the Eastern Obolo community. Thus, he practiced the economy and culture of his people and rose to the enviable status of Master Fisherman with fleets of fishing canoes. Suffice it to say that being the first child of his parents, all related attention was on him as he identified with them in all things, including his choice of a life companion as the need arises.

Owen Ukafia is married with children. In his search for a wife, he deployed his cousin, Prince George Akabutu Ukoima, and gave him three names to choose one for him. George in his usual parlance replied, “I know the three, take Lorah.” Lorah was the last child of her parents, born on April 10, 1940 and had her primary school career at St. Silas Anglican School, Okoroete Town, between 1947 and 1952. By December 1953 Owen had saved enough money from fishing for the traditional marriage rites as that was the system in vogue. In 1954, the marriage rites were completed under native law and custom, between the three families that were involved. These are his father’s family of Iturougane, the bride’s mother’s family of Princess Esther Akwa Ede which are in Okoroete Town, and bride’s father’s family of Prince Aboh Ufit of Okoroiti village. The marriage was arranged by both mothers of Owen and Lorah with gratitude that their children would develop a family beyond expression. They were interrelated as generations of Ede-Ugane and also saw the couples to maturity.

Lorah and Owen were almost the same age mates as Owen was only seven years older than Lorah. Both lost their paternal parents before adulthood. It is interesting that Owen Ukafia later added a second wife, Henrietta Levi Uzono, to Lorah in 1963 and trained both of them. Henrietta attended Government Teacher Training College, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, and the Nigerian Teachers’ Institute, Ikot Ebak, leading to Teachers Grade II Certificate and National Certificate of Education, respectively. After many years of being a Primary School Teacher, she retired statutorily and survived the husband. Although Lorah’s matrimony with Owen Ukafia lasted for forty years before she died on October 10, 1994, both grooms functioned well and lived together when he was a journalist stationed among the Efiks in Old Calabar, Egwenga, Port Harcourt and Aba. Owing to distance, they were not with him in Lagos when he was in the Editorial Department of the Daily Times of Nigeria with renowned journalists like Babatunde Jose, Peter Pan, Alade Odunewu, Areoye Oyebola and Henry Odukomaiya.

It was in Aba that Lorah had a two-year training course in Domestic Science, specializing in catering and sewing, at the Windsor Home Economics Training Institute. The school was built by the pioneer female Member of the Eastern Nigeria House of Chiefs, Chief (Mrs) Margaret Ekpo. The educational background and industriousness of Lorah and Henrietta supported their husband in moulding their ten biological children, three sons and seven daughters, into amiable class of good Nigerians. To name them individually are Lear (f), Sylvanus, Thompson, Festa (f), Rose (f), Jenny (f), Keziah (f), Leticia (f), Esther (f) and Stephen. Except Keziah that was a banker but late, all his children have outlived him.

These highly valued children, kind-hearted with inspirational enthusiasm and dynamism, are a bundle of joy to humanity. So also are their humility, infectious smiles, humour and peaceful disposition that are immeasurable. The high level of perspiration in their various endeavours commands a special mention. His first, second and third sons are Dr. Sylvanus Owen Ukafia, Thompson and Stephen Ukafia. Sylvanus was trained at Hope Waddell Training Institution and the University of Calabar where he graduated in medicine and became the first medical doctor of Eastern Obolo origin. As a medical practitioner in Uyo, Port Harcourt and Owerri, he was also appointed Lecturer in Anatomy at the University of Port Harcourt in the 1980s. His divine call as a Pastor and founder of the Insight Bible Church, Uyo, later earned his attention more than anything else. The Church is growing nationally and internationally.

Thompson also received a good education at St. Patrick’s College, Ikot Ansa, and read mass communication at the University of Uyo up to Masters Degree. He is a professional journalist and Assistant Chief Information Officer in the State Ministry of Information, Uyo. Prior to his presence in the Ministry of Information, he was in the Editorial Department of Community News of the National Concord media house. Stephen and their sisters are also well trained and in good positions in the State civil service. The solid foundation and innovativeness of both wives and children supported our celebrity to his last day. It could be the reason his regret is tangential because he pulled his best resources to make his wives and children progress at their various levels with surprising equanimity. Carrying the same feat into patriotism and training his relations with adequate mentoring, moved Obolo forward.

Obolo Patriot and Mentor

Not many in Eastern Obolo were patriotic to the cause of Obolo (Andoni) in the Eastern Region, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States as Owen Sylvanus Ukafia. He loved and defended Obolo (Andoni) to a fault. He was the Obolo ‘anchor man’ in Aba and Calabar for decades, from1962 to 1982. He was using the media houses of his employ to champion and protect the cause of Obolo people. His residence in Aba was a common rendezvous for the Obolo that found himself in the Enyimba City without knowing anywhere to lay his head. Similarly was the case in Calabar. He provided support, protection and assistance for them. He was strongly connected in solving the problems of the King Ukafia with a friendObolo in these cities. Anything Obolo earns his empathy wherever he finds himself.

In addition to the above, it can also be said that Ukafia’s life on earth was absolutely full of mentoring, not only to his biological children but also outside his nuclear family. He had wanted every child in his father’s compound to be well educated under his sponsorship. This initiative drove him to send his brother’s children, Sylvanus and Owen Amos Ukafia to good educational institutions. They ended as Army Public Relations Officer and a Venerable Archdeacon of the Anglican Communion, respectively. Similarly is his sponsorship of his cousin’s son, Richard Rogers Enemugwem, to Regina Coeli College, Essene, in 1965 and from there to Ibo National High School, Aba, in the later years. He also enlisted him and Chief Jonathan L. Arakpan Ukoima in the Nigeria Police Force. The latter retired as Superintendent of Police while Richard became the Chief of Iturougane’s Compound, Egwile.

Interestingly, his father’s compound produced the pioneer Professor in Okoroete Town and second in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area. He is Professor John Horace Enemugwem who is also the second Professor of History in Obolo (Andoni). Thus, the first Professor in the Local Government Area is Professor N. E. Dienye and the first Professor of History in Obolo is Professor N. C. Ejituwu. Professor Enemugwem is the Official University Historian and Dean, Faculty of Humanities, University of Port Harcourt. He has contributed extensively to historical knowledge and is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria. His publications are used in teaching oral historiography and methodology of history in some universities home and abroad. Prior to his professorial career, he was a Private Secretary to our celebrity before and during his monarchy. It could be recalled that John Enemugwem was mentored by Professor N. C. Ejituwu from student to Professor who in turn was mentored by Owen Sylvanus Ukafia in Calabar. Ukafia also contributed towards the burial of Professor Ejituwu’s elder brother, Edward Ejituwu, when the latter died in Calabar in the 1960s

Eyewitness accounts states that Owen Ukafia’s verbal encouragement of the retired pioneer Anglican Archbishop of the Niger Delta, Most Reverend Emmanuel Ebenezar Nglass, who is kindred of Eastern Obolo is factually correct. He started as Church Agent and progressed to a school teacher, pastor, archdeacon of an archdeaconry, bishop of a diocese and archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. As a retired Archbishop in the present, he respects Ukafia till his last day in remembrance of the benevolence of His Royal Majesty’s good mentoring. Any concern for development programmes in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area was always a common discourse between two of them.

In all these fecundities, Nglass did not relent in calculating when to catapult Ukafia’s family to ecclesiastical fame. As soon as he was raised to the episcopate on Sunday 16 September 1990 by Archbishop Joseph Adetiloye of Nigeria, he prepared and ordained Owen Ukafia (Jnr) as a deacon and priest in the Missionary Diocese of Uyo. He swiftly progressed and installed him Canon of All Saints Cathedral Uyo and in few years collated him a Venerable Archdeacon of an Archdeaconry. By dint of hard work no one can predict the enviable limits of Owen Ukafia (Jnr) through Nglass as a result of the work of a great mentor, Owen Ukafia (Snr). These are good lessons for posterity all over the world to learn and mentor the inexperienced as the need arises.

Extensive publicity of the name, Owen Ukafia, could also be found on the lips of His Highness Chief Harry John Etetor, Village Head of Elile in Eastern Obolo. Ukafia mentored him from school teacher to village head. Having known of Etetor’s good educational background, he encouraged him to leave the classroom for politics. This made it easy for him to win the 1983 General Elections into the Cross River State House of Assembly to represent Eastern Obolo on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria. Ukafia was not pleased at the military interlude that installed General Buhari’s military administration in December 1983 and terminated the nascent democracy which Etetor was involved. Ukafia’s next exploit was making him Member of Ikot Abasi Local Government Care-Taker Committee.

On the creation of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council, it was expedient for Etetor to assume office as the pioneer Executive Chairman of Eastern Obolo Local Government with the support of Owen Ukafia and Geoffery L. Uzono, both of Ede Royal Group of Houses. Another military interlude that dismissed the Sani Abacha Junta also terminated the invigorated democracy which Etetor was an actor. Yet, Ukafia was unperturbed. He waited for the opportune moment to strike a harmonious chord in favour of Harry Etetor. But this could not come before Governor Victor Attah’s administration of Akwa Ibom State. Eye witness account stated that His Excellency requested our hero to nominate an unblemished personality for appointment as Chairman, Eastern Obolo Local Government Care-Taker Committee. It was at the Deputy Governor’s Lodge, Uyo that His Royal Majesty King Ukafia Ede VI nominated him and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Chris Ekpeyong, took it to Governor Attah at the Hilltop Mansion immediately. This benevolence that went to Etetor was not the least. Greater than that was Ukafia Ede using Elile history to guard against all impossibilities and made him the village head of Elile.

