THE AKOKO EDO OF MY DREAM — Marvelous Omobayo

” THE AKOKO EDO OF MY DREAM”

   … birth of a new reality*

Everyone here knows that my appointment will be over by November this year, when His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki, hands over to his successor.  The fact that you all know this fact, and still went ahead to organize this reception, tells a story. It tells the story of a long suffering people, who have told themselves that half bread is better than none.

Not many people would believe that l did not lobby for this job. Our political history makes it even more difficult for anyone to believe.  I did not believe it myself.

When the Governor invited me and made the offer to me, l wasn’t sure if l was not in a comedy session. I asked him, why me? He smiled and told me that it was not about me. He said that it was about Akoko Edo. That he flipped through his history books and saw the very painful neglect, marginalisation and humiliation that Akoko Edo had suffered over time. This was the same reason he gave Akoko Edo the position of his first Chief of Staff, his first Chief Press Secretary, and his first SSA on Research and Documentation. This is the same reason he consistently appointed two Honourable Commissioners from Akoko Edo, instead of the only one that is statutorily allowed. During his tenure too, Akoko Edo produced a Speaker of the House of Assembly for the very first time. We have also produced a Deputy Speaker and a Chief Whip for the Assembly. These are all principal offices of the House.

His Excellency,  Governor Godwin Obaseki, has a very fierce sense of justice, equity and fairness. This informed his stubborn decision that the next Executive Governor of the State, should come from Edo Central. If our country were ruled by these principles, Nigeria would have been an Eldorado.

Is today’s gathering an accident?  I think not. Was it designed?  I think so. By whom? I believe by God. Is Akoko Edo an accident? I think not. Was it designed? I very much believe so. Then, by whom? I believe Akoko Edo was designed by God Almighty. He is the only one who can put forty three disparate communities, with about twenty one distinct languages, not dialects, together for this long without a blow up. An amazing amalgamation of diverse peoples, with diverse origins, diverse ethnicities, and diverse world views. To God alone be the glory.

We are compelled by God to live together, swim together, and sink together if necessary. Since pre-colonial times, we have learnt to live together and swim together. Even though the waters have been occasionally very turbulent, we have managed to hit the shores

without any serious casualties. To our God be the glory.

This gathering is a gathering of Akoko Edo people. It is not a gathering of any political party. We all know why we are here and what we are celebrating. We are not celebrating Marvellous Omobayo. We are celebrating the birth of a new reality. The reality that at last, Akoko Edo has been accepted as a true part of Afenmai region, and a true part of Edo State.

We have not forgotten that in 1963, the area known as Edo  state now, had 4 political Divisions; Benin Division, Esan Division, Afenmai Division (the present Etsako and Owan), and Akoko Edo  Division. In the then Midwest House of Assembly, Benin Division had 4 members. Esan Division had 4 members. Afenmai Division (Etsako and Owan), had 4 members, and Akoko Edo Division also had 4 members.

Today, Benin Division is 7 Local Government Areas. Esan Division is now 5 Local Government Areas. Afenmai Division (Etsako and Owan), has 5 Local Government Areas. Akoko Edo Division, has remained 1 Local Government Area! It is on record that Akoko Edo  is the oldest, and one of the largest Local Government Areas in Nigeria.

Today, in the present Edo House of Assembly,  Benin Division (now Edo South Senatorial District), has 10 members. Esan Division ( now Edo Central Senatorial District), has 6 members. Afenmai Division ( Etsako and Owan, (now part of Edo North Senatorial District), has 6 members. Akoko Edo Division ( now part of Edo North Senatorial District), has 2 members! Edo House of Assembly has 24 members.

All appeals, cries and entreaties, that Akoko Edo should get, at least, 2 additional Local Governments, has continually fallen on deaf ears. If additional Local Government Areas are Consitutionally difficult to  create, Local Council Development Area, as created in Lagos State, would have served Akoko Edo until Local Government Areas can be constitutionally created. I believe that if we presented this case to Governor Obaseki,  he would have most probably acceded to our plea. Who knows, his voice might be able to influence the next regime to help us.

We are not here to engage in self pity, lamentation, or to wallow in persecution complex. Far from it. I told the above history, which we all know, just to remind us where the rain started to beat us. Playing the victim will not help us. It will not help our children either.

I am here to remind us that we are a great people, created great by God to do great things. God gave us all the ingredients needed for greatness. He gave us sons and daughters who can hold their own in any

department of life, anywhere in the world. He gave us land, that is ecologically very blessed, such that we can grow a good variety of both food and cash crops. God gave us very valuable solid minerals resources. What is missing, for now, is how to harness our very rich human and natural resources, for the benefit of all our people. This is not in the hands of God. It is not in the hands of any political or economic strangers. This is squarely in our own hands, and this is the content of my dream, and the theme of my address.

The majority of those in the farms in Akoko Edo, are men and women above the age of fifty. They are old and tired, and can only manage very small holdings. They are tackling the land with crude hoes and cutlasses. Land preparation is the biggest problem they face. This is the reason our young school leavers are not attracted to farming. Our hoes and cutlasses are not attractive to them. Our farmers have no access to necessary inputs, like tractors, fertilizers, disease resistant seedlings, etc. The big elephant in the room is insecurity. Strange characters are waiting in the farms and on the roads to the farms, to kidnap the farmers for ransom, and rape their wives before their very eyes!

We can change this narrative, and we must. We must be deliberate in addressing our agricultural potentials, because it is a veritable source of generating employment for many of our teeming youths, and creating wealth. The hoes and cutlasses must now be rested in our museums. Tractors and other modern farming implements must now begin to roar in our farms. Agricultural Science must be taught in all our schools, at all levels. Skills training centres, in the entire agricultural value chain, must be established to prepare our school leavers for careers in agriculture. Training must address the entire agricultural value chain of production, processing and marketing. Animal husbandry is a very attractive area of investment, in addition to the production and processing of cash and food crops.

Governor Samuel Ogbemudia, of blessed memory, established a fantastic Cattle Ranch at Igarra. The Ranch produced and supplied fresh beef, fresh milk and yoghurts to Supermarkets across the state. What happened to that Ranch? We can establish at least five ranches in strategic locations in Akoko Edo, and save ourselves the pains of kidnappers, killers and rapists.

The only way to get our educated youths into Agriculture, is to invest in plantation farming. We have enough land for plantation farming. We can encourage  our sons and daughters to venture into this. We can also go all out to seduce foregn investors into the industry, on terms favourable to our people and our Local government.

Our greatest asset is SOLID MINERALS.  Between Igarra, Ikpeshi and Sassaro, we have over three hundred mining Companies. Over ninety percent of these companies are owned by strangers, many of them mining illegally. There are known gold deposits in Dangbala, Enwan, Egbetua and Imoga. Our women, boys and girls provide very cheap labour to the miners. They are very poorly paid, and they work under very hazardous health conditions. Research findings show that no less than eighty trucks leave Akoko Edo  every night with loads of our solid minerals wealth, to Lagos and Port Harcourt. A good percentage of these are exported out of the country.  The state and Local government Council get literally nothing from this very lucrative business. The deal is between the Federal government and the miners. This is what the law provides, which we must tackle.

We have no problem with investors, but we have serious problems with how our environment is very badly degraded and how our people are so badly exploited, impoverished and dehumanised. Our sons and daughters must be encouraged to come into the industry. The state must seek urgent amendments to our mining laws, to ensure that we harvest the best possible income from our God given wealth. We can go abroad and bring in investors that would process and add value to these minerals. It is an area of great wealth creation and massive employment for our youths.

We must also intervene in our educational system. We must interrogate the quality and quantity of the education that our children are receiving. We must interrogate the quality and quantity of the teachers in our schools, both public and private. We must be satisfied that the content of our school curricular is adequate for the 21st century world. The moral content of the curricular must also be of great interest to us.

We must be very deliberate and decisive the way we engage our youths. If we fail in this constituency, all our efforts will be in vain. God forbid. In addition to the jobs we desire to create for our youths, and our measured intervention in their education, we must look to intervene in SPORTS AND RECREATION.  Apart from identifying and promoting the stars among them, up to international level, the promotion of sports and recreation, will greatly help in addressing the issues of crime and criminality. We can create numerous SOCIAL CLUBS  that will bring our youths together, and encourage them to mix fondly and love themselves. Who knows, marriages can be a healthy consequence.

Our boys and girls are not doing badly in the area of music and Arts. We parade very rich cultural performances. These are the ingredients for the development of a very robust tourism industry in Akoko Edo, we must move to develop our talents in these vital areas.

Do we know the true population of Akoko Edo?  Do we have a clear sence of our different demographics? I believe that we do not know. Luckily for us, our own son is the current Federal Commissioner in the National Population Commission, DR.TONY AIYEJINA. He can provide us with all the relevant data we need, and he can guide us in updating the data. We need accurate data to do any meaningful planning.

All these will not be possible if we are not ready to to deal honestly with one another. A gang up against the Okpameris will be counter productive. A gang up by the Okpameris against Igarra, Ososo,  Unemes, Enwans, Ikpeshis, Attehs, etc, will be a setback. What we say in the day time must be what we say at night. Every Akoko Edo man must be a brother. Every Akoko Edo woman must be a sister.

This is the Akoko Edo of my dream. Politics must not be allowed to divide us. For me, Akoko Edo is the only viable political party l know.

For honouring us with the position of Deputy Governor, I believe that we should show gratitude to Governor Obaseki. How best to do this must be the subject of our dialogue going forward.

I thank the organisers of this historic event, and I thank our Royal fathers present here today. I thank all our leaders present here. I thank our women, the pillars of our strength. I thank all the youths who are here, and even those who are not here. It is because of your tomorrow that we are staking our today.

God bless us all.

Long live Akoko Edo.

Long live Afenmai Region.

Long live Edo state, the heartbeat of Nigeria.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

*Being text of a speech delivered at Igarra on Saturday April 27 2024 by His Excellency High Chief (Engr) Marvelous Omobayo Godwins, Deputy Governor Edo State at a reception in his honour by the people of Akoko-Edo to celebrate his inauguration as Deputy Governor.

The event was put together by the Akoko-Edo Development Association (a.k.a Akoko-Edo Forum), Akoko-Edo LGA and the Akoko Edo Council of Traditional Rulers.