I give thanks to the Almighty Allah, the Most Beneficience, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate and Sustainer of the Universe for protecting my life to clock additional year today, being 31st December, 2024. Indeed, it is 74 years of being here on earth and I shall continue to be grateful to Him and worship Him in whatever condition, that I may find myself. Be it in plenty or tribulation.
As I always say on occasion such as this, my sojourn on earth, from kindergarten to this age must have brought about distress notes between fellow human beings and I. In such situations, I humbly beg for forgiveness, if I have wronged or offended anyone. On the other hand, I have truly from my heart forgiven all individuals, that had wronged or offended me in any form. To err is human …. and No body is infallible.
I decided to place my Birth Day Anniversary information, specifically on the Movement for the Creation of Okura State Platform ( which may be shared to other WhatsApp platforms or communication channels) because of my believe in the potency of the proposed Okura State, to properly reposition Igala/Bassa people in the Nigeria project, if created.
It is my personal opinion, to say without equivocation, that Okura State holds the key to the prosperity; self esteem; self actualisation; just and egalitarian society full of opportunities; doctrine of collective responsibilities; curtailment of unbridled ambitions; establishment of effective and inimitable traditional social structure, capable of redirecting the youths, elders and women folk, etc., amongst the people of the Igala Kingdom.
It is on the basis of the foregoing, that I have decided to celebrate my 74th Birth Day Anniversary with my fellow compatriots on this platform and elsewhere.
It is not necessary for me to dwell much on the history of the Igala nation or story of the proposed Okura State, which was initiated by our revered fathers in the Second Republic of President Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Much have been said and more will continue to come our ways from time to time.
However, I wish to shed light on relevant issues as elixir that would spare us of biter tastes as had happened in the past.
On this note, we are already aware of the humiliation of our revered Ata Igala, who stood firm, to ensure the protection of what were to strengthen the Igala race. I am talking of Ata Ameh Aga 1895 – 1901. He was banished to Asaba for resisting the authority of the British Colonialists. After being exiled, discordant tunes amongst the Igala took turns and distabilized the Igala nation. That ended up in bifurcating the Igala Kingdom into North and South Protectorates of Nigeria. Ata Ameh Oboni suffered the same fate for trying to up hold the dignity of Igala tradition. Our people were used to write frivolous pertions against him. That made him to commit surcide in 1956.
My little involvement in Igala affairs was under the leadership of late Dr. Steven Makoji Achema. We learnt the culture of sustaining effective struggle, where it matters, to put the issue of our people first. The events of 1970s provided fertile grounds to put our abilities to test. Many of such situations, like the bastardisation and entrenched fraud in Federal Polytechnic, Idah and Federal Government College, Ugwolawo by the then Rector and Principal of the institutions respectively. We refused to be onlookers and cried to the Federal Government authority, which brought relief to the institutions.
The encouragement of the Igala/Bassa people to establish private and community post primary schools in Igala land, which is the present Kogi East Senatorial District, was another feat. I served as the Secretary to the Post Primary Schools Proprietors Association, Western Zone of Benue State, while Chief Joseph Ogah served as Chairman. Other personalities such as Chief Daniel Enefola, UEC Education Secretary, Alhaji Abu, Onu Aloga of Ika, Mr. J. O Abalaka, Mr. Hassan, Mr. Musa Iyaji, Rev. Father John Iyere, Catholic Education Secretary, etc, were strong leaders, who gave teeth to the organisation.
It is to be noted that, we came from Kwara State to Benue State with very few private and community post primary schools, compared to the number of such schools, owned by Idoma and Tiv from Benue – Plateau State, which to them, was an ordinary profitable business. Our own pupils, who were the products of Universal Primary Education (UPE) could not find places in the few schools available then. Individuals and communities were encouraged and mobilized to establish post primary schools. That effort assisted in providing admission platforms for the pupils, who finished primary schools in 1978.
When there was foot dragging from the Ministry of Education in giving approval to the schools to enable them qualify for grants from the state government, the organisation was able to put pressure on the government, coupled with the efforts of some Igala/Bassa officials, who took it upon themselves to intervene, such as late Alhaji Nuhu Audu, who was then the Finance officer of the Ministry of Education.
The struggle for creation of additional local governments by the administration of Governor Aper Aku of Benue State, elicited our involvement and I served as the Secretary to the Committee for the creation of Ofu Local Government Area. At first, there was discordant tunes amongst the community leaders, who requested for the creation of Idah North Local Government Area (present Ofu LGA) in 1976. The battle for the creation of the LGA was multidimensional, as the traditional establishment and some elites were opposed to it, particularly after the demise of the then District Head of Ugwolawo District, Chief Atodo Atabo Ijomi. He pioneered the struggle with his Royal counterparts, Chief Paul Odiba and Chief Yusuf Oyibo, District Heads of Igalogba and Itobe Districts respectively. It was a battle of high level intrigues and frustrations. At the end, an Act for the creation of Ofu Local Government Area along with Omala Local Government Area from Igala Zone and others from Idoma and Tiv Zones was passed by the then Benue State House of Assembly and assented to, by Governor Aper Aku. Late Hon. Simon Omale Opaluwa and Hon. Peter, who represented Igalogba and Itobe/Ugwolawo State Constituencies were the people’s champions.
The Local Government was scraped in 1984 along with all local Government Areas created by civilian governors under the administration of President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, by the Military Government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
In 1989, the issue of further local government area creation by the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida was muted and I took it up with my colleagues from the area in the then Idah Local Government Council. They were, Hon. Shem Idoko, Hon. Habib Yakubu Ejule, Hon Noah Audu Ekeyi, Hon. Idris Waja Atabo and Hon. Maliki Adebo. I was then the Vice Chairman and Councillor for Finance and Economic Planning in Dr. Steven Achema’s Administration. Indeed, we did not get the resuscitation of the Local Government on a platter of gold as the conditions prescribed for the creation of additional local governments were not favourably disposed to our cause.
Chief Robert Audu, who was the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Makurdi then and Late Chief Daniel Alfa Akoh were instrumental to the emergence of Olamaboro and Ofu Local Government Areas, which were created on the basis of number of Federal Constituencies in each state of the Federation. At the time, Tiv Area had 10 Federal Constituencies out of 19; Igala area had 5; while Idoma area had 4.
Col. Fidelis Maka, the then Military Governor of Benue State had to use his discretion, consequent upon the pressure from us, to rob the Tiv Area of one Federal Constituency to give Ofu Local Government Area. Ankpa Local Government Area, having more population than Idah Local Government Area at the time, had more advantage and only Olamaboro LGA would have been created from Igala land in addition to the four local government areas of Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina and Idah.
Other area that received our attention was the struggle to enable the administration of Governor Ibrahim Idris to retain the local government areas created in 2002 by Governor Prince Abubakar Audu as was done in other states.
After the election of Alhaji Ibrahim Idris as governor of Kogi State in 2003, his major policy decision was to scrap the new local government areas, created by Prince Abubakar Audu, which increased the number of local government areas from 21 to 46. The LGAs became, 23 in Kogi West/Central, which came to Kogi State with 5 LGAs from Kwara State; and 23 to Kogi East, which came to Kogi State with 6 LGAs from Benue State in 1991. The creation of the local governments passed through the State House of Assembly in accordance with the provisions of 1999 Constitution, pending the consequential legislation by the National Assembly. Kogi State was not alone, as most other states created more LGAs in the same manner for development purposes.
In order to preserve the new local governments, the Igala National Solidarity Association (INSA) under my leadership approached the State High Court at Anyigba to stop the Ibrahim Idris Government from scrapping the LGAs but to allow the process to go to its logical conclusion, as provided for, by the constitution. The High Court obliged the request in its ruling. The State Government purportedly appealed the decision but nothing has come out of it since 2003. Our lawyer, Barr. Haruna Abdullahi (now SAN) tried all he could but government’s power of suppression had made it difficult for a break through. (A case of Igala governor created local government areas and another Igala governor scrapped the local government areas.)
The Igala National Solidarity Association (INSA) sensing, the untoward manner in which Alhaji Lawal, National Population Commissioner for Kogi State was manipulating the 2006 National Census planning against Kogi East Senatorial District and in order to forestall his nefarious activities, the association approached the President and Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, who considered our petition. Consequently, Alhaji Lawal was posted out of Kogi to Oyo State. Few months later, Alhaji Lawal found his way back to Kogi; and one can guess the effect of his return – the census figure for Kogi East, dropped from 49% for 1991 to 46% in 2006.
The Igala National Solidarity Association went round various states to meet Igala communities, who are indigenes of those states. It also sponsored visits to meetings outside the country, including Igala UK Association. Those interactions led to the Igala World Congress, which took place in Idah in 2005 and 2006.
Mention should be made in respect of the Igala National Solidarity Association committee on accreditation of Kogi State University after the National Universities Commission’s decision affected over 20 courses of the university. The Committee was headed by Late Chief Gabriel Aduku (Amana Ogohi Anyigba 1) with Dr. Moses Egene Adah, Alhaji Hassan Yakubu and some other notable academicians as members. The INSA submitted the Committee’s report to His Excellency Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, Executive Governor of Kogi State and he went ahead to implement the report by releasing huge amount of money to provide the needed facilities in the institution. The university regained its status within short period of time thereafter.
The association also intervened in the citing of greenfield petroleum project in Itobe, when it went for face to face interaction with officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as facilitated by Dr. Jeremiah Ekele, then a senior staff of the Corporation. President Dr. Good luck Jonathan approved the project and land was allocated for it at Itobe.
The list of INSA’s success stories is endless but political intrigues set in. It was blackmailed as working for His Excellency Prince Abubakar Audu. Political thugs were on hand to distabilize our activities.