In like manner, Harry Etetor waited for the right moment to restructure Owen Ukafia from Village Head to Clan Head. This was realised when His Highness Chief Augustus Adaka, Clan Head of Eastern Obolo, died in 1984. To fill the gap, His Highness Chief Marcus Uko, Village Head of Emenoke was preferred. Etetor and his elder brother, Chief Evans John, forestalled it by advising Chief Marcus Uko to have a rethink, consider his educational background, and call on all Village Heads in Eastern Obolo to elect Owen Ukafia for the position. They were confident in the latter piloting Eastern Obolo affairs across the valley of the shadows due to his good educational background and exposure. Etetor capped it all with the sponsoring of the MA (History) Programme of Ukafia’s cousin, John H. Enemugwem, at the University of Port Harcourt between 1990 and 1992.

Going back to Ukafia’s years as a master fisherman, he taught many how to fish. Two of his canoe men were Samuel Albert Ogwunte and Charlie Hart Etewo who nicknamed him, “Master,” until their last days on earth. They were long standing deep sea fishermen, fishing with his canoe and also working for him at the fishing port. Incidentally they later left, had their Western education to university level and became Principals of Community Secondary School, Ke, in Rivers State and Community Secondary School, Ukam, Akwa Ibom State, respectively. Owen Ukafia, too, left fishing for journalism. In the mass media where his good reputation went far and near, he raised good Nigerian professional journalists. The story of his journalism is tied to his nationalism. To this we now turn.

Journalist and Nationalist

Owen Ukafia went into journalism, a profession he became prolific, which took him round the country. He became a journalist as a compensation for his astute nationalism. For this reason, his journalism was intertwined with nationalism. In their days, the pen was mightier than the sword. As such, journalists were the nationalists in Nigeria like Ernest Ikoli, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Samuel Akintola. In 1953 he joined the Action Group political party founded by Chief Obafemi Awolowo to campaign for the creation of more States or regions in Nigeria. To solidify his nationalism, he was given appointment in the Nigerian Daily Standard first as a proof reader and later promoted to reporter. This was to enable him trained as a nationalist. His job in this media outfit spanned for seven years, 1953-1959, when his party contested the General Elections of December 1959 and lost to the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) of Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The editorial training he received from them qualified him to be employed by the COR Advocate owned by the COR Newspapers Organization of the Action Group party. Although he spent only one year, 1959-1960, before moving to the Editorial Department of the Eastern States Express, Aba, through it the largest newspaper organization in West Africa, the Daily Times of Nigeria, Lagos, longed-for him. These appointments consolidated him in true journalism and nationalism as the experience he garnered was enduring. One of his articles in the Eastern States Express attracted the attention of Alhaji Babatunde Jose in 1960. He was editor of the Daily Times from 1957 to 1962 and introduced two editorial conferences per day like the London Mirror. Through this means he changed the editorial policy of the Daily Times for the better and searched for journalists who can work with him. Ukafia was one of the few employed into the Daily Times with a better offer. He was always with Jose whenever the latter was editing the front page of the paper.

In 1962, Alhaji Jose was promoted to the rank of Managing Director of Daily Times. He handed Owen Ukafia to the next editor, Peter Enahoro, alias Peter Pan, who was editor from 1962 to 1964. From this angle Ukafia was retrained in an in-service training in the Daily Times before he attended the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, to improve his career. Here he is said to have distinguished himself in investigative journalism, advanced reporting and press law. It can thus be argued that his retraining endeared his employer to post him to Aba as the Eastern Regional Correspondent of Daily Times in 1962. In this capacity the Nigerian Textile Mills and Soap Factory, all in Aba, engaged him as their Public Relations Manager on part time basis. He was also a part time correspondent to the Eastern Guardian newspaper until he recruited his cousin Mr. Leonard Stephen Akwa for the Guardian. He remained in these positions till the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War.

Several oral historians identified him at the end of the war still with the Daily Times in 1970. But in 1971 he was influenced by Governor U. J. Esuene and recruited as Chief Reporter in His Excellency’s South-Eastern State Government owned newspaper, the Nigerian Chronicle. It was edited by Mr. Moses Ekpo, now Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Ukafia’s effectiveness and devotion to duty was quickly recognized and he was promoted through the ranks to News Editor and Deputy Editor, Sunday Chronicle.

