Category: Niger Delta

In this concluding part of his report on what is life like in Cross River, NICHOLAS KALU looks at the people, their strengths, weaknesses and capabilities.

Coming from the background of being a civil service states, economic activities are not so much when compared to even its neigbours like Uyo in Akwa Ibom State. Despite the lull in the economy of the capital, city, it however, has a very active nightlife. The people of Calabar are often reputed for their love of enjoying life. It comes as no surprise that CALABAR is seen as an acronym for come and live and be at rest. A very common business in the city is sit-out joints serving, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, alongside various kinds of meat and fish. These are mostly patronised in the evenings.

It is not really a big city. Without traffic, Calabar can be covered in 30 minutes from one end to the other, from Anantigha, in the southernmost part to Eight Miles in the northernmost part. And there is almost never traffic in the city. The main road that leads into the city is the Murtala Mohammed Highway. Calabar experienced a rapid growth since 1999 as many more areas had been opened up in the city since then.

Mr Jerry Edor who lives in one such settlement in Ikot Effanga Mkpa, said it was a good thingng the town was expand by the Duke administration. This, he said was a sign of progress.

“There are new areas which developed in Calabar since 1999 which before now were just huge forests with all kinds of wild animals. But today they have turned to suburban settlements. The price of land in these places is so high now. Some of these areas are Satellite Town, Ekorinm, Eight Miles, and Ikot Effanga Mkpa here that we are,” Edor said.

Mr Inyang Bassey who has been in Calabar since the early 90s said, “The nature of the town is very slow in terms of growth and development. It has been very slow. They were signs that it would pick up during the days of Donald Duke. