Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has been commended for appointing Mr. Theophilus Chuks Aguonye as Permanent Secretary in the Delta State Civil Service.
The commendation was given in a resolution by members of Amai G5 during their monthly meeting at Amai in Ukwuani LGA.
The Group in a press statement signed by Ogbuefi Oliver Achugbue, Vice President and Chief Ben-Oscar Nwachukwu, immediate past President, stated that the appointment of Mr. Aguonye, who is their member as a Permanent Secretary can be described as a square peg in a square hole.
Members of the Association also commended Governor Okowa for awarding the construction of Amai/Aragba-Orogun Road, which they said will facilitate easy access to other neighbouring communities by indigenes of Amai kingdom and residents as well, thereby opening up the area to meaningful development.
The Group also called on Governor Okowa to consider the appointment of qualified Amai sons and daughters to the higher bench of the judiciary and also consider them for political appointments in the State.
Also as part of their request from the government, they pleaded for posting of more teachers to Amai Mixed Secondary Commercial School and the Primary School and also the equipping of the Schools and the construction of the township roads in the community.
They congratulated the Governor-elect, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the Deputy Governor elect, Mr. Monday Onyeme for their victory in the just concluded gubernatorial elections, while pledging their unflinching support and loyalty to the present administration and also to the incoming one.
The University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Asaba Chapter, shall on Thursday, May 11, honour the outgoing Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Sen Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and his wife, Dame Edith Okowa, both of whom are Alunmi of the premier university, in its 2023 Annual Public Service Lecture.
Ifeanyi Okowa
The event is designed to celebrate the Governor for his excellent achievements in the development of the state and contributions to nation building.
Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu, Chief Economic Adviser to the Delta State Governor, also an Alunmi of the premier university and member of the UIAA Board of Trustees Beyond Borders, has been chosen as the Guest Lecturer, while the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and incoming Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour.
Dr. Kingsley Emu
The event scheduled to hold at the Unity Hall of Government House, Asaba, by 2pm shall be chaired by Prof. Sam E. Oyovbaire, former Minister of Information and Chairman, Delta State Advisory Committee. Also expected in attendance is the Senator-Elect of Delta North Senatorial District, Chief Ted Nwoko.
Chairman of the 2023 Lecture Organizing Committee, Dr. Augustine Isikwei Ojogbo, Ph:D, FCVSN, JP, disclosed these on Monday in Asaba, stating that given the massive development witnessed in the state in the past eight years it was apt and proper to celebrate Gov Okowa through an intellectual exercise like a lecture.
Dr. Ojogbo pointed out that the UIAA Annual Public Service Lecture was a platform used in proffering solutions to challenges in the society, especially in a developing society such as ours, and that this year’s lecture was well primed to focus on service delivery being the hallmark of Dr.Okowa’s effort in governance as he concludes his tour of duty as Governor of Delta State.
Unveiling Dr Kingsley Emu as the Lecturer who will speak on the topic: “The Burden of Leadership”, Ojogbo said he is “a man of many parts” and superbly fit to deliver the all important lecture, especially at this time that the nation and the state are set to usher in new leaders in governance.
“A Banker, Financial Consultant, Entrepreneur and a Public Servant par excellence, Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu had a distinguished career in the private sector spanning over 23 years and has spent almost 12 years in the Public Sector till date”, Ojogbo enthused.
“He was one time Commissioner for Commerce and Industry (2011-2014), later Commissioner for Economic Planning (2015-2019) and currently the Chief Economic Adviser to Delta State Governor. Prior to his appointment by the Delta State Government over the years, he was in the banking Industry for 21 years, starting his banking career with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 1989, through the Merchant/Investment Bank (Group merchant Bank; Fidelity Merchant bank; Merchant Banking Corporation-MBC, International Merchant Bank IMB; and later with Commercial banks like Universal Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank PLC, Fin Bank PLC).
“In his 21 years sojourn in the banking industry, Dr. Emu worked in credit and marketing, remedial assets, Investment and Treasury departments. He was divisions head of Treasury and investment banking, credit and marketing, Retail and e-banking and Remedial services. He resigned in 2010 as a Group Executive in charge of Retail and e-business at Finbank before their merger.”