No one has forgotten that Owen Ukafia used his position in the Nigerian Chronicle, Calabar, to remould some young journalists into geniuses. Amongst them were Ray Ekpu, now proprietor of Newswatch Times; Nick Fadugba, editor of a London based magazine; Nnamso Umoren, Patrick and Kate Okon who ended up as Permanent Secretaries as well as Clement Ebri that later became Governor of Cross River State in the Second Republic. Many acknowledged his good work and compensated him along this line because his journalism was a watch-dog of human rights in Nigeria. Being a pressman, his methodical competence and literary talent burgeoned to enviable heights.

It is important to observe that he left the Nigerian Chronicle in 1978 for the Nigerian Statesman as the Chief Correspondent in charge of the Old Cross River State. Nigerian Statesman was the mouthpiece of the Imo State Government. With a higher offer, he also worked for the National Concord owned by Chief M. K. O. Abiola in 1980 and retired from active journalism in 1981. It is well known that throughout his work as a journalist he was not arrested by the law enforcement agencies. As a fine journalist, he respects the rule of law to the admiration of all. His duration in the Nigerian Press was between 1952 and 1981, a period he served six known newspaper houses unblemished.

Coming to Ukafia’s nationalism, the most hallowed programme of it was found in the Action Group political manisfesto. The latter was for creation of more States as units of the Nigerian Federation. They advocated for the split of the Western Region, Northern Region and Eastern Region for an additional units to be called the Midwest, Middle Belt, and COR Regions. Owen Ukafia was engrossed in it and the re-election of Dr. E. U. Udoma to the Federal House to present the motion for their creations. He was in the AG’s political campaigns led by Dr. Udoma in the Niger Delta areas of Opobo South where helicopter was used to transport the team because of the difficult terrain which can little take road transport. Udoma developed a great interest in him since his journalism and nationalism entrenched his interest for the welfare of the minorities. Their demand for the creation of COR State, meaning Calabar-Ogoja-Rivers State manifested as Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.

Following these features and his love for the welfare of the minorities, he dabbled into politics. This was at the creation of Eastern Obolo constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly during the Second Republic. According to him, if a people must develop, efforts should be intensified to ensure a good representation in parliament. This drove him into politics to contest the General Elections of 1979 on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), headed by his political master, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But he lost to Mr. Sunday Urang of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Of course the reminiscences of the Nigerian Civil War that destroyed the area led to these developments.

Ukafia’s nationalism also played an important role in the Nigerian Civil War. Within this period, he was reporting for the Daily Times of Nigeria. His role in the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970 was immense. After using his journalism to contribute to the victory of the Federal Troops, he went on an enlightenment campaign of the neighbouring villages where the Eastern Obolo refugees had sojourned and persuaded them to return to their homes. Then, Eastern Obolo (Andoni) was deserted owing to the death of 105 indigenes during the liberation of the area by the Federal Troops on Sunday 31 March 1968. Okoroete Town was burnt to ashes. The people would not have died if the Eastern Obolo chiefs and leaders of thoughts had listened to his advice to go for the Federal Troops to liberate the area.

It could be recalled that he formed the Okoroete Town Council. The members were Owen Ukafia (Chairman), Naboth M. Elebe, Chief Jeconiah Ojoko, Messrs Z. Z. Ikpaiko, Clifford Ijong, H. D. Ekpoke (Members) and M. I. Waribo (Secretary) among others. This Council reactivated the daily market, educational institutions with free primary education and the Eastern Obolo Clan Council of Chiefs. Many children benefited from his free primary education programme. They include Hon. Ufikaro J. Efet who was the Executive Chairman of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council in his later years, Messrs. Ijente Julius Ijente, Nkaroijo S. Ijente, Principals of secondary schools and Dr. A. E. Ikpokonte, the pioneer Head of Department of Geology at the Nasarawa State University and now Associate Professor in Geophysics at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Whereas the Nigerian Federation benefitted from Owen Ukafia, Eastern Obolo owes its existence to his singular effort. Providence smiled on him that one of his friends, Chief Alfred Amos Ino, was the Chairman of the State Scholarship Board. He uses this advantage to the pleasure of many Eastern Obolo children who were inclined to Western education and attracted both secondary and university scholarships for them, home and abroad. Similarly is the fact that some Eastern Obolo men were given Board appointments. To mention but two are Chief Christopher John and Mr. Vincent Eshiet who were appointed into the Governing Council of the State College of Technology, now Polytechnic, Calabar, and the State Tourist Board, respectively. His amiability to have accepted to succeed King Stephen Akwa as the monarch of Okoroete Town became an added advantage.

