Chief Owho Ovuakporie, a retired seasoned banker,, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, author of the popular book, 'Are Africans Black People', other books, immediate past President General of Owhelogbo Community Development Union, in this interview in commemoration of his 70th birthday with Isoko Mirror, he spoke extensively about his childhood, real life experiences and other sundry issues, excerpts.
How do you feel at 70?
I feel like a sweet sixteen. Age they say is a number. I thank God for taking me to this age of perfect creation. Three scores and ten is the age recommended by the scriptures and if you are strong enough, four scores and ten.
How has it been for the past 70 years?
Laugh. That is a long epistle with very many chapters. But permit me to give you a compendium. On the good side, I have travelled to many parts of the world and am blessed with a very good wife and amazing children and grandchildren. On the other hand,four armed robbery incidents, two ghastly motor accidents and three surgeries. But God delivered me safely from all of them to His glory .
Congratulations double Chief. I hope there has been no more health challenges?
Laugh again. Yes, another major one. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with a life threatening ailment. The doctor gave me two years to live. The entire family was confused. My children told me to come over to the USA. But I refused and told them that my God will heal me. I was wondering why I should die at 66 when my father had me at 80. But today God has healed me by His stride . Today I live my life in gratitude to God every moment.I see myself as the proverbial cat with nine lives because the Almighty God has always given me the abilities to survive critical and deadly situations.
You said your father had you at 80.
Yes. I was not even his last fruit. His last fruit was my beloved late junior brother Col. Mobutu Ovuakporie of blessed memory. My father had him at 84.
Can you tell us more about your father?
He was a great and brave man and was the first to lead a united Owhelogbo then know as Ilue. Owhelogbo has a rich Pre-Colonial and Colonial History which many people do not know. I have an unpublished book on that as told by my father and corroborated by some elders in those days. There was an incident in 1911 which brought my father to the limelight. One oyibo "white man" was murdered in the community. In retaliation, the Colonial District Office at Ughelli was furious, evaded the community and burned all the thatch houses. There were gun shots everywhere. Many people were killed and the community was completely deserted. For two full weeks, our people were inside the bush. Some moved to neighbouring communities like Orogun,Abraka and Abbi and some decided to settle there permanently hence you see so many Owhelogbo people in such communities.
Out of sheer bravery and desperation to save the community and the people from possible extinction, my father Chief Ovuakporie Agbodo JP dared the police,came out from the bush, raised up his hands and started waving them as a sign of peace. Behold, when the oyibos "white men" saw him waving his hands, they commanded the police not to shoot him . The oyibos summoned Ovuakporie who was demonstrating with his hands because he does not understand nor speak English language. They told Ovuakporie through an interpreter that if he does not want more killings of his people,he and his people must obey their laws. In order to save the community and his people, young Ovuakporie quickly agreed. He was made to sign Peace Treaty on behalf of the community. After signing the Peace Treaty, he was permitted to go back into the bush and announce to his people to return. This was how the war was brought to an end. Consequently, the Colonial Masters set up the first Administrative and Colonial Cabinet comprising of three illustrious sons of Owhelogbo namely Chief Ovuakporie Agbodo JP from Edhomoko Quarter as Chairman, Chief Efesi Ibakpa Akpososo JP from Ekruosue Quarter as member and Chief Edigwe Okame JP from Iyedhe Quarter as member.
After the cabinet had been constituted, the Colonial Masters crowned Ovuakporie who was 38 years old the first paramount Chief and the first Oletuologbo of Owhelogbo and wore him a royal crown made up of iron as a symbol of authority . I grew up in the 1950s to witness this crown in my father's house.
It was during the reign of the Colonial Cabinet that infrastructure such as the Roman Catholic Church,the Anglican Church and Primary Schools were established in Owhelogbo. The Colonial Cabinet in collaboration with the Missionary established the first School in 1930 known as CMS Missionary School initially cited at Egbrago compound which was opposite Omowero compound in Edhomoko Quarter. In 1955, St Patrick Catholic School was also established . It was the Colonial Cabinet that assembled a team led by Chief Ofuofa ,a seven footer plus that constructed the first bridge made of wood on the Owhelogbo - Abbi road.The Colonial Cabinet ruled Owhelogbo until the year 1963 when OCDU was formed. It is instructive to note that the various quarters were both autonomous and autochthonous communities before the colonial rule.
Unfortunately not a single road or monument bears the name of my father or any of the other Cabinet Members. The only street that bears Ovuakporie's name was reallocated to my in-law around 2010. Then my late junior brother was furious and wanted us to fight back. I told him no need because we will then be fighting our sister's children because of a mere street name.
But painfully, many people today think that our ancestral land of which a little part was given to my sister where she built her house belongs to my in-law because the street passed through it.
Is it true that you brought the Catholic Parish to Owhelogbo and yourself and your wife built the Mission House.
Absolutely true. It was in 2010 that some Owhelogbo Catholic faithful notebly Mr Benedict E.Owhorukowho, the late Chief Ebiri J.A.O(JP) and others appealed to me to use my connection with the then Bishop of Warri Catholic Diocese Most.Rev.(Dr) John Okeoghene Afareha who is my friend to demand for a Parish. I met him and he immediately approved it but with a proviso, that the Church must first build a story building which was the latest requirements for the Priest residence. I returned and told my wife about the condition attached. Her response was spontaneous. She said why not, we have the money. Immediately, both of us embarked on the project and told the Church to allow us complete the building unaided. While the building was going on, I met the Bishop again, told him of the progress made and also appealed to him that my wife and I have a temporary accommodation , a three bedroom flat in my compound that can accommodate the Priest in the interim. He agreed and he posted a Priest to us on 24th March,2012. It was jubilation galore in the entire community having been the first church to be established in Owhelogbo in 1911.
On 14th December, 2013, we launched a 50 million Naira new Church building fund of which I was the Chairman of the Organizing Committee. In all these, the Edafioghor family and Chief Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay with some others have been most supportive. Chief Macaulay even though he is not of the Catholic faith donated 1 million Naira at the launch.
He is one man with a great and good heart to whom I am eternally grateful.
While both the Mission House and the Church building were progressing simultaneously, the devil struck. My employer Union Bank was taken over by CBN and some of us who were very vocal were prematurely retired.
This affected my cash flow and the Mission House was just at a roofing stage. My wife and I then decided to hand over the house to the church which became a church project for completion.
Fantastic.
Have you been involved in other community works.
Yes and at different times and in several ways. I was the national P.R.O of O.C.D.U as far back as 1984 when the late Dr Izeke was PG. In 1985 and with my own resources, I brought N.T.A Benin to do a documentary of the entire community. It was indeed a huge blessing in disguise because that was when I met my wife who was then teaching at Uruogbe Primary School. It was love at first sight. That documentary brought Owhelogbo to limelight because it was aired several times by the station.
Again in 2007, I brought GLO network to Owhelogbo, at a time when only Ozoro has network in the entire Isoko. I met my friend who was a Director in GLO in their Victoria Island Office, Lagos. That day, there was heavy rain and everywhere was flooded in Lagos. My driver could not access the office because of the flood but I was so determined. I removed my shoes, folded up my trousers and went to the office. It was immediately approved for me. When I took their engineering team to Owhelogbo, they could not get signal both in my compound and my father's compound. Unfortunately, we got the signal in Orogodo's compound.No body was available in that compound as we were told that they went to farm. I have to ask an okada rider to fetch them while I entertained the team with my resources. Mr Ekarawe who is a staff of GLO and an illustrious son of Owhelogbo is my witness. Unfortunate, that family even refused to give one slot of the security staff for my boys.
You were once the President General of your community. What were your major achievements?
Thank God you use the word major because my achievements are legion.I renovated and commissioned our Daily Market which was built 14 years before I became PG in December 2019. I reactivated the Community Water Scheme which was moribund for over two decades. I built 6 Market Shops and transformed the front of the General Hospital from farm land to a beautiful field with flowers planted. The community and indeed the entire Owhe Clan was in total darkness before I became PG because all the eight batteries in the BEDC Control room at Owhelogbo were stolen. I made BEDC headquarters in Benin to purchase new ones which would had caused the Clan millions of Naira.I did many other things all from internally generated revenues. Most importantly, I brought a Divisional Police Headquarters with the help of a friend and a Police vehicle donated for the community by Hon. Pastor Engr. Ajiri Okeoghene Ukodhiko.
Unfortunately, the Divisional Police Headquarters is still begging for commissioning. I could not commissioned it because of the delay in procuring the Police vehicle.
This is really commendable.
Did you do anything outside Owhelogbo, probably in Isoko that is significant.
Yes of course. I was in London in 2010 for my son's graduation ceremony at Manchester University, London. IDU London Branch was having their 20th anniversary under the leadership of Mr Sam Adhokorie. They invited Chief Paul Odhomor and myself as special guests of honour. They were so impressed with my speech at the occasion and pleaded with me to help them organize a Worldwide Isoko Day at Oleh when I returned home on behalf of Isokos in the diaspora. I rejected the assignment because I was not an exco member of IDU either at Branch or National level. But London Branch IDU members will not accept that. Immediately I was receiving calls from Isokos in different parts of the world begging me to help them organize the Isoko Day with a promise to finance it. The pressure was so much that I have to accept. I returned, met the then PG of IDU Elder Erebi and his exco and told them of the assignment. After serious interrogations for over three hours, they gave me the go ahead. Without being immodest, it turned out to be the best organized Isoko Day to date. The then President Goodluck Jonathan was to leave Asaba for Oleh that morning to grace the occasion but the Ibos in Lagos were equally waiting to receive him and then mandated Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi , the then Minister of State for Education to represent him. Myself and my committee members including the late Hon Matthias Eto and Mrs Kate Ubiogoro which I set up were able to bring in Chief E.K. Clark, the Ishekure of Benin Kingdom, all the Chiefs from the palace of the Orodje of Okpe, all Isoko Traditional Rulers in Delta and Bayelsa States, all the clans in Isoko, Isokos in the diaspora and friends of Isoko. It was a real carnival and was chaired by Gen. Alexander Ogomudia CFR (rtd). And this happened when IDU was factionalized into two groups, the Elder Erebi and Chief Charles Akeni factions
The next day after the ceremony, Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (rtd), the late Bishop Edewor of blessed memory and some notable Isoko patriots invited me to a meeting and pleaded with me to reconcile the two IDU warring factions. Again, I accepted the assignment for the interest of Isoko.
I flew from Lagos to Warri and Port Harcourt on several occasions where the two war lords were based. It was very difficult but I succeeded to reconcile then eventually. And I did that without any financial support from any quarters. It is on records that it was my reconciliation that eventually paved the way for a united IDU and the emergence of the late Chief Akpojene as PG. To God be the glory.
This is really awesome. Is there any other thing concerning leadership that you will like to share with us.
They are legion but let me mention a few because of space constraints. I was a Students Union leader at the University of Lagos and a former National Vice President of the Federated Union of Bendel Students
Where did you work that gave you so much time to have achieved all these things?
So far, I have worked in ten different organizations which are:
- Bhosons Departmental Stores, Kano (Sales Boy) 1974.
- The defunct St Bernard Trades School, Oleh ( Bursar) 1974-1975
- Local Govt Education Board,Oleh(Accounts Clerk) 1975-1976
- Bendel State Min.of Finance, Sapele (Tax Officer) 1976
- Igbesanwan Primary School Benin (Teacher) 1977
- Teachers Training College,Lafiagi, Kwara State (NYSC).1981
- Okene Secondary School, Okene ,Kogi State (NYSC) 1981
- Union Bank of Nigeria PLc.(1981-2009).
- Union Bank of Nigeria PLc, London Branch..1993
- Value Hotel, Warri, (MD/CEO) 2009-Date.
Is it true that you wrote a book?
Very true. But not one but three books which are:
- Bank Frauds: Causes and Preventions, An Emperical Analysis.
- Isoko Must Unite In Jesus Name.
- Are Africans Black People?
All the three books are original works and highly recommended for people in search of knowledge. The third book has been highly pirated and can even be found in some of the American universities libraries.
Waooooooooooh. What a beautiful career. Congratulations double Chief.
Is there any other thing either personal or otherwise that you want to share with us?In short, do you have any regrets?
Yes, I have only one and a big regret. Betrayal. Betrayal by someone I took like a brother. But I have put it behind me. He tried unsuccessfully to rubbish my hard-earned reputation but God vindicated me. To God be all the glory.
I was at Ikeja Airforce Base on Saturday 18th January when you celebrated your 70th birthday. I was amazed by the caliber and massive attendance. Even the Lagos State Government was fully represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff .The entire Southern Nigeria was adequately represented.How were you able to pull all the personalities together?
It is only by His Grace. I was completely amazed too.
Thanks for giving us this opportunity to interview you?
May God bless Isoko Mirror.