Dr. Kingsley Emu who hails from Owanta in Ika North East Local Government of Delta State, holds several degrees including Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, Masters of Science degree in Industrial Sociology, and a Masters in Managerial Psychology (MMP) all from University of Ibadan. He earned an MBA (Marketing) from ESUT Business School, Lagos, and holds a Doctorate degree in Management from University of Phoenix, Arizona, USA, a certificate in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, USA and a Goizueta Management Certificate in Leadership.”
According to Ojogbo, Dr. Kingsley Emu was chosen to deliver the all important lecture given his rich experience garnered over the years in the public and private sector of the economy.
Dr Ojogbo invited stakeholders in leadership positions and the general public to the Valedictory Lecture.
A group of the Obidients Movement in Delta State has revealed that they abandoned the Labour Party candidate to vote for Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP in the Delta State Governorship election because they were convinced he would prioritise good governance and foster economic prosperity of the people of the state.
The disclosure was contained in a public statement released over the weekend by coordinators of the Obidients groups in Isoko Nation.
The statement which was signed by Fred Elohor Anthonia and Okawa Leslie Okezi for the Isoko North and Isoko South, respectively, also revealed that their support for Rt Hon Oborevwori was facilitated by the Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Bashorun Askia Ogieh, who particularly engaged them.
The group explained that as a non-partisan movement, they are guided by modest ideologies that promote good governance and, as such, shop for credible personalities around Nigerian political space and support them to victory in elections so as to engender socioeconomic development to the people.
“On that note, the Obidient Movement in Isoko Nation worked for Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori,” the statement read.
Explaining further, the said their disposition was due to the fact that Hon Askia Ogieh, the Udu of Isoko Nation, made firm commitments to them “that Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori would prioritize good governance and foster economic prosperity of the people of Delta State.”
The group said their public statement became necessary “in order to put the record straight and address obvious false claims” by some “faceless and dubious” persons who want to take credit in order to reap where they did not sow in the coming political dispensation.
While re-asserting that Chief Ogieh was the “face and name” of the PDP engagement with the Obidients in Isoko Nation, they congratulated Rt Hon Oborevwori on his emergence and restated their conviction on his capacity to deliver on their expectations.
Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University Abraka, Prof Andy Egwunyenga, says a grand total of 4855 graduates bagged postgraduate degree, first degree and Diploma certificates for the 2021/2023 Academic Session in the university’s 15th Convocation Ceremony. with the best graduating students bagging a cumulative grade point aggregate of 4.91.
Prof Egwunyenga announced this in his remarks at the 15th Convocation Ceremony of the University, stressing that, “Postgraduate degree Graduands are 596, First degree- 3843 and Diplomas- 416.”
He said that, “I consider the Convocation Ceremony not only as a final rite, but also as a beginning of another. Today’s graduands are graduating into endeavours that will open other new beginnings.
“Our University has consistently kept faith with its mandate of producing quality graduates who will contribute to nation building and advance the cause of humanity globally.”
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Egwunyenga further posited that, “The quantity and quality of graduates produced by our university over the years attest to our capacity to live up to the vision of our founding fathers.
“I enjoin us all not to rest on our oars as the most advanced University, is a work in progress and the University and Delta State University, Abraka, is no exception.
“I do congratulate all of us, Staff and students, on the successes we have recorded in approximating the ideals upon which our University is founded. Though we have achieved giants strides, there is still a lot of work to be done.”
The Member representing Ika North East State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA), Honorable Anthony Elekeokwuri, has said that the mandates of every Lawmaker is to make laws that will impact meaningfully on the people.
Hon. Elekeokwuri disclosed this during a Media chat with DTHA house Correspondents while giving his stewardship on his terms as Lawmaker representing the good and wonderful people of Ika North East for the past 8 years.
Hon. Anthony ELEKEOKWURI
The eloquent Lawmaker, said he was grateful to Almighty God and to the people of Ika North East for giving him the opportunity to serve, adding that right from the day he was elected as a Lawmaker, he has a clear responsibility on what he wants to achieve for his Constituency.
” So far so good I am very grateful to God Almighty, Deltans, and especially to my constituents who gave me the mandate to represent them.