King of Okoroete, Paramount Ruler of Eastern Obolo, Chairman, Akwa Ibom Council of Chiefs

History has made us to understand that anyone who is privy to the frontiers of royalty will no longer be the same. In Ukafia Ede’s case, he was a tripartite monarch, King, Clan Head and Paramount Ruler, as the Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Traditional Rulers Edicts permit. They regulate their high chieftaincy positions around electoral colleges. All village heads in a clan will elect one of them as Clan Head and all Clan Heads in a Local Government Area will also elect one of them as Paramount Ruler. Eastern Obolo has two clans, Iko and Okoroete.

Our celebrity little retired from his journalism profession when he was selected among many princes and princesses to ascend the ancient throne of Ede, founder of Okoroete Town and Eastern Obolo as history and Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Certificates of Recognitions could depict. While his immediate past monarch, King Stephen Akwa Ede V died in 1977, he replaced him in the same year. After Owen had undergone every ritual of investiture, he ascended the throne as King Owen Sylvanus Ukafia Ede VI. From there he started wearing the mantle of kingship of this historical stool with considerable authority and tolerance. With a life richly confined towards goodwill to humanity, he was well equipped to deal with the multiplicity of tasks that leadership entails.

According to Tam Fiofori, King Ukafia Ede VI is the first Obolo (Andoni) monarch to work up his chieftaincy stool from Third Class in 1977 to First Class Throne in 1999. In 1977 no stool in Obolo (Andoni) was beyond Second Class institution. His recognition as a Village Head, Third Class monarch, by the Government of Cross River State of Governor Clement Isong was in 1981. By dint of hard work and diligence to duty, he was elevated to the position of Clan Head of Eastern Obolo which is Second Class, in 1987. Ten years later he was the pioneer first class ruler in Obolo (Andoni).

Now, the central questions pleading for answers are the significant things King Ukafia Ede did when he was Clan Head of Eastern Obolo. Before and during this time he was on peace parley round Eastern Obolo. A case readily in mind is the fracas between two villages, Iko and Okorombokho caused by footballers from both settlements. Another dispute between them, too, was a land case which they sought for boundary. Without the careful intervention of His Royal Majesty the fight could have claim lives and destruction of these two villages.

Exactly in July 1987 after he was made Clan Head by Government, the youths of Iko Town carried out a peaceful protest in Iko and the Utapate Flow Station of SPDC, calling for compensation to the people. They were against the oil exploitation in the area by the SPDC and the damages caused by gas flare and oil pollution without compensation. The SPDC used a reinforcement of the Nigeria Police Force against the demonstrated youths, injured and arrested them and destroyed houses and shops in Iko Town. Looting and arson were not ruled out. Prominent among the houses burnt were the textile shop of Lady Comfort A. P. Aquaowo, Messrs Daniel Waribo and Clinton Ejioeto whose mother’s corpse was also arson.

The clash between the Nigeria Police and the Iko villagers is what could have sacked Iko Town. But the statecraft of King Ukafia Ede VI made the difference. He invited the Governor of Old Cross River State, Lt. Commander Lawrence Onoja who was acting for Navy Captain Archibong. Accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Pius Osayende, the Acting Governor responded immediately and flew into Eastern Obolo by helicopter and Iko Town was rescued from total destruction. Although the damages were much, they were determined to save lives.

Another angle of His Royal Majesty’s expertise was in Obolo law and customs. In 1991, Chief Rufus Ada George assumed office as Governor of Rivers State. Having recognized Obolo (Andoni) as one of the areas that made him to win the election, he visited Andoni Local Government Area. Principal Obolo chiefs, recognized by Governments, were invited to play some roles in the making of Chief Rufus Ada George an Obolo chief. King Ukafia Ede VI performed the tying of the Obolo traditional attire. Other principal chiefs also performed different roles. This explains one of the reasons the Obolo held King Ukafia Ede VI in a very high esteem.

He has been an outstanding gentleman, colourful all his life. He used the opportunity of his reign to crave for the creation of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council which materialized in 1996. Infrastructural developments such as roads, electricity and pipe borne water followed. His elevation to Paramount Ruler of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area by the Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom State, Group Captain John Ebiye, in 1998, was in recognition of his hard work and contributions to nation-building. This confirms the saying that “it has been ordained that no one can labour, rightly, in vain.” His Royal Majesty did not labour for his country without compensation, directly and indirectly.