Our funding sources for INSA’s activities came majorly from Late Dr. Jacob Abdullahi, Col. Ahmadu Suleman Babanawa ( then still in the military), members of the National Assembly, particularly Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane, Hon. Frank Ineke, Hon. Atai Aidoko, Hon. Positive Ihiabe, etc. Later, we had Hon. Napoleon Idachaba and some Local Government Chairmen, who were always ready to participate in our activities. Pa Wada Ejiga was always the prime mover behind us.
HINTS ON THE PROPOSED OKURA STATE
On the Okura State Movement, I was appointed in 2009 in Ata Igala’s Palace, Idah as its s Secretary in a meeting presided over by His Royal Majesty Alhaji (Dr.) Aliyu Obaje CBE, CON, FIAMN, CFR, Ata Igala and President, Kogi State Council of Chiefs.
The meeting was attended by Chairmen of Local Government Traditional Councils, Executive Chairmen of Local Governments, the Executive of Igala Cultural and Development Association (ICDA) and other socio cultural and development associations, prominent Igala leaders from across the country. Since then, we have been working round the clock for the realization of our age long dream.
It is pertinent give few synopsis of the Movement thus:-
The agitation for the creation of Okura State started in 1980.
The request was passed for referendum along with other state requests. The referendum was scuttled as a result of 1983 military coup, which toppled the regime of President Shehu Shagari on 31st December, 1983.
Some of the pioneer leaders of Okura State Movement were:- Chief Simon Onekutu, Chairman, Senator Andrew Abogede, His Excellency Barr. Isah Odoma, Hon. A. D. O. Abutu, Dr. Moses Egene Adah, Mr. Moses D. Ogu, Alhaji Aduku Idoko, Chief Robert Audu, Hon. John Shaibu, Hon. Chief John Ajibili Urah, Hon. Abdul Omale, etc.
The Motion for the creation of Okura State was moved by Senator Andrew Abogede and Hon. A. D. O. Abutu in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively in the second Republic National Assembly.
Subsequently, it was placed before the 1994/1995 Sani Abacha Political Conference by Dr. A. A. Ali and Chief Arc. Gabriel Aduku;
2005 Political Conference by the Committee of Igala Cultural and Development Association (ICDA) led by Dr. Yakubu Haruna Ugwolawo, Chief Matthew Abu – Bendo Abraham and others;
2009 National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendments and was led by Pa Alhaji Wada Ejiga, Dr. Moses Egene Adah, Dr. Yakubu Haruna Ugwolawo, etc.;
2013 National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendments and was led by Pa Alhaji Wada Ejiga, Dr. Moses Egene Adah, Dr. Yakubu Haruna Ugwolawo, Dr Simon Akogu, Dr. Simeon Oyiguh, Mr. Haruna Alikali, etc.;
2014 National Political Conference and was led by Chief Robert Audu, Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo, Chief Abdullahi Ohiomah, etc.;
2021 National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendments and was led by Chief Robert Audu, Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo, Barr. Dr. Daniel Daudu Makolo, Barr. Unubi Akoh and Dr. Fred Ata;
2024 National Assembly Committee on Constitutional Amendments and was led by Chief Robert Audu, Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo, Prof. Godwin Ogbadu, Chief Abdullahi Ohiomah, Alhaji Alfa Ibn Mustafa, Dr, Jeremiah Ekele, Arc. Alhaji Ukele Ali, Dr. D. D. Makolo, Chief Dr. Rekiya Momo – Abaji, Eng. Cyprian Ademu Adejoh, etc.;
Presentation of A Bill for and Act to amend the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the creation of Okura State, to the House of Representatives by Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims, Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives, with the support of the other two members, Hon Zachariah David and Hon. Gowon Haruna. The Bill has passed the Second Reading
A meeting was held at Idah on 30th November, 2024.at Dr. Steven Achema Hand ball Stadium, Idah to finally clear all issues pertaining to the proposed state.
The resolution adopted at the
meeting include:-
1. The proposed state is the transformation of the defunct Igala Native Authority to a State status – Okura State
2. The component Local Government Areas are:
Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro and Omala
3. The headquarters of the proposed State is Idah
4. The basis for requesting for the creation of Okura State include, equity, justice, fairness and propensity for rapid growth and development. Consequently, all present component LGAs of the state shall have access to available positions in rotational order. Namely, governor, deputy governor, senators, etc.
5. There shall be established, GOOD GOVERNANCE COUNCIL to monitor the implementation of the state’s Blue Print
6. There should be a special Committee to enhance the visibility of the Movement.
CONCLUSION
In concluding my message, I wish to state that I have used this occasion to make it known that we stand to gain from the proposed Okura State and we should all work for its realization. I equally highlighted my past experiences in team work, which led to successes in our endeavours of the past.
We should bring such trait to bear on the struggle for the creation of Okura State.
We must avoid pitfalls which had been the hall mark or trademark of saboteurs, who aided in stagnating the progress of Igala land.
It is not out of place to say that I am very optimistic that by next year, when I shall celebrate my 75th Birth Day Anniversary, the story of the proposed Okura State will be different for the better.
Igala/Bassa and indeed, Kogi State will heave a sigh of relief.