” Coming to the house 8th years ago, my responsibility was very clear and precise, and I know I am voted in because my people believed I have the capacity to deliver, nobody comes to the house to learn.
” Our mandates was to make laws that will impact meaningfully on the people of Delta State and perform oversight functions on the laws that we have made”.
He said being in the house gave him the ample opportunity to interact with other Lawmakers, lobby them, defend them, and he was able to see his vision and key into them, especially when bills are coming in that will impact the life of the people.
” One of the things I did when I came in as a Lawmaker, I build a team, I believed in team work and I believed every Lawmaker in the house has the potentials of giving out something positive on the floor of the House.
” Based on that, I was able to work with the rest of my colleagues and as usual, must of them became co-sponsors of my bills, they help me to gather facts, do a lot of research to make sure we come out with bills that are very impactful .
He also said that in the last 8th years, he believed he and the rest of the Lawmakers has done a lots for Deltans in the aspect of Lawmaking and he prayed Deltans will continue to benefit from those things that they have done.
Hon. Elekeokwuri enumerated the numbers of bills he has sponsor and co-sponsor.
” I have sponsor and co-sponsor a good numbers of bills too numerous to mention in the house, and setting bills that I have sponsor and co-sponsor, including the ones that His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa Governor of Delta State has signed into Law, are Jermaine and very important to me.
” As Chairman house committee on Public Account I was able to bring transparency to bear, so if you look at Transparency and Accountability bill that we did at the state level, you will discovered that we are able to deepening that process.
” We believed if we don’t institutionalized the fight against corruption, corruption will kill us”.
He listed some of the bills he has sponsor and co-sponsor which includes; Transparency and Accountability bill, The Urban Renewal bill, The Criminal Justice Law at the state level, others includes; The infrastructural bill, Equipment Leasing bill, Public Finance Management bill, The Audit bill 1and 2, Physical Responsibility bill, The power sector bill, The Good Governance bill, etc.
Saying that he is leaving the ovation high, and that he came, he saw, and they all conquered.
On his message to incoming Lawmakers,He said, ” you don’t just come to the State House of Assembly because you want to make money, reason for this is that the Lawmakers don’t have approval authority, they don’t have approving powers, they don’t give out contract or execute contract, so what they do is just lawmaking and everything about lawmaking, that is why they need to be trained.
” The Speaker of the House who happens to be the Governor elect, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has done so much in terms of training and retraining of Lawmakers, Management Staffs, general Staffs of the assembly, including Lawmakers aids .
” So if you have a trained workforce, you will be able to build a team work around you”.
He advised the incoming Lawmakers that they must ensure they engaged legislative aids that are competent, make sure that money due to them are paid to them, and he can assured them that the aids will give their very best.
He restarted that there is no big deal about lawmaking, all they need was for them to have the passion, drive and motivation to identify laws that will eliminate the suffering of the people, those things they can do items of infrastructure, healthcare delivery, water supply etc.
Adding that they should look at those areas that has been experiencing decay and think of ways they can create a solution for them.
” As a legislator, you have to make use of your space, your legal space to create solutions to problems affecting your people,
” We understand the challenges that comes with Lawmakers, people who voted you in, is expecting you to bring pipe bore hole water, build schools , roads, etc you can do that indirectly by making sure you work together with the Executive arms.
” Passing budget is not enough, when budget is passed, there is need for Lawmakers to do follow up with the budget, what is there in your local government, your Constituency as the case may be, and how can you make sure that the executive arms implement those things they have promised to do.
” As a Lawmaker, if you know what you are doing, then you will follow the executive step by step and at the long run, you will attract massive development to your people.
Hon. Anthony ELEKEOKWURI
” A Lawmaker make laws and follow up with the executives on the laws he has made, which is what we call oversight functions, and must importantly, you go home and be with your people, organized town hall meeting, interact with them and see what their pains are, put them together and come back to Asaba, see how you can put this things into policy making for government, and if you can able to do that, you become a Lawmaker that bring dividends of democracy to his people”.
On Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the Ika North East Lawmaker said that what ever that has kept Sheriff on the throne as the speaker for over six years, and what ever that has endured him to the people and his colleagues, let him keep it up.