           Recognizing the fact that he is now a Paramount Ruler, he set up a 14 man Palace Advisory Council whose members were drawn from the nooks and crannies of his domain, Eastern Obolo. They were Sir Levi L. Uzono (Snr) Chairman, Sir C. H. Etewo, Chief John Waribo, Chief R. R. E. Iturougane, Chief E. P. Adasigwung, Chief Albert L. Ogwunte, Prince M. S. Aqua, all of Okoroete Town; Chief Job Job (Amazaba and representing the Eastern Obolo Chiefs Council), Chief Gogo Adaka (Village Head of Amadaka), Chief Jacob Akwaowo (Iko), Chief Emmanuel Okworo (Ikonta), Elder Igakubong Adasi (Okorombokho), Hon. James Dan James (Emenoke), Hon. Kenneth Ogboyok (Obianga) and Mr. A. L. F. Ede as Secretary to Council. Their roll was advisory.

            King Ukafia-Ede VI, the pioneer first class monarch in Obolo (Andoni), was the Chairman of Eastern Obolo Traditional Rulers Council. Another higher appointment was when he was appointed Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs between 2003 and 2004. While in this position, his innovations were vivid in two aspects. First was the one thousand naira (N1000 .00) Nigerian currency note to honour late Dr. Clement Isong, a former Governor of the Central Bank before 1970 and also Governor of Cross River State, 1979-2003. This came up in his welcome address to President Olusegun Obasanjo during the latter’s visit to Akwa Ibom State in 2004. In 2005 it was issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

            Second, Ukafia-Ede utilized the same welcome address to prevent Obasanjo’s administration from transferring some oil wells in the Niger Delta to neighbouring states. His action was for the benefit of Nigerians as petroleum is our national economy. Here one would like to note that His Royal Majesty went macro in his contributions to nation-building. He was not after Obolo but his country, Nigeria, which he saved during the civil war between 1967 and 1970. It will be observed that his interest was Nigeria as a country and Obolo as a unit. On 16 November 2008 he celebrated his 75th Birthday Anniversary and his first son, Dr. S. O. Ukafia, declared a one week free medical services to humanity, irrespective of abode.

Infrastructural and Intellectual Developments in Eastern Obolo

Infrastructural development means creating the basic structures that an area should have to work properly. Among them are roads, utilities like electricity and water, educational and health-care delivery facilities. Intellectual development means educational development in arts and science. When these things are pioneered in the area if they were not there before the period, it becomes innovations. Secondly, one way of measuring the success of a monarch or political institution is to assess the development trend during his reign.

Before King Ukafia Ede VI ascended the ancient throne of his forebears, the poverty of infrastructural development in his kingdom of Eastern Obolo was glaring. What was there were the colonial District Court, Postal Agency, Dispensary and missionary schools that produces court messengers, teachers and labourers. As soon as he ascended the throne in 1977, things went positive with a plethora of development projects which his contributions to infrastructural and intellectual developments in Eastern Obolo are situated in the following analysis. We will also examine the conditions under which they were achieved.

Our discourse will commence with the provision of law and order. Lack of a police station in Eastern Obolo became history during the reign of His Royal Majesty. He influenced Government to establish a police post to further reduce fracas and criminality in the area. Its upgrading to a Divisional status follows the creation of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council. In the case of courts of law, Magistrate’s Court Okoroete Town and District Court Iko Town have been completed only waiting for official commissioning of the government and posting of staff to assume duties. The only functional court of justice presently in the Local Government Area is the Old District Court, Okoroete Town.

As is already evident, the construction of Ikot Akpaden – Okoroete Road took place in King Owen Ukafia Ede’s times and at his instigation of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Governments. One of his bosom friends, Professor I. I. Ukpong, was the Secretary to Cross River State Government, coupled with Hon. Sunday Urang representing Eastern Obolo in the State House of Assembly. From here Governor Clement Isong of Cross River State started it using the Strabag Construction Company in 1980. But the latter after surveying the road could not go beyond the Ikot Akpaden end. In fact, the actual construction of this road to Okoroete Town was done by Governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State during Ukafia’s Chairmanship of the State Council of Chiefs. Prior to the period but also in his times, Chief A. K. Horsfall led OMPADEC had constructed the road and bridges from Okorombokho to Iko.

Another road development realised in his reign is the building of the internal roads in Okoroete Town by the Eastern Obolo Local Government Council led by Rt. Hon. Francis Charles. The substance of this argument is that the construction of some internal roads in Okoromita and other parts of Eastern Obolo were done by the NDDC. NDDC’s work is credited to the tenure of Arch E. I. I.T. Ette as Executive Director Projects and Engr. Tele Ekpoke who was his Technical Assistant. Having known the topography of Eastern Obolo so well, they found it easy to map out many internal roads for construction.

There is evidence that the modern health-care delivery facilities in Eastern Obolo came during King Ukafia Ede’s reign. After the Nigerian Civil War, His Royal Majesty and Prince G. A. Ukoima mobilized the people of Okoroete Town and launched a development plan for the building of a Health Centre. Governor Isong’s administration of Cross River State brought a revolutionary character into the objectives of the people when twelve low cost houses were built in Eastern Obolo (Andoni).

The Eastern Obolo representative in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Urang, decisively caused nine of the twelve low cost houses to be built at Iko Town and three at Okoroete Town. These houses were the starting points of two Primary Health Centres that functioned at the above mentioned places. At the creation of Eastern Obolo Local Government Council in 1996 which King Ukafia Ede VI led the vanguard for the demand, two of the three houses in Okoroete Town saw its divergence to Local Government Offices in 1997. Mr. Ekoriko was the First Sole Administrator. Later, Primary Health Centres were built at Amadaka by Mobil, Emenoke, Okoroinyong, Obianga and a General Hospital at Okoroete Town. Obianga at the Imo river estuary was found necessary because of its peculiar terrain in the Niger Delta and long distance journey to Okoroete, Iko and Amadaka Towns for health-care services. These were followed by 50 Low Cost Houses and the Security Village at Okoroete Town built by Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio’s administrations.

The Eastern Obolo people found meaning in the above establishments and planned for the building of secondary schools in the area. Many primary and post-primary schools like Government Primary School Iwofe, Government Primary School Elile, Amaya Comprehensive College, Amadaka; Community Secondary School, Emenoke, and Government Science College, Atabrikang, were built by the Eastern Obolo Local Government, Akwa Ibom State Government, and the Eastern Obolo community. These institutions came on board in the reign of King Ukafia Ede VI. Yet the representation of Hon. Sunday Urang in the Cross River State House of Assembly established the first secondary school in Eastern Obolo called Community Secondary School, Iko Town, in 1981. Following this was the Okoromita Community Secondary School, Okoroete Town and Emenoke Secondary School in the Shooter Creek. These post-primary institutions portray the significance of the reign of His Royal Majesty King Ukafia Ede VI. Before his time there was no secondary school in Eastern Obolo.

Accordingly, these institutions that emerged in his time are springing up intellectual development. It is on record that since King Ukafia Ede VI became a monarch in 1977 only few villages in Eastern Obolo are yet to produce doctorate degree holders and medical doctors. Some of them progressed in manpower development up to the professorial cadre.

Let us now analyze the issue of water supply and electricity. The first electricity in Okoroete Town in particular and Eastern Obolo in general was installed by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) from 1957 to 1961. But it was only around their location in Okoroete Town.

Available records show that the coming of the administration of Governor Godwin O. Abbe of Akwa Ibom State was good for Ukafia Ede’s domain. His Excellency saw Eastern Obolo having their Ijaw topography of the Niger Delta and marshalled out his interest to assist in developing the area. His administration started the installation of electric poles round Okoroete Town in 1990. With other developmental initiatives, many villages in Eastern Obolo of King Ukafia Ede VI is now imbued with power supply up to Ikonta at the Imo river estuary under the benevolence of the erstwhile Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.

SPDC first attempted giving the people of Okoroete Town water supply in 1957 long before King Ukafia Ede’s reign. But the Shell water was unsatisfactory for drinking. Stream water remained the only source of water supply until King Ukafia Ede’s times. Another attempt was made during the NDDC period when Benjamin Okoko of Ikot Abasi represented Akwa Ibom State. In all these attempts, King Ukafia Ede VI made a difference by requesting NDDC to drill a borehole on the grounds of His Royal Majesty’s Palace. This became the first source of water supply for the people. Many people piped it into their houses. But then the NDDC contracts for water supply in other places of Eastern Obolo are under construction.

Generally, His Royal Majesty’s association with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) started from the period of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Commission (OMPADEC) in 1992. This came as a result of the formidable aspect of his kingdom, Eastern Obolo, as a centre of petroleum resources in the Niger Delta. Four petroleum conglomerates, namely, SPDC, ExxonMobil, Total and Amni are exploiting the area and forming a crude oil cartel. The inauguration of OMPADEC and later NDDC was in recognition of the fact that Eastern Obolo was the only petroleum producing area in the Old Cross River State. It brought in its wake a committee of stake holders of the oil producing areas in the Niger Delta Region called Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON) with His Royal Majesty as a member by virtue of being the monarch of Eastern Obolo.

