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THE MENTION OF THE NAME, PERE OF OLODIAMA CLAN, EVOKES UGLY MEMORIES
In 1986, one Timothy Ofunama, issued a statement saying that Gelegele belonged to Ijaw and that the Oba of Benin had no jurisdiction over it in the welcome address I presented when Omo N’Oba Ewuare II visited Obazuwa on January 28, I enumerated some of the provocative acts of the Ijaws. We wish to state some of them here again.
In 1985, Philips Oil Company established business in Ughoton. It built a Flow Station in Gelegele. Ijaw fishermen, who lived in stilt-houses around the swamps, came out and began to supply labour to the company. Many of the Benin youths in Ughoton and Gelegele had left the villages in search of a better life in the City. When they heard of the new company and the job opportunities if offered, they returned home to seek employment. The Ijaws were not happy at their return. They feared they would displace them (the Ijaws) in competition for jobs. Suddenly, they attacked the returnees. The attack was so violent and widespread that the government setup an administrative panel, headed by Mr. S. Jamgbadi, a Senior District Officer, to look into it. Part of the panel’s report reads:
“… it is however established that the Ijaws have been resident in Gelegele for many years and that during these years they have acquired landed property and cultivate farms but from the facts in evidence they qualify as TENANTS on the land their long period of occupation notwithstanding…”
The Ijaws were not done yet with agitation. They agitated again, the same year, against Philips Company itself. The cause of the agitation was that the company also gave employment to non-Iyaw persons. Government again set up an inquiry to look into the crisis. Part of the panel’s report reads:
“… The inquiry further revealed that the claims by the Ijaws to the monopoly of employment provided by the oil company are not only unpatriotic but also preposterous. The Ijaws have no right whatsoever to prevent the oil company from employing persons of their choice; they should stop threatening the oil company from employing other persons who are not Ijaw…”
On Thursday, November 20, 1986, as said earlier, Timothy Ofunama, in the publication in the Nigerian Observer said that Gelegele belonged to Ijaw and that the Oba of Benin had no jurisdiction over it. The government reacted to the publication through a press statement issued by the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government, Engr. Enoch Ejofodomi. I reproduce the statement here in full.
1. My attention has been drawn to a publication at page 4 of the Nigerian Observer Newspaper of Thursday, 20th November, 1986 titled “Public Notice” and credited to one Timothy Ofunama who styled himself as the “Ama-Okosuwei of Gelegele”. In which he gave the impression that the traditional administration of Gelegele was under the “Pere of Olodiama Clan” and other Ijaw Chiefs in Ovia Local Government Area of Bendel State.
2. From records available in my Ministry, there is no chieftaincy title known as the “Pere of Olodiama Clan” in Ovia Local Government Area. Also there are no chieftaincy titles known as “Ama-Okosuwei of Gelegele” and “Amanana-Owei of Gelegele”, as claimed in the above mentioned publication. In this regards the Government couldn’t have appointed anybody to these non-existent chieftaincy stools.
3. The author of the above mentioned vexations publication also gave the impression that the Oba of Benin has no right to confer the chieftaincy title of “Okao of Gelegele” on Chief I. Iyonmahari and that Gelegele and some other Ijaw towns in Ovia Local Government Area are not under the jurisdiction of the Oba of Benin. In this regard, my Ministry wants to make it abundantly clear that the Oba of Benin who is the traditional paramount ruler in Benin kingdom is the Prescribed Authority for Oredo, Orhionmwon and Ovia Local Government Areas by virtues of Bendel State Legal Notice 44 of 1979 published in the Bendel State Legal Notice 44 of 1979 published in the Bendel State of Nigeria Extraordinary Gazette No. 51. Vol. 16 of 28th, September, 1979; He therefore acted within his constitutional powers: as the prescribed Authority for the area ‘when he appointed Chief I. Iyonmahan as the Okao of Gelegele. It is also pertinent to point out that Gelegele in Ovia Local Government Area is part and parcel of Bini land under the jurisdiction of the Oba of Benin having regard to the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on 11th August, 1983 which made it clear that the land known as Gelegele belongs to the Binis.
