BY SUNDAY EGEDE- The Pointer
There are many ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and one of them is
Ika. The people of Ika ethnic nationality are found in the Ika Federal
Constituency which is made up of Ika North-East and Ika South local
government areas of Delta State. There are 11 autonomous kingdoms within
the ethnic nationality and each of them is headed by a traditional
ruler who is the supreme custodian of the cultural heritage of his
people.
As a result of the need to promote harmonious co-existence within and
among the various strata or components of the Ika nation as well as to
encourage the spirit of love, unity and mutual understanding of all Ika
ethnic indigenes wherever they are, the Onu Ika Nigeria was formed by
the progressively minded sons and daughters of Ika nation. The Onu Ika
Nigeria was also formed to enhance and protect the public image of Ika
people generally among others.
The vision of Onu Ika Nigeria, no doubt, is to become the mouthpiece
and platform for the promotion of the interest and core values of Ika
ethnic nationality and by the same vein, its mission is to promote,
nurture and sustain the identity of Ika ethnic persons within the Delta
North Senatorial District otherwise known as Anioma geopolitical zone of
Delta State within the context of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Since the Onu Ika Nigeria was formed about 17 years ago, it has
obviously lived up to its expectation in bringing the people of Ika
nation together through the annual Ogwa Ika designed to provide a
veritable platform where matters impacting on Ika social life, culture,
tradition, education, health, progress and general welfare of sons and
daughters of Ika nation are deliberated upon.
Only recently, the 14th Ogwa Ika which featured the 13th Ika Ka Mma
Annual Lecture was held at the Ika National Hall, Agbor, headquarters of
Ika South local government area of the state. In his goodwill message
to the people of Ika nation during the ceremony, Governor Emmanuel
Uduaghan called on them (the people of Ika ethnic nationality) to use
their annual gathering (‘Ogwa Ika’) as a platform for promoting greater
cohesion, understanding, love and amity among the different communities
in Ika land and within individual communities as well.
The governor who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government
House, Asaba, Dr. Festus Okubor, noted that the call had become
necessary in view of some worrisome developments within Ika land, adding
that “there is growing intra-community differences and that of
kidnapping in the area”.
According to him, with the annual gathering of Ika people,
differences should be narrowed, better understanding should be firmly
agreed upon, methods of making youths in Ika to engage in more
purposeful and productive ventures and becoming watchdogs of good
conduct among themselves should be worked out while elders in individual
communities could have a mechanism to leverage on this unity that ‘Ogwa
Ika’ and ‘Ika Ka Mma’ annual lectures are all geared to attain.
While urging the organizers of the programme (Onu Ika Nigeria) not to
relent in their efforts aimed at promoting socio-cultural, economic,
environmental and educational development among the Ika people in
particular and the nation in general, he said “the theme for this year’s
lecture ‘Environmental Degradation: The Need to Pep up Standards for
the Ika People’ is quite appropriate as it is in tandem with the
environmental programme of our human capital agenda”.
Continuing, Uduaghan said “as a body, you (Onu Ika Nigeria) are in a
vintage position to lead the advocacy for change of attitude towards
deleterious environmental practices among our people”, adding that he
was drawn to this year’s lecture because of his special interest in
climate issues.
“It is my hope that at the end of this lecture, we should have
succeeded in giving human face to environmental issues, empower our
people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development,
promote an understanding that even our local communities are pivotal to
changing attitudes towards environmental issues like bush burning,
deforestation, converting drainages to waste dumps, erecting buildings
on drainage channels, illegal wood logging among others”, the governor
stated.
Speaking further, he said that the state government, in pursuit of
its three point agenda, remained committed to sustainable development of
the entire state “including the fulfillment of the traditional
obligation of providing an enabling environment for the peaceful
operation of the private sector, pointing out that Ika land has always
been known for its disposition towards peace, industry and commercial
enterprise of its sons and daughters including well respected and great
farmers.
As a state and people, Governor Uduaghan said, we assure all
investors that our hands remain wide open to welcome them into the
state. “As a state, we have sustained all our environmental programmes
which were put in place by my administration. Much has been achieved but
we need all the co-operation and understanding of all our people to
withstand all the ravages that climate change may bring”, the governor
added.
In his remarks, the Chairman at the occasion, Chief Andrew Nwadike
stated that with the intensification of oil exploration activities in
various locations in Ika land, the prospects of worsening environmental
degradation would be compounded. With such marginal oil fields in parts
of Abavo, Agbor, Owa and Ute Okpu Kingdoms, Nwadike said, exceptional
proactive measures have to be adopted in order to avoid the likely
collateral environmental damages whose consequences could be both
intimidating and devastating. “Let crude oil drilling in Ika land bring
us peace, blessing and prosperity rather than doom and devastation”, he
added.
Speaking further, the Chairman submitted that after a careful
forensic audit and rigorous definition of the Ika Nation, the compound
name “Ika Ibo” does not exist, saying that you are either Ika or Ibo and
not both. According to him, Ika Ibo was merely coined as a protective
mechanism for our brothers and sisters across the River Niger during the
civil war years, adding that “the clarification becomes very compelling
as a device to avoid a gross display of ignorance on the part of our
children and grandchildren”.
While applauding members of Onu Ika for their resilience and
passionate commitment towards sustainable socio-economic and political
development of Ika land, he stressed the need for a symbiotic
relationship between them (members of Onu Ika) and the political class
from Ika ethnic nationality, pointing out that such a synergy would make
for mutual inclusiveness and compact.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Head of the collective leadership
of Onu Ika Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Usifoh said that the current leadership
of Onu Ika had resolved to resuscitate the dying Ika language as one of
the strategies to reinforce the unity of Ika people and clarify their
opaque identity among the Anioma people and the Nigeria nation at large.
Usifoh who spoke on a number of strategic focuses of Onu Ika Nigeria,
called for the reactivation of animal rearing and the planting of
economic trees in Ika land even as he cautioned on the double edge
effects of crude oil and gas exploration, adding that the people of Ika
nation should be more security conscious.
Delivering the 13th ‘Ika Ka Mma’ annual lecture which has
“Environmental Degradation: The Need to Pep up Standards for the Ika
People” as its theme, an Associate Professor of Geology in Delta State
University, Abraka, Edwin Ozor Adaikpoh defined environmental
degradation as a process through which the natural environment is
compromised in some way, thereby reducing biological diversity and the
general health of the environment.
Adaikpoh said that “this process (environmental degradation) can be
entirely natural in origin or it can be accelerated or caused by human
activities”, adding that many international organizations have
recognized environmental degradation as one of the major threats facing
the planet.
On the role of government in controlling environmental degradation,
he said “government should ensure that all industries are located far
away from cities; enforce strict laws for pollution control in
industries as well as vehicles and ensure that all industries set up
waste treatment plants”.
Continuing, the lecturer said the public should be educated on the
causes and effects of environmental degradation, pointing out that it
was of utmost importance for communities to ensure that Memorandum of
Understanding were not violated by exploration bodies “and when cash
compensation is made, the projects desired must be executed”.
