NEMBE: Unchanging Tradition Of Peace And War
By
FROM Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Nembe is two and half hours away by an uninterrupted boat cruise. From Yenagoa the Bayelsa State Capital, it is about one and half hours. Nembe kingdom is in Bayelsa and in the geo-politics and economic of Bayelsa State, the kingdom which comprises Brass and other areas occupies a large place.
In 1895, two years before the well chronicled resistance of the Binis against British imperialism, otherwise known as Benin Massacre, Nembe had put up a similar show of gallantry. The Royal Niger Company under George Taubman Goldie unilaterally changed the rules of the then flourishing palm oil trade also tagged legitimate trade which had sprung up in the early 19th century to replace the illegitimate Trans Atlantic Slave trade. Goldie wanted the best of two worlds. He stopped the Ijaw middlemen from shipping oil directly to firms in Britain while at the same time insisting on an unhindered access into the hitherlands where oil was produced and thereby cut off the local middlemen.
This did not go well with king Frederick William Koko of Nembe kingdom and on January 29, 1895, he assembled a naval fleet of well over 20 war canoes bearing cannons and headed for Akasa where the Royal Niger company had its operational base. The place was raided and about 67 whitemen taken hostage.
The king asked as a condition for releasing the hostage, the abrogation of the oppressive trade policy. Instead of listening, the colonial authorities replied with a full-scale war with the full complements of British military might on February 26, 1895. The kingdom was ruthlessly sacked and more than 2000 people comprising mainly women and children killed.
A century and about a decade after the Akasa Raid, Nembe has not soft-pedalled in its combative tendencies. The kingdom is as tough under their current king, Justice Ambrose Allagoa (Rtd) as it was under King William Koko. This time, the object provocateur is the Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The issue is however slightly the same because it has to do with allocation of benefits arising from oil. The only difference is that, this time, it is crude oil, Nigeria's prime foreign exchange earner and not palm oil as was the case in 1895.
Chief Pedro Adukpo-Egi Ikata, a retired major of the Nigeria Army and chairman of the Nembe Chiefs Council claims Nembe alone with its daily production of 200,000 barrels of crude, contributes about 10 per cent of Nigeria's oil revenue. At the current price of $34 a barrel, it means the kingdom contributes daily, $6.8 million to the national treasury.
He argues that "though whatever compensation can hardly be enough, even the little which is provided never gets to us." He explains that in the utilisation of the 13% derivation money paid by the Federal Government, "Governor Alamieyeseigha does not remember Nembe which contributes the most". He laments: "There is nothing, I repeat nothing in Nembe that shows the pre-eminence position of the community in crude production in Nigeria."
The community's anger has degenerated into frustration. Occasionally they turn against Shell, the major oil prospecting company in the kingdom. At such times, the oil giant usually promises one or two things like provision of pipe borne water and job opportunities for the youths and life continues again.
But the dimension brought into the agitation on December 3 last year was largely unanticipated. On that day, three high Chiefs on behalf of themselves and Nembe people instituted Suit No FHC/PH/CS/570/02 at the Federal High Court Port Harcourt against Bayelsa State Governor, his attorney general, accountant general and commissioner for finance. Others joined in the suit are the accountant general of the federation and Standard Trust Bank.
The plaintiffs are Chief P. Adukpo-Egi Itata, Angadigha Ebifate and Solomon Olali-Igabo. They are seeking among other reliefs, a court declaration that a banking transaction styled "note issuance facility" involving a loan of two million naira between the Bayelsa State Government and Standard Trust Bank secured by an irrevocation standing payment order to the accountant general of the Federation to transfer the sum of N750 million monthly from the statutory Allocation of Bayelsa State Government from the Federation Account to the Standard Trust bank is null and void and of no legal or contracted effect whatsoever.
But what was purely a judicial matter between Nembe Kingdom and Governor Alamieyeseigha took a turn for the worst when an amazon of Nembe kingdom Mrs Marie Ebikale took the battle beyond the Court premises to the premises of Standard Trust Bank in Yenagoa. On January 6, Mrs Ebikale former chairperson of Brass Local government Council led thousands of women carrying placards reportedly from the eight local governments of the state to picket the Yenagoa branch of the STB.
Mr. Nathan Egba, Bayelsa State Commissioner for information described the women action as irresponsible and prejudicial of the ongoing court action. He said the protesting women had been disowned by the league of Bayelsa Women which described them as disgruntled. The commissioner explained that the picketing was "all part of a political grand design by those who have refused to come to terms with electoral failure." He added that since the matter was in court, the only path open for all law abiding citizens was to pursue the court option. "Why move out of court of law to the court of public opinion if you are sure of the veracity of your fact?" he asked.