4. In the light of the foregoing, Government sews the action of Timothy Ofunama who calls himself the “Ama-Okosuwei of Gelegele” as an attempt to incite the law abiding Ijaw citizens in Gelegele against their host as capable of causing serious disaffection among the entire community in that part of Ovia Local Government Area. I want to stress that Government will not tolerate that state of affairs which is capable of jeopardizing the peace, order and good government in the area.
5. For the purpose of clarification, it is considered necessary to inform the general public that it is not only contemptuous to reopen an issue on which the Supreme Court had already delivered judgment but that it is also unlawful for anyone to call himself a chief or allow himself to be so called or addressed if he has not been conferred with a chieftaincy title by a competent authority and has not been registered by the Ministry of Local Government as a Chief.
6. Finally, I want to warn that all those who are party to the aforementioned publication should desist forthwith from parading themselves either as traditional rulers or as traditional chiefs as the penalty for their actions under Sections 20 and 26 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, 1979 is imprisonment for six months and two years respectively without an option of a fine.
(Engr. Enoch Ejofodomi)
Commissioner for Local Government
Ministry of Local Government
Benin City.
10th December 1986
The Ijaws still claim ownership of Gelegele. Yet, the question of who owns Gelegele had gone through litigation and had long been settled.
At the High Court of Justice, Benin, in suit B/44/1970, Judgment was delivered in favour of Benins by Honourable Justice Ekeruche on December 22, 1978. Part of the judgment reacts.
“…finally, I enter judgment in this case as follows: for the avoidance of all doubts, argument or controversy, I hear say unequivocally, that Gelegele village and its environs and bushes are Benin land. They do not belong to the Ijaws of Gelegele as owners. The Ijaws are tenants of His Highness Akenzua II the Oba of Benin. Apart from above, the plaintiffs’ claims are dismissed in their entirety”.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Ijaws went to the Court of Appeal, Benin. The court dismissed their appeal and delivered judgment in favour of Benin. The lead judgment was read by Honourable Justice Abdul Ganiyu Agbaje on December 16, 1981.
Still on satisfied, they headed for the Supreme Court. In Suit SC. 131/1/1982, Honourable Justice, Muhamadu Lawani Uwais (CJN) and four (4) others, on August 19, 1983 also dismisses their appeal and up-held the judgment of the lower courts. The CJN concluded thus:
“… For three reasons I am of the opinion that the appellants’ argument in support of the sole ground of appeal should be discountenanced. The appeal therefore fails and it is dismissed with N300.00 costs to the respondents. The decision of the Federal Court of Appeal is affirmed…”
The Supreme Court awarded costs against the Ijaws. Despite these judgments, the various reports and government statements, the Ijaws still claim ownership of Gelegele!
In 1987, they attacked Benin indigenes in Iko and Isekiri and Urhobo settlers there. They destroyed the Ogua-edion in Iko, they moved up-hill, to Ikonoke and unleashed mayhem. Benin indigenes in Ikonoke and in Ikonugboghodo fled, giving room to the Ijaws to entrench themselves in both places. At that time and up till the early 90s, one Pa Igbinosun, a Benin man, was the Odionwere of Iko, they have forayed into Agbomoba, Ozomu, Igbobi, Ekete, Ite, Orogo, Ewudu, Abiala, Eki-ohuan (now known as Ekewan), Okomu and Gelegele. They maim the Benin people in these communities and destroy their properties.
In June 2011, we, offered a parcel of land to Edo State government for the erection of a model school block. The Government sent a team led by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, then Mrs. Idaho is now the Head of Service. In anticipation of the inspection, we directed Obazuwa boys to demarcate the plot. As the boys were measuring it, Ijaws militants descended on them with machetes, guns, and clubs. Without any provocation, they brutalized the boys and abducted two of them. Obazuwa boys were unnamed and defenseless.
We sent an S.O.S to the Governor who directed his Chief of Staff, then Barr. Osarodion Ogie, to take up the matter with the Commissioner of Police. The Police Commissioner promptly dispatched a team of policemen from Evbotubu Police Station to rescue the abducted boys. He sent another team from SARS to arrest the militants who brutalized the boys, destroyed their motorcycles and a car. Those arrested were charged to Okada Magistrate’s Court where the case is still pending up till now.
In order to strengthen their claim of ownership of Gelegele, they have now coined names, Gelegelegbene and Gelegele-ama. These names are new. In all their previous write-ups and the dispatches by early European visitors. Gelegele had always been known and spelt as Gelegele. The use of Gelegelegbene and Gelegele-ama which they have only recently coined is ludicrous and intellectually dishonest.
Our people got judgment in the Supreme Court 34 years ago. Now they want to claim their judgment right. Those who were driven away from their homeland, Abiala, and Ikon’oke, want to return home. They want to erect a house in Gelegele for the Okao of Gelegele who was installed there by the Oba of Benin.
The Edo State Ijaws are bellicose, belligerent, militant, quarrelsome and unfriendly. They are fighting the Itsekiris in Warri; they are fighting the Urhobos, the Ibibios and the Ilajes. They are claiming land whereas they traditionally live in swamps along the coastal areas in houses they build on stilts.
The so-called Beni-Ebe, Toru-Ebe Kengama and Abadi States which they requested the Senate to create for them in 2009, traverses the whole of the Nigerian coastline, encroaching of Benin, Ibibio, Ilaje and Itsekiri territories.
We plead for your support in curbing the Ijaw aggressiveness and in enforcing the Supreme Court Judgment for which the Ijaws have rudely insulted the highest court in the Country, Honourable Justice, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria whom they contemptuously described as fraudulent.
This press statement was endorsed by HRH Prince Edun Akenzua, MFR, FNGE, Ogie-Obazuwa and six other Enigie for on behalf of 48 communities in the affected areas in the Benin Kingdom.
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KOGI STATE STRENGTHENS CHINA PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRO-INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SAPZ IMPLEMENTATION
Kogi State has taken a significant step in advancing its international partnerships aimed at accelerating the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
The SAPZ initiative is a strategic agro-industrial platform designed to boost food production, enhance processing capacity, create employment opportunities, attract private sector investment, and position Kogi State as a leading agricultural and industrial hub in Nigeria.
Central to the engagement is the development of a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Kogi State. The project aligns with the broader SAPZ framework and is expected to drive agro-processing, facilitate agricultural technology transfer, support equipment deployment, promote enterprise incubation, strengthen logistics and cold chain systems, enhance export infrastructure, and provide sustainable power solutions.
The Kogi SAPZ structure comprises the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, alongside Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub. The programme is designed to integrate existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland per zone, creating opportunities for large-scale, tenant-driven agricultural production.
Priority value chains under the SAPZ include rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming. The programme also incorporates critical support systems such as warehousing, cold chain logistics, power solutions, compressed natural gas (CNG), agricultural technology, equipment deployment, and agro-export infrastructure.
As part of this effort, Kogi State entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd. The agreement marks a transition from conceptual planning to implementation and reflects the State’s deliberate strategy to attract credible technical partners, industrial park operators, investors, and global business platforms into the SAPZ ecosystem.
The Kogi State delegation was led by Alhaji Yakubu Okala, FCA, Auditor General of Kogi State and Project Investment Adviser, who represented His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State. Other members of the delegation included the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser to the Governor’s Office, Dr. Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser to the State, Alhaji Aliyu Inda Salami; and Project Consultant/Managing Director of Pulse Engineering and Consulting Limited, Mr. David Lekan Obatolu.
During the visit, the delegation toured key Hezheng facilities, including its investment promotion centre, agricultural industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and live-streaming incubation base. The tour provided valuable insights into Hezheng’s industrial park management model, enterprise support systems, agricultural technology integration, and cross-border market development strategies.
