Dr Kingsley Ojie is a man with the divine prowess of touching lives in a very positive way. He is humble, unassuming, intelligent, articulate, a philanthropist per excellence and above all, a Pastor of a church. Recently, the delegates of the Forward News Media paid him a courtesy visit in Izu Anioma office where he shed more light about himself, how Izu Anioma came about and its contributions to the upliftment of Delta State Economy and how he wished to be remembered.
Hear Him:
Briefly explain whom you are to the society?
My name is Pastor Dr Kingsley Ojie, am the national president of Izu Anioma, even though some of our leaders prefer to call my office the global president. Izu-Anioma is the epex or the umbrella organization for all Anioma people around the whole world and it was actually established by our forefathers, Rt Hon Chief Dennis Osadebe, Senator Nosike Ipoh, Chief Izah of Ndokwa, Chief Irewa of Ikah and many forefathers of the Anioma nation, all of them played a role in one way or the other in the history and growth of Izu-Anioma. The recent history my predecessors in office as national president, my immediate predecessor is Brigadier Gen Godwin Alabi Isamah who was actually one of the narrow head that helped the Nigeria to win the civil war. Before him, was Col Mike Okwechine, the late orikeze of Ibusa kingdom, he was also the first director of the Nigeria Army and also served as chairman of the national sports commission and was a very top leader in rotary club, in most of his life. Before Col Okwechine, was Chief POC Ozieh who had huge pharmacy in Ogwashi-uku. These are the immediate past president of Izu-Anioma. Today our headquarters and secretariat is here in Asaba, No1 Tom Adingwu Street and we are actually in a building opposite Direct Labour Office DLA Road Asaba. This is just a brief resume of Izu-Anioma, once again I welcome you all in Jesus Name, Amen.
As a man who have served immensely as the past chairman of Ukwani LGA and assume the seat of the National President Izu-Anioma in the year 2018. How has the journey been to you since these past years until now as per your hurdles and achievements?
Well, I contested to be LGA chairman of Izu-Anioma but I actually got elected as the vice chairman in 2014 and I served as executive vice chairman of Ukwani local government area from 2014 to 2017, subsequently the next year, I took up the mantle as interim national executive committee president of Izu-Anioma. It has been tough you know because by the time we came in, there was a lot of division among the Anioma people. We have the Izu-Anioma as the apex umbrella body registered by the corporate affairs commission and at the same time we had the Anioma Congress which was established by a group of traditional rulers and politicians led by the Asagba of Asagba who is of blessed memory now, because of certain leadership challenges they had then with Col Okwechine. And so when we came into office, our main task was to unify Anioma. Before the Asagba passed on, we had a meeting with him in his Palace with the leadership of Izu-Anioma, and Anioma Congress, he gave an instruction to the leadership of Anioma Congress to unify with the umbrella body of Izu-Anioma, so that big division was resolved and today we are all together and so happy that we have a very active forward looking and exceptional able Senator, Distinguish Senator Ned Nwoko who is doing some much for Anioma people and he needs our support and encouragement. The oil well that was granted to Anioma people by the Obasanjo government many years ago, that we couldn’t take possession of, but with his assistance we have already got into it with pan ocean and restoration is been done, a lot of things have been going on and now, we are in the thick of Anioma state being created in view.
Does Izu-Anioma have a cordial relationship with the present political party of Delta State and If so do you people accept and support any Anioma citizen whom may contest from any party aside PDP?
It is important we state it very clearly that Izu-Anioma is a social cultural organization and also a political organization but we are not partisans. Izu-Anioma belongs to all Anioma people, PDP, APC, Labour Party and so many parties are here and so Izu-Anioma as an organization that does not belong or attach itself to any party. But we have very cordial relationship with the government and our sons and daughters who are elected into government, but we are not PDP. Yes of course, whatever government is doing especially when it concerns the welfare of Anioma people we are hundred percent in support.
In one of your speech then, If you could recall, you said that you intend to return Izu-Anioma to the Anioma people who own it, and so does it also have to do with the agenda of creating the Anioma State?
Izu Anioma Secretary Mr Esso Boniwe
Thank you so much, i have seen you have done some research. Izu-Anioma belongs to Anioma people and when the founding fathers created it, they created it for all Anioma people. But because of the divisions and misunderstanding over the years, there are some people who think that Izu-Anioma is like a club, we are not a club, or any social organization, we are Anioma people and so every Anioma sons and daughters, by right is a member of Izu-Anioma, whether they know it or not or accept it or not. And so when I say we are taking Izu-Anioma back to Anioma people, that is the bottom line, we are telling Anioma people that this Izu-Anioma belongs to you, come and take possession of your umbrella body and what we are now doing in the fight for Anioma state is also part of our interest in the welfare of Anioma people, of course everybody is aware and agrees to it even in spite of the division as so to which zone should they put us and the one they should not put. That is actually not important to us in Izu-Anioma, but what is important to us is do we want a state of our own, yes! What are the benefits of a state of our own, they are so many which is having our own state, the governor, the deputy governor, the three senators is going to be an Anioma son, we will also have more members representing us in federal house of representatives and for all you know, by the time things goes down, we will have more members in the house of assembly, more local government will be created, more wards and so many, and by this, we will have more control of our resources. We have oil and gas in almost nine lga of Anioma state, and so much of it are concentrated in all Ndokwa land and when you go to those areas we have that resources, you will see the greatest mass poverty in the whole of Delta State and that is because of lack of leadership. If leadership comes closer to us the state government can do something about it, get the oil companies to do what they are supposed to do for their communities like a corporate agreement on what the company is supposed to do for the local population, so they are all for Anioma state when eventually the federal government decides to put us as one of the states in Nigeria.