Incidentally, a similar scenario but on a lower scale was enacted when the case involving the Nembe Community and the Bayelsa State Government came up for hearing in Port Harcourt on January 9. The court premises was taken over by placard carrying protesters allegedly from Nembe kingdom who had come to court to show solidarity.
Chief Festus Gbassa, Chief Transparency Officer of the Bayelsa Transparency Initiative (BTI) a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was also in the court room to express solidarity. Chief Gbassa it was, who took Governor Alamieyeseigha to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in May 2000 over alleged irregularities in the awards of contracts. The commission which recently submitted its report on the investigation of the Governor, has written to the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammadu Lawal Uwais, to commence the probe of the Governor.
Last week in Port Harcourt, Serena David Dokubo, Counsel to the Nembe Community, himself a Nembe son, said the matter is before the learned Justice A. O. Faji to decide whether or not, based on the facts before him, "there has been infraction of constitutional provision or other statutory enactments." He only explained why he had to accept the brief which according to him is a "community service". Said he: "The facts when presented to me, I found myself unable to shut my eyes to my people having regard to the gravity of the misconduct alleged." He added: "It is my belief that this case has considerable significance and bearing on accountability, transparency and honesty being essential ingredients of true leadership."
But the Bayelsa State attorney general, Telford Ongolo has raised a preliminary objection arguing that the Nembe Chiefs as plaintiffs in the case have no locus standi to institute the action and that the Port Harcourt Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction under section 251 (1) of the 1999 constitution to entertain the case.
Nembe Community may just be reacting to what one indigene of the community described as "accumulated grievances of which the charge of lack of government presence in the area is only a part."
During the Peoples Democratic Party's Councils primaries in the state, the community was split straight down the middle. Attempts to resist alleged imposition of candidate ended in a shooting war during which youths from Nembe town were divided between two warring camps namely Isounguforu and Teme. The wounds have been healed after about six months but the scars are still very thick on the community.
Chief Nimi Barigha-Amange, a high chief of Nembe Kingdom who had initially indicated interest in the governorship of the State under the PDP said in Port Harcourt that, last year's devastation of Nembe town was planned and executed from Government House Yenegoa. He said a prominent son of Nembe Kingdom who was then Bayelsa State Commissioner of environment and Chairman of the Governor's 2003 campaign as well as the leader of the Isounguforu group of youths was used to unleash terror on the community. The group allegedly held sway in Nembe for a long time.
Chief Egi-Ikata said the Teme group led by Amange came on a rescue mission on July 20, 2002 "to save us from these Isounguforu boys who bullied everybody from young to old." He added that the other group and its leader have been effectively dislodged giving free reign to the opposing Teme group. Chief Amange said that the anger of the kingdom against Alamieyeseigha is so deep. "We supported him in 1999 to become governor but now the tide has changed and he cannot come close to us again," he said.
Interestingly, Nembe town also possesses an enormous capacity to initiate and sustain peace. Long before the Akasa Raid of 1895, King Josiah Constantine Ochiya who reigned for between 1863 and 1879 invited the gospel into the kingdom in 1860. His son, Rev. Anthony Ochiya continued from where the father stopped.
Today in Nembe, Rev. Ochiya is to the people what Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther is to the Yoruba. He finished the first translation of the Holy Bible into Nembe Language. There was a king Forday Kulo defined in the community history as the "great king who brought trade, peace and progress to Nembe through the opening of the Brass River." He was said to be the first to invite the British into Nembe.
His son who later became king Boy Amain proved a good ambassador of the father. He was recorded as the passionate Prince who pleaded with Obi Ossai of Abboh now in Delta State, paid an unspecified ransom and rescued the Lander Brothers - John and Richard Lander. He brought the explorers who had come from United Kingdom in search of the intriguing Niger Delta where the River Niger opens to the Atlantic, into his father in Nembe. This was in 1830.
Nembe operates a social order that places high premium on the contributions of individual to the growth of the kingdom especially in the area of battle. Strategically spaced within the heart of the town, are about 25 mausoleums. They were built in memory and honour of the people's past Mingis (Kings) and other heroes of the once flourishing Nembe City State. For instance, there stand in Nembe mausoleums for Chief Igbeta, Gbololote Alabo Imbiyai, Bingo Ojoko, Amange, Gam Dede and many others.
All the honoured Chiefs had one thing in common. They were brave warriors whose exploits in battle stood them out. In fact, Oronto Douglas human rights activist and environmentalist and son of Nembe said that Nembe chieftaincy titles in the past only went to naval commanders who successfully navigated a war canoe to battle and returned. Even now, the ultimate ambition of a Nembe chief is to rise above the ordinary in deeds and achievements so he will earn a mausoleum in the heart of the town after death.
March 2003