Deliberations between both parties focused on actionable implementation areas such as industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, park management systems, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment. Discussions also explored frameworks for establishing a structured and sustainable China–Kogi industrial cooperation platform.
Both sides expressed strong alignment on the project vision and implementation roadmap. In the coming months, technical and commercial workstreams will be advanced towards full project mobilisation, including preparatory activities for groundbreaking and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.
This engagement underscores the commitment of the Kogi State Government to transitioning the SAPZ programme from planning to execution, while positioning the State as a competitive destination for agro-industrial investment.
Kogi State remains resolute in its vision to build a bankable and investment-ready agro-industrial ecosystem that will enhance food security, promote value addition, create jobs, strengthen farmer-market linkages, support export growth, and unlock new economic opportunities for its people.
How the NEDC is attempting to turn years of devastation into a pathway for long-term development
By Michael Olukayode
For more than a decade, Nigeria’s North-East has remained a symbol of prolonged conflict and humanitarian collapse. The insurgency led by Boko Haram and its breakaway factions did far more than disrupt security—it dismantled entire communities, shattered economic systems, and altered the social and cultural foundations of a region once anchored by farming and cross-border trade.
The human cost has been staggering. More than 350,000 people are estimated to have died directly and indirectly from the conflict. Over 2.5 million individuals were forced from their homes, while at the height of the crisis, about 8.4 million people required urgent humanitarian support. Entire settlements across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe were destroyed, leaving behind a region marked by displacement and ruin.
A System Built from Collapse
The scale of destruction prompted the establishment of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in 2017 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. It was created not simply as a relief agency, but as a long-term institutional response to structural breakdown across an entire region.
Early post-conflict assessments placed the cost of destruction at over $9 billion. Infrastructure losses were extensive: thousands of homes were destroyed, more than 1,400 schools were damaged or completely wiped out, and in some areas over 70 percent of health facilities became unusable. The agricultural sector—long the backbone of the regional economy—collapsed almost entirely, deepening poverty and food insecurity.
To coordinate recovery, the Commission was tasked with implementing the North-East Stabilisation and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), a blueprint designed to move the region from emergency humanitarian response into structured reconstruction and sustainable development.
From Emergency Response to Large-Scale Reconstruction
Since beginning operations, the NEDC has implemented interventions worth hundreds of billions of naira, funded through federal allocations and supported by development partners.
Its activities span all six states of the region—Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba—where thousands of projects have either been completed or are ongoing.
Across its portfolio, the Commission has:
• Built and rehabilitated thousands of housing units for displaced families
• Executed more than 1,000 infrastructure projects, including roads, schools, and healthcare centres
• Distributed millions of relief items during peak humanitarian emergencies
• Supported agricultural programmes reaching hundreds of thousands of farmers
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mohammed Goni Alkali, explained that the institution is now deliberately evolving its focus.
“We are transitioning from humanitarian interventions to sustainable development,” he said. “The priority is building systems that can endure beyond immediate recovery.”
He added that reconstruction must be understood beyond physical structures.
“It is not only about rebuilding infrastructure. It is about restoring livelihoods, rebuilding institutions, and restoring hope to communities,” Alkali said.
Gradual Return to Normalcy Across Communities
On the ground, signs of recovery are beginning to emerge across the region, though unevenly.
Large numbers of internally displaced persons have started returning to reconstructed communities, easing long-standing pressure on overcrowded camps. Schools that were destroyed or abandoned during the peak of the insurgency are being rehabilitated and reopened, restoring access to education for thousands of children.
Healthcare delivery has also improved, with rebuilt and newly equipped facilities expanding access, particularly in rural areas that were previously cut off. Road reconstruction projects are reconnecting isolated communities, improving movement, trade, and access to services.
The Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, acknowledged the role of the Commission in supporting recovery efforts.
“The NEDC has played a critical role in supporting the rebuilding of communities and restoring hope to our people,” he said.
Restoring the Economic Lifeline
Before the insurgency, agriculture was the dominant economic activity in the North-East, employing a large portion of the population. The conflict disrupted farming cycles, displaced rural communities, and left vast tracts of farmland abandoned.