Saying that by the grace of God Sheriff Oborevwori come May 29th, he will be sworn in as Governor of Delta State, and this will be the first time that it will be happening, he thank God that he was privilege to witness and experience a Speaker becoming a Governor in Delta State.
He assured Deltans that the way the speaker has overseas the state assembly comprising 29 Constituency, 25 local government, and 29 Lawmakers, which he count himself lucky to have benefited from the speaker, that there is nothing too big for him to do as Governor, apart from the fact that he is moving from one arms of government to another arms.
He reminded Deltans that the Governor elect has promised the M.O.R.E. agenda, which mean that what ever that has been done by Governor Okowa, he is going to continue with them and while also bringing in new projects.
” With my personal discussion with him, he has assured me that he will get serious with government and ensure mistake will be limited, and Deltans are going to be happy at the end of his tenure”.
The Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, Professor Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga held a Press Conference yesterday the 26th day of April 2023, marking one in the series of events of the 15th Convocation of Delta State University, culminating on Saturday 29th April 2023 in the commissioning of projects, and award of Degrees, Diplomas and Prizes to deserving graduands of the university.
In his opening remarks, the VC underscored the primary purpose of the 15th convocation ceremony which was for the awards of Degrees, Diplomas and Prizes of the University to deserving graduands who have been found worthy in character and in learning. He however noted that there shall be no award of honorary Doctorate Degrees and Emeritus Professors at the 15th Convocation of the University. Reacting to one of the questions from journalists on why the university didn’t deem it fit to recognize some personalities by conferring on them honorary Doctorate Degrees, the VC clarified that honorary degrees are classified and conferred on deserving personalities of professional, national and international repute, and there was no such one contemplated by the university in this year’s edition. He however noted that next year would offer another opportunity to do so.
The highpoints of the VC’s remarks were completed Faculty of Management Science building in less than one year, which started on the 28th of April 2022 and will be commissioned on Saturday, the 29th of April, 2023, completion of 3.2km of Road Network within the permanent site of the University amongst other newly constructed/renovated roads, construction of a block of 6 classrooms to expand infrastructure at Delta State University, Staff Secondary School, renovation of some university hostels amongst others.
Harping on the academic breakthroughs achieved by the university lately, Prof. Egwunyenga noted that in the 31 years of existence of the university, it now have all (80) programmes with full NUC accreditation status after securing full accreditation for new forty (40) programmes presented to National Universities Commission (NUC) in the November/December 2022 Accreditation Exercise – a breakthrough quite unprecedented. On breakthroughs in international researches and interdisciplinary collaborations, the VC announced grants and research collaborations secured by the university lately which include; the Bennth’s Joint Canadian -Israel Research Grant – a research to be led by Dr. Ben-Azu, Head of the Department of Pharmacology, hosting of the 2023 Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow, Professor Augustine Avwunudiogba, a Professor of Geography and Environmental Resources at the California State University (CSU), Stanislaus, USA, signing of two MoUs with the National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), Keelung and also with the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) to actuate a tripartite partnership between DELSU, NTOU and NIOMR.
Speaking further, the people’s Vice Chancellor, as he is fondly called, mentioned the university’s policies – environmental, security, plagiarism and sexual harassment, gender and copyright policies which are consistent with global best practices and form the linchpin upon which the university’s breakthrough lies. “In the latest global ranking of Universities by Alper-Doger Scientific Index, Delta State University was ranked as the 27th best University in Nigeria among the over 200 Universities in the country and the 4th best among State owned Universities. Further analysis of the ranking showed the University to be the best State University in the South-South and South Eastern part of Nigeria”; the Vice Chancellor submitted.
Reacting to the question from journalists on how the creation of 3 new universities in the State affected him as an administrator who enjoyed monopoly before then, the VC was emphatic that he was part of the process to give more deserving student-applicants the opportunity to be admitted in tertiary institutions, and also create competitiveness instead of enjoying monopoly. “Delta State University has the capacity to admit about 8,000 students out of averagely 26,000 students who apply to the school for admission yearly, leaving the remaining 18,000 applicants unadmitted;” Prof. Egwunyenga argued while justifying the creation of the new universities to fill the demand gap of students who seek admission yearly.
In an appreciation message, the Vice Chancellor expressed gratitude to the Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for his unwavering leadership and support, the Governing Council of the university led by its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Professor Sam Oyovbaire and other distinguished members of the council, colleagues in the Senate, education agencies, the student and the host community.
Part of the event showcased arts exhibitions by students and members in Arts department of the university. Notable distinguished academics and administrators of the university present at the event were Prof. Mrs. Rosemary Okoh, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Stephen Uwaifo, the university Librarian, among others. The event was roundly attended by gentlemen of the Press from across Delta State.
The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, has stated that the establishment of Host Communities (HostComm) Development Trust Is Key in ensuring the harmonious relationship between the Host Communities and the oil companies in the State.
Barr. Otuaro stated this on Thursday in Asaba while receiving the delegation of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) led by the Director General, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, on an advocacy visit on the determination of “Host Communities Along the Gulf of Guinea”.
The deputy governor asserted that, for “Host Communities” to be recognized by the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA and for them to be gazetted by National Boundary Commission, NBC, the government needs to intensify efforts to identify areas that fall within the category.
According to him; “This is to enable those communities to benefit from the 3% set aside for them by PIA Act”.
Barr. Otuaro, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr. Isaiah Bozimoh Esq. applauded NBC for its advocacy noting that the sensitization visit was a laudable idea.
“I want to assure you that for us in Delta State, we will cooperate and collaborate with your Commission to ensuring that Communities that falls within that coastal line benefit from the PIA, and non of these communities would be left out”.
Barr. Otuaro assured of the Delta State Government readiness to give all the necessary support to ensuring that the exercise is successfully conducted.
Earlier in his address, the Director General (D-G) of National Boundary Commission, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, who was represented by the Director of Internal Boundaries, Mr Nicholas Emiowele, disclosed that the NBC team was in the State to press home the need to work closely with Delta State Boundary Commission to identify the communities recognized by the Acts as “Host Communities”.
According to him, Section 318 of the PIA, states- “a littoral community is a deep-water area of operation located along the Gulf of Guinea of the Nigerian shoreline up to about 500 meters inland, provided that such community is gazetted by the NBC”.
Adaji in his address maintained that the primary objectives of gazetting the host communities are to foster sustainable prosperity, enhance harmonious co-existence between Licenses/Lesses and host communities, provide direct social and economic benefits and create a framework to support the development of identified and gazetted host Communities.
The NBC Boss noted that, “it is important that all the Communities within the specified 500m buffers from the coastline must be located and captured in the data bank of the Communities to be Gazetted, for them to benefit adequately from the provisions of the Act.
“A previous survey had identified some of these communities, but it is imperative that the Commission, in conjunction with the Delta State Boundary Commission, do a thorough compilation that can be defended”. He noted.
Surveyor Adamu Adaji appreciated the warm reception accorded them by the State Government, as well as the support the State has given to NBC.
He also specially commended the Executive Assistant on Boundary Matters to the Governor, Mr. Gweke Akidohor, Esq. for the support and diligent service he has been rendering.
Also in attendance at the advocay visit are members of the Delta State Boundary Committee including, Mrs. Gladys Puegenren, the Secretary of the Committee and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Lands, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eboka, the State Surveyor General and Chief Gweke Akudihor, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Boundary Matters.
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has congratulated the Governor of Adamawa State, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on his widely celebrated victory at the just concluded Adamawa State Governorship election.
Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri
The Caucus in a statement on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, also congratulated and saluted the people of Adamawa State for their resilience in standing with Governor Fintiri and resisting desperate anti-democratic forces that sought to manipulate the electoral process, suppress the Will of the people and impose an illegitimate government in the State.
Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu
“The re-election of Governor Fintiri marks the triumph of the Will of the people of Adamawa State in the exercise of their democratic right to choose their preferred leader in an election.
“From the results of the main election and the supplementary poll, it was clear that Governor Fintiri remains the clear choice of the people. His ultimate victory further proves that no matter how much falsehood, tyranny and manipulations appear to thrive, the truth will always prevail at the end of the day.
“The Minority Caucus again congratulates Governor Fintiri and urges him to remain focused and continue in his excellent delivery of service, particularly his massive legacy infrastructural development projects and empowerment of citizens for which the people of Adamawa State overwhelmingly re-elected him as Governor,” Elumelu stated in the statement.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Monday said Nigeria had capacity to export medical officers to needy nations if available potential were adequately harnessed and proper planning done.
He said that rather than contemplate restricting medical practitioners from moving out of the country, more of them could be trained, and from the pool, enough would remain in the country while some could be exported to needy nations.
According to the governor, Nigeria can leverage the massive demand for medical professionals trained in the country by signing bilateral agreements with foreign nations to train and export more of the professionals to these countries.
He stated this while inaugurating the Collegiate System in the State’s Schools of Nursing held at the College of Nursing, Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.
He frowned at the prevailing development where medical professionals no longer empathised with humanity, saying that it had become commonplace and unethical.
Okowa urged all medical workers to adhere to the ethics of their professions by ensuring that they put in their best to render assistance to patients by showing them love at all times.
He said Nigeria had the challenge of nurses, midwives and doctors exiting the country, and pointed out that the situation had begun to trouble the healthcare system in the country.
The governor, however, said ‘’I think that as a nation, if we know where our strength lies, we can do things that can enable us to improve on where our strength lies.
“There is nothing wrong if there is a planned programme by Nigeria to train many more nurses than we need, and we enter into a bilateral relationship with other countries to export some of our nurses, midwives and doctors.
“I am not one of those that will come out to say that we are trying to make laws to stop or restrict the movement of medical personnel out of the country.
“What we need to do is to ensure that there is a planned programme by Nigeria to truly train more than our daily and yearly need and ensure that we are able to enter into strategic alliances with other countries’’.
He commended the Ministry of Health and management of Schools of Nursing in the state for their efforts at upgrading the institutions to the collegiate system, adding that such a system could enhance the training of more nurses and other medical workers.
“I believe that the college system that is starting in Delta will encourage this and I hope that we have people who are able to encourage and support you to do this.
“I believe that we have the capacity to train a lot more nurses than we need at the moment; it just requires a little more resource and focus,” he said.
Okowa also appreciated the Central Bank of Nigeria for supporting the state government to upscale some facilities in the college in Agbor.
“I also want to thank the Registrar of Nursing and Midwifery Council for promising to see how they can further upscale the number of students in the school.
“I can see that the students are very excited because beyond becoming nurses and midwives, they now have the opportunity of having a Higher National Diploma (HND) in nursing services,” he said.
Secretary-General and Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Farouk Umar Abubakar, in his remarks commended Okowa for his great commitment to the development of the state, including health and other sectors. He said that Okowa had written his name in gold for his positive contributions to nursing and other health professions in the country.
Abubakar disclosed that Nigerian nurses and midwives were performing well globally, and that the country had produced no fewer than 21,000 nurses in the past six years.
He said that domestication of the community-nursing programme in most states in the country had contributed immensely to producing adequate nursing and midwifery grassroots manpower for primary healthcare services.
Welcoming guests earlier, Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, said that the transition from School to College System wouldn’t have been possible without the unalloyed support of Governor Okowa to the ministry.
He said that the Colleges of Nursing in Agbor was indexed from 30 to 100 students; 50 to 75 for Warri and 50 to 70 for Eku, while the two schools of midwifery in Asaba and Sapele were indexed at 50.
Governor Okowa later inspected ongoing work at the College of Medicine, University of Delta, Agbor where he stated that the project would be completed in 18 months.
He stated that the university’s management had made arrangements for the College to start from a temporary site, with accreditation of courses already being worked out.
It was not surprising that while the population of the Itsekiri people was comparably lower than a number of their neighbouring kingdoms in the Mid West, the Olu of Warri was gazetted as a permanent member of the House of Chiefs of the Government of Western Nigeria. It was simply in recognition of the great political, financial and diplomatic influence of the monarchy.
Olu of Warri
First, as they commonly say in Itsekiri, “Mi ni mi ni I gbo, I gbo mi ni.” Apologies for my poor speak of Itsekiri, but it means “the people own the kingship and the kingship owns the people.” It describes the tight knot, high bond and deep togetherness between the monarchy and its citizenry.
Not minding occasional distension that occurs in human affairs, the Itsekiris are reputed to be one of the most united people in Southern Nigeria and that translates to strength.
Added to that is the fact that the kingdom was the earliest in Nigeria to have contact with the Europeans through the birt of Benin. First, it was with the Portuguese, then Spanish and later British.
They bonded through treaties of trade and treasures of friendship for mutual commercial and economic benefits. Even though the relationships got difficult sometimes, it accorded the Itsekiris gainful bilateral and multilateral connections for advancement.
This was witnessed in the early Western education of a number of its princes and intermarriage between them and the Spanish-Portueguse.
The relationship mostly began to deepen at about the 1600 with the friendship between His Royal Majesty, Sebastiao Atorongboye, the 6th Olu, and King Philip II of Spain who ruled Portugal at the time, and by which the Spanish-Portueguse monarchy was moved to confirm the Olus as Doms, in line with Portuguese nobility and monarchical tradition.
Leveraging on the tie, Atorongboye sent his son, Dom Domingo, to study in Portugal and he returned not only as the first graduate in Sub-Sahara Africa but with a wife from the Portuguese nobility. He was crowned Atuwatse I, the 7th Olu.
Atuwatse I also sent his son, Antonio Domingo, to study in Coimbra and also at an institute in Angola, then a Portuguese colony. Antonio also married a Portuguese wife, was crowned Olu Oyenakpaghan (of the White Skin) and was reputed to have had good communications with the Pope and various top leaders of the Western world.
For a long period therefore, successors to the throne were of such breed that enhanced the diplomatic strength of the Itsekiri people in the international scene.
These relationships however only complemented the fact that the Itsekiri nation and its monarchy share deep ties with two of the greatest monarchies in pre and post colonial Southern Nigeria, Ile-Ife and Benin.
History establishes that the first Olu, Ginuwa, was a prince of Benin Kingdom and heir apparent to the throne of his father, Olua, the 14th Oba of Benin.
Olu of Warri
Ginuwa was said to have migrated to Ode Itsekiri and, as fate would have it, the united communities of Itsekiri people discovered him and made him their king.
The Benin monarchy itself is said to have been established by Eweka, a prince from Ile-Ife, also chosen by the Bini people to rule over them.
Thus, the ties of the Itsekiri monarchy extends powerfully through Benin to Ile-Ife Kingdoms. It becomes more profound when we note that Ile-Ife or the seat of the Ooni is known as the foundation of the Yoruba nation.
Today, the current Olu of Warri consummates and harmonises the ancestral relationships from Ife, Benin to Itsekiri, in his person.
He, Olu Tsola Emiko, Ogiame Atuwatse III, is the son of Olu Atuwatse II, the 19th Olu of Warri, who is a direct descendant of Ginuwa, the first Olu of Warri.
That also makes him a direct descendant of Oba Eweka, the first Oba of Benin, as such with direct ties with the Benin royal family. This is because Ginuwa, was the son of Oba Olua who was the son of Oba Ewuare who was the grandson of Oba Eweka.
He also has direct connections with the Ile-Ife monarchy, as a direct descendant of Oduduwa, being that Oba Eweka who established the Benin monarchy after the reign of the Ogisos, was the son of Oranmiyan and Oranmiyan, reputed also to have founded the Oyo Empire, was the grandson of Oduduwa, the first Ooni of Ife and Patriarch of the Yoruba nation.
To add to it all, Ogiame Atuwatse’s mother was a direct princess of Ife monarchy, the daughter of the industrious, hugely successful, cosmopolitan and internationally influential Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, grandson of Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan of the Ogboruu Ruling House which is of direct lineage to Oranmiyan and Oduduwa.
Thus, Atuwatse III draws intricately from and combines the blood, ancestry, spirituality and influence of three great and divinely linked kingdoms.
It is mystical. God seems to have brought the ancestries of the majestic and powerful monarchies to find a single, united expression, and home in one of their young, a rare and fascinating occurrence in paternal and maternal genealogy, the purpose of which only the deep can discern.
(Just as an aside, note though that whilst it is agreed that Eweka, the son of Oranmiyan, the grandson of Oduduwa established the Benin monarchy, the Binis argue that Oduduwa himself was a Benin prince earlier sent from Benin to establish rule Ife.)