What then can you say about the bold and sagacious move made by Senator Ned Nwoko which the meeting was held in Grand Hotel Asaba on the 31st of August on a presented bill for the creation of Anioma state as the 6th state of South East in Nigeria?
Like I said earlier, the move is bold, loud, sagacious and so on, and we support it hundred percent. There are people in Anioma who think that we don’t have direct ancestry with the southeast and some are against, and they have the right to. The Senator has also assured them that there will be possibility of Anioma state being created as the 7th state in south-south. So we are fighting both ways on whichever the federal government gives us, fine. But for we, Izu-Anioma we are not too bothered about which way it goes, what we want is give us Anioma state, and we support the Senator again in a hundred percent and we commend him for what he is doing which is of the interest of Anioma people, period.
Base on the present hardship of the country, do you think the creation of Anioma state will bring a lasting solution to the hardship Anioma people are facing.What is your assurance on that?
I think so, which I have already told you, like for example, the federal government gave Anioma people an oil well which is now operational. If we get our rig think so, which I have already told you, like for example, the federal government gave Anioma people an oil well which is now operational. If we get our rights back, Anioma people can therefore establish their own modular refinery that will be built and run by Anioma people, and this will bring about employing Anioma people, with the benefits that will flow through for Anioma people. And secondly I told you people earlier that there is going to be a multiplying effect in appointments, political positions and so on which will be benefited by Anioma people, and then government will now come closer to our people, which is the state governor and the rest, which will stop those oil companies who have exploited us throughout the years to respect the agreement that the local communities is supposed to have. There have been oil court agreements, MOUs that have been signed out for every oil companies, whereby they are supposed to be employing certain numbers of indigenes and there are even specific salary they are supposed to be paid. When we visited some of the communities with our Distinguish Senator Ned Nwoko not too long ago, we noticed that some of the communities, people working there are supposed to be placed on salary of not less than one hundred and twenty thousand naira, whether security or so, but we found out that majority of them are being paid forty thousand naira, so with better governance closer to the people, hardship will be less in Anioma land, milk and honey will flow, quote me anywhere.
Despite such bill been presented and discussed in the meeting that was held on Saturday, are there any opposition to this new development and if there is, how do you and your stakeholders intend to tackle it?
We have already mentioned that here, that some people who think the new state must be in south-south we won’t begrudge them, they have the right, but for us we are looking at the bigger picture. One thing every Anioma sons and daughters agrees on is that we want an Anioma state, I have not seen anybody who says, I don’t want Anioma state. All Anioma traditional rulers, Anioma people home and abroad are all in support of Anioma state. For example the Dein of Agbor profusely commended the Senator for this great move and cleared the entire audience of Anioma people to support and achieve this. He said, “This vision is long overdue, that the time for it has come and this is the time”. He also said he has visited Abuja a number of times and find out that the Senator is held in a very high esteem in a top most quarters in Abuja. So he gave the full support and encourages all Anioma sons and daughters to support the move. And so whatever any one will carry to oppose this vision base on politicizing or whatsoever, they should know that the creation of Anioma state is not for that at all but for the goodwill of all Anioma people. You can go watch more of the video clip of the program that day.
So far so good, Izu-Anioma is likely a cultural/traditional and citizenry nation, and you have proven to be trustworthy and zealous, thereby making Anioma nation strive to it’s peak all these years. And so how have you been carrying this responsibility of being the National President and a Pastor?
God has given us the grace. I tell some people that I am a full time medical doctor, a politician and a community leader. You know, God gives us the grace and we manage to do all we can, but with age advancing now, we are paying more attention to community services.
Presently, to the more agenda and the government of Governor Sheriff, Governor of Delta State. Are there support Izu-Anioma gives to him and as well as support Izu-Anioma get from his administration?
Well in tangible terms so far, no! But we as a body support his government and we really wish and desire that he can do more for Anioma people. I live in Imo state and I came into this meeting from Imo state, driving into Asaba, the high way is in a very deployable state, so I really wish that His Excellency, the Governor who has our full support, I am a member of PDP and I hope and wish that he can do more both for Asaba and the entire Anioma people.
What words of inspiration will you like to say to Anioma citizen at home and in diaspora, and lastly what will you want to be remembered for?
I have come and i am doing my work, i wish that in our time soon, we will see an Anioma state created. I wish also that the Anioma people by the grace of God will be raised to a higher pedestal and we will stand head and shoulder above in comparison to other communities and states. I believe when Anioma state gets created in a very short time, we will be ranking as possibly one of the number one states in the federation, that’s my vision and prayer. I just want to see the good of Anioma people, and want to be remembered that I worked hard during my time to see Anioma develop and get to that peak.