Recovery efforts are now focusing on reversing that collapse. Through the distribution of seeds, fertilisers, and farming equipment, as well as investments in irrigation and dry-season farming, agricultural production is gradually resuming. Small businesses and cooperatives are also receiving support to stimulate local economies.
According to Alkali, economic recovery remains central to the Commission’s strategy.
“Without livelihoods, recovery cannot be sustained,” he said. “Economic empowerment is therefore at the core of our interventions.”
Moving Away from Long-Term Aid Dependence
One of the most significant shifts emerging in the region is the gradual transition from humanitarian dependency to self-reliance.
Although millions of people still require assistance, returning communities are increasingly rebuilding their own economic and social systems as stability improves.
Former United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, noted that recovery efforts are beginning to produce measurable improvements.
“There is clear evidence that living conditions are improving and that basic services are being restored,” he said.
Security Gains and Lingering Vulnerability
Despite notable progress in stabilisation, the North-East remains fragile. Military operations have significantly degraded insurgent capabilities, but sporadic attacks continue in some areas.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the NEDC, Major General Paul Tarfa (rtd.), stressed that development must consolidate security achievements.
“Security gains must be reinforced with development initiatives. Only then can we achieve lasting peace,” he said.
Persistent Gaps in the Recovery Process
Even with extensive interventions, major challenges remain. Millions of residents are still dependent on humanitarian assistance, unemployment among young people remains high, and environmental pressures—including climate-related shocks—continue to threaten agricultural recovery.
In addition, funding limitations remain a key constraint, with the scale of needs far exceeding available resources.
The Managing Director acknowledged these gaps but reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment.
“The level of devastation is enormous, but we are committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver sustainable recovery,” Alkali said.
A Region Still in Transition
The North-East today exists in a complex state between crisis and recovery. It remains one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable regions, but also one of its most ambitious reconstruction theatres.
What is unfolding is a slow transformation: from destruction to rebuilding, from dependency to resilience, and from emergency survival to structured development.
Former United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, noted that recovery efforts are beginning to produce measurable improvements.
“There is clear evidence that living conditions are improving and that basic services are being restored,” he said.
Observing during his tenure in the country that: “The transition is visible, but sustaining it will require long-term investment and strong collaboration.”
Conclusion: Beyond Reconstruction
The work of the North-East Development Commission goes beyond rebuilding damaged infrastructure. It represents an attempt to reimagine post-conflict recovery at scale—linking humanitarian relief with long-term development planning.
From housing and healthcare to education and livelihoods, the foundations of a new regional reality are gradually taking shape.
Yet, as stakeholders consistently emphasise, the true measure of success will not be the number of projects completed, but whether the region can sustain stability, dignity, and opportunity over time.
In the North-East, the story of recovery is no longer only about survival.
It is about building a future that once seemed impossible—and ensuring it endures.
…Edun, Dangiwa exit FEC
…Darma named Housing minister-designate
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a minor cabinet reshuffle, effecting changes in the membership of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with the exit of two ministers and the appointment of replacements.
The decision, conveyed in a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, directed the immediate redeployment of portfolios to strengthen governance delivery.
According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the SGF on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, Mr. Wale Edun has been relieved of his duties as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy under the reshuffle.
He is to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, who has now been elevated to the position from his previous role as Minister of State in the ministry.
Similarly, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, is to exit the cabinet, with the President naming Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma as ministerial nominee and minister-designate for the ministry.
The directive also mandates that Dangiwa hand over to the Minister of State in the ministry, pending Darma’s confirmation and assumption of office.
According to the memo, all handover and takeover processes are to be completed by close of business on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Explaining the rationale for the changes, Akume said the reshuffle was designed to “strengthen cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieve more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He added that the President exercised his constitutional powers under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in effecting the changes.
The President expressed appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them success in their future endeavours.
Akume further conveyed the President’s assurance to cabinet members that the process of reinvigorating the government would be continuous and in line with the administration’s policy objectives.
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