From Owa-Oyibu, Tales of Fond Memories

THEFRONTLINES BY Joseph Ushigiale

jushigiale@yahoo.co.uk,

Last weekend, the whole of Nigeria literally emptied into the sleepy little village of the Owa-Oyibu Kingdom in Delta State. When I say the whole country, I mean the segment of who is who. So if you are somebody and wasn’t in Owa-Oyibu that last weekend when the Chairman, Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY, ARISE Media group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena buried his mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena – Nee Usifoh in a blaze of glory then you missed.

The well-planned burial kick-started on August 16, with a commemorative birthday climaxed with the interment on August 20. Rather than wearing sack clothes to mourn the passing of Nee Usifoh, the burial was a celebration of the life and times of Princess Margaret Obaigbena, who came saw and conquered, to put it mildly. Nee Usifoh, without a doubt, left indelible marks on the sands of time.

As all destinations beginning from Friday, August 19 led to Owa-Oyibu, those who indicated interest to attend the burial had their travel burden lessened for them. Prince Obaigbena exhibited his generosity by positioning chartered flights from Abuja and Lagos to Asaba Airport. All that was required of any individaul interested in coming to the burial to register with designated officials who were vested with that task.

From the itinerary, the flights, backed with accomodation, were complemented with buses and high level security cover to and from Owa-Oyibu. Suddenly, the Asaba airport which hitherto recorded few number of flights in and out of the airport with some days recording zero as a result of the scarcity of aviaation fuel, became a beehive of activities. Infact, the fortunes of the airport got a major boost that Saturday following the arrival of the Very Very Important Persons (VVIP) in their private jets. You would think it was a meeting of the Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mafia family) converging on Owa-Oyibu.

The roll call of dignitaries included captains of industry, serving and past politicians, technocrats, media owners, veteran and serving journalists, established businessmen and women. The Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife were on ground as host governor; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo; Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu; Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki; former Cross River Governor Donald Duke; former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Also at the funeral were Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and his wife, Governor of Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba, Chairman of United Bank of Africa, Mr. Tony Elemelu, Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, CEO of First Bank, Adesola Adeduntan, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wale Babalakin, Chairman of Ovation Media Group, Basorun Dele Momodu, Senator James Manager, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, Senators Sanusi Daggash and Lee Maeba, Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, Mr Segun Awolowo Jnr and Engr. Buba Galadima.

Why would the burial of Nee Usifoh attract so many high network individuals some of whom never met her until she passed at age 87? From the citation and exhortations gleaned from the programme and speakers at the burial, she was a woman of virtue and an embodiment of humility who lived a life of purpose, discipline, hardwork and service to humanity.

In the old Mid-western region, the Obaigbenas were not the Ogbemudias, Okotie Ebohs or the noveau riche. At best, the family belonged to a middles class group. At a time when most women were perpetually banished to ‘the other room and the kitchen’ apologies to our President, the late Nee Usifoh followed her dream and pursued her passion to train in Ibadan and Benin where she graduated and eventually began working as a nurse.

The most significant virtue of Nee Usifoh was her ability to pursue her career and effectively combine official work with supporting her husband in bringing up a young family. Today, her handiwork is evident and there for all to see. As she goes home in the blaze of glory, she has left behind testimony of a family inculcated with strong work ethics, honesty, discipline and love for humanity.

There can be no better testimony and legacy to attest for her than her six children – Prince Ben Obaigbena who retired as Group General Manager of defunct Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Prince Alan Glory Obaigbena, a retired Florida Director of Highways, USA; Princess Isioma Ukwa; the late Prince Rotimi Obaigbena; and our own Chairman/Editor in Chief, THISDAY/ARISE Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Princess Ogochukwu Aneke. She had many grand and great grandchildren.

As she goes home in the blaze of glory, she would never forget the day she gave birth to one of her son, Nduka, nicknamed Prof because of his mercurial mind. His humour, style, charisma, candour, panache, generosity combined with his remarkable goodwill make him a magnet that attracts people, the likes of those that went to Owa-Oyibu to condole with him.

Like or hate, The Duke is an ideasman with a midas touch. Almost everything he touches turns to Gold. It is an abomination in his cycle to nurse the fear that an idea is impossible to crystalize.It is proven that he has shattered myths, broken barriers and rewritten conventions times without number.

Yet, his relentless pursuit of more opportunities to grow new enterprises knows no limit. It would not be out of place to document that The Duke inherited strong work ethics, hardwork and commitment from his late mother. These values have become intrinsic and as leading lights in his service to humanity.

On a personal note, the burial afforded me the opportunity to reunite with long lost friends and colleagues. I was pleasantly surprised to reunite with my pal, Buba Galadima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Our paths crossed sometime in 2009 or so, I had booked an interview with then General Muhammadu Buhari of the CPC. When I arrived Abuja from Lagos that morning, I was told he had left for the airport enroute London to keep an appointment with the BBC and attend to other matters.

In his place, Galadima was delegated to sit in for him. I did the interview and flew back to Lagos. When the interview was published with the headline “Our Politicians Need Ghanaian Treatment” hell broke loose. The DSS invited me to Abuja and I was interrogated for three days. Buba was just strolling in and out. When I asked one DSS official why Buba was walking the streets a free man when he was the one who granted the interview. He told me they dared not arrest him because the whole of the North would be on fire. I could not understand that explanation.

So after my release, we rekindled our friendship up till when Buhari took office. Given the knowledge that Buba was Buhari’s right hand man, I concluded that Buhari was going to occupy a very strategic position in the administration. I was totally wrong. When we finally met with Buba after the Buhari administration was well on the way, he explained to me that after the merger, they (himself and Hamman) were ostracised from the party because someone gossipped them to Baba.

In Owa-Oyibu, we took time catching up on unfolding events and drama in the polity. At some point, he pulled me aside and asked me: Do you know your chairman surprised me two months ago? I asked him with what? He told me and I said that was vintage chairman.

One remarkable thing about The Duke is that he cultivates friendship and never forgets a good deed to him. He is one man who does not fail to repay old favours. Thus the converge of who is who in Owa-Oyibu for his mother’s burial was eloquent testimony of his far reaching goodwill which marks him out as a man of the people.

Interestingly, just like the warring Biafra and Federal forces observed a truce during the civil war for the Brazilian team to play a friendly, the burial venue, rather than rekindling old rivalry and animosity saw an unprecedented level of comraderieship with politicians from opposing parties followshiping and building bridges across the Niger.

Although the burial rites had since ended, it would take a long time for the people of Owa-Oyibo to forget the frills and thrills of burial. They would always remember those moments with fond memories.