Coupled with his humanitarianism, inter-communication skill and effective public relation channels, he used this position in attracting infrastructures from the oil companies. Roads, classroom blocks and equipment of science laboratories in the Eastern Obolo schools as well as scholarships to indigenes of the area were realised. It became expedient that the Executive Chairmen and Managing Directors of these Commissions, in the course of their duties, were visiting His Majesty’s Palace without protocol. Unforgettable instances are Chief A. K. Horsfall and Professor Eric Opia. Through them electricity, Okorombokho Bridge and the modern road network to Iko Town received an ultra-modern attention from OMPADEC and later NDDC. His Royal Majesty, too, utilized his position in TROMPCON to establish relations across the country and the Federal and State Governments whenever they are on the Commissions errand. Three attributes that are his esteemed qualities, honesty, transparency and accountability, blazed the trail of his life and endeared Governments to see him as Obolo (Andoni) genius of his time.King Ukafia - Paramount Ruler of Eastern Obolo

Coming to the building of descent residential accommodation in the area, the contributions of Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited can rarely be forgotten. Their presence in Eastern Obolo was recorded in 2005 when their Executive Director External Relations and General Services, Mr. Wale Olafisan, led a team of the Company’s experts to His Royal Majesty King Owen Ukafia Ede VI, Paramount Ruler of Eastern Obolo. Amni’s exploration of crude oil, OPL 224 & OML 112, in the Eastern Obolo platform of the South Atlantic Sea was not without the employment of Eastern Obolo youths.

The latter, in turn, utilized their accumulated surpluses in erecting descent buildings in the area. They worked to diversify the economy from fishing to white collar jobs in the petroleum industry. Accordingly, the impact was not hidden. Unemployment rate in Eastern Obolo slightly reduced. The standard of living of the people also improved. In all these developments, King Owen Ukafia Ede VI played decisive and significant roles that contributed to the development of Eastern Obolo until his death in 2014.

Death: The End of Man

Death is the end of man. It comes when it will come without any obstacle on its way. And man becomes a play thing of death. Someone seen today healthy is not sure to make earth a dwelling place for aeons. King Ukafia Ede VI took ill in 2014. On December 24th, of the same year he passed on and joined his forebears.

In fact, all Obolo communities far and near are regarded as children of Ede-Obolo whose royal stool His Royal Majesty King Ukafia Ede VI represented in Eastern Obolo (Andoni). On his death, the Andoni Divisional Council of Chiefs and the people of Egwede Town, where his forebears migrated, were traditionally informed on Tuesday 27 October 2015. After meeting with the Divisional Council of Chiefs at Ngo Town, headquarters of Obolo (Andoni), King N. L. A. Iraron, Ede-Obolo II of Egwede Town and his entire community accorded the Eastern Obolo delegation a rousing welcome and took them round the town including the Holy Trinity Anglican Church where they prayed for their spiritual sustainability and development to survive King Ukafia Ede VI.

Oral history from the associates of His Royal Majesty described him as a highly revered royal father, faithful to his course, intelligent, diligent, articulate and dynamic in his work. According to His Royal Majesty Edidem (Surv.) Edem Silas Akpan, Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs, “his reign made Eastern Obolo a citadel of peace and tranquillity and an abode for all and sundry irrespective of ethnicity, religion or decent.

Conclusion

This treatise is on a monarch, His Royal Majesty King Owen Sylvanus Ukafia Ede VI. He was the King of Okoroete Town, Clan Head of Okoroete Clan, pioneer Paramount Ruler of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area and Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Council of Chiefs. He pioneered some innovations in his domain and Nigeria as a result of the various challenges in his society which he led the people to respond positively. The challenges were socio-political and economic in nature, posed by man and his environment. Nevertheless, King Ukafia Ede VI attempted to isolate these challenges for remedy during his reign.

It is the contention of this paper that His Royal Majesty lived a fulfilled life. The legacies he left behind demonstrated that his actions and pronouncements were within the paradigm of socio-economic resources and were for the good of Obolo (Andoni) and Nigeria. One thing is certain. His history is, therefore, an important aspect of the history of Obolo (Andoni), Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria. In fact, his colleague traditional rulers described him as the embodiment of Eastern Obolo of his time because of his collective will, vision and mission of the people. Being the spokesman of Eastern Obolo (Andoni), all Governments in his time, be it Local, State and Federal and the Chiefs of his domain were his allies. On the whole, His Royal Majesty King Owen Ukafia Ede VI spent his 82 years life span in nation-building. The latter was his method of keeping peace and development.

Nevertheless, his dynamism from journalist to paramount ruler contributed to the development of this country. He saved Eastern Obolo in particular and Nigeria in general in many ways which only few are enumerated in this work. In recognition of his contributions to humanity, Columbus International University in the British Virgin Islands awarded King Ukafia Ede VI an honorary Doctorate Degree in 2003. The universe wishes him a perfect rest and his domain more fruitful years of nation-building in Nigeria. He is survived by a wife, nine children and numerous relations.