By Tariyon Akono
In the 1990s Okpoama was adjudged to have the highest number of undergraduates. The Rivers State College of Education now Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and the Federal College of Education Technical, Omoku had the highest number of Okpoama students. University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Bori Polytechnic other universities around the country had fewer Okpoama undergraduates. Most of the undergraduates at that time upon graduation were employed in Allstates Trust Bank, AVC Funds, Linkage Assurance, ISL, Osainta Ventures etc. all courtesy of a visionary and prolific business man described as the godfather of modern banking in Nigeria – King Ebitimi Emmanuel Banigo.
The King Banigo’s business empire practically made Okpoama a community with the highest number of bankers. Coupled with few civil servants and fishing folks Okpoama economy was booming and hunger was clearly unknown in Okpoama. This was the situation until King Banigo became a politician with his appointment as Minister for Science and Technology under Olusegun Obasanjo. He didn’t stop his penchant for taking advantage of employment opportunities to employ his people and scholarship to deserving Okpoama indigene. Things took a dramatic U-turn when he resigned as minister. Contrary to his background as American trained business man, he didn’t know resignation was not an option in Nigerian politics. It was seen as an embarrassment to the Commander-In-Chief. It was as a result of his resignation that Obasanjo allegedly crumbled the business empire and threw Okpoama indigene and lots of people across the Niger Delta into the densely populated labour market. As the saving of these hitherto employees dissipated, hunger in Okpoama became palpable because monies they send to their parents and relatives was no longer coming.
The community went on to survive on crayfish. Fishermen from various parts of the West African Coast settled in the community. They rent houses and spent money on daily goods. In fact, like the oil company workers crayfish fishermen have a way of enjoying themselves when the catch is good. They check into the best hotels in the Kingdom and live life to the fullest. Women and children who assist them roll their boats in and out of the water are given crayfish as a way of payment for services rendered and in turn dry the crayfish and sell either in cash or by barter at the Okpoama Market to make ends meet. For instance, a woman with five children would go with all of them to roll several boats. At the end of the day all of them get crayfish. The mother put all together, dry them for exchange with food items or sell it cash. A family could make as much as N5,000 – N7,000 a day depending on the catch per day. Hundreds of bags of crayfish leave the kingdom every day because people come from far and near to buy. It was so until Chief Timipre Sylva became governor of Bayelsa State. There was rekindled hope in the kingdom. But after six good years not much changed and the people’s biggest hope of having a road from the state capital to the Brass Island was dashed. Most folks had hoped that the Nembe-Brass Road would have boosted tourism to sustain the community.
The Sylva administration set up a College of Education in the community. The people hoped that a lot of them would be employed as cleaners, security men and clerical staff, coupled with student population the community economy would have improved. None of these happed until he left office as governor and the school was relocated to Sagbama.
On the 21st of August, 2019, Chief Timipre Sylva was appointed Minister for State for Petroleum. There was jubilation in the Kingdom and a grand civic reception was organized to honour the illustrious son of the Kingdom with the unique tile of AJANA (leader of the pack or alpha male if you like) like never before. Even a boat regatta, masquerades display, cultural dances were organized for the petroleum minister. To the Okpoama people it was ‘aru mindi late’ (a ship with goods has berthed). More so, when he was said to have promptly facilitated a fertilizer plant project called Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company and later a modular refinery project known as Atlantic Refinery on the Brass Island. Expectations hit the skies. Preliminary work started at both project sites with minor employments. Few months later the euphoria fizzled out as work stopped on both sites. Okpoama youths are now heartbroken as their expectations sank like an anchor dropped into the Atlantic Ocean.
The King has made efforts to push the people to go into agriculture as a means to support the crayfish economy but the people are not interested in farming. You won’t blame the people, farming is not their thing. It appears they believe that someday their children and wards would work in the companies people have described as ‘419 companies’.
Clearly, the politics is not making any impact in the lives of the people in the Kingdom, especially the youths who need little opportunities to excel. As it is currently, the Ajana does not want anybody else to rise in the political space in order not to take the shine away from him. There are many young men and women from OKpoama who have been very loyal to him over the years and I think they deserve some space in the political arena to also grow. If you are one of those who have felt disappointed over the location of companies on the Brass Island and may be even envious, sorry all is a mirage.
As it stands, a crayfish economy is more reliable and profitable than politics without benefit.
Let me go and roll a crayfish boat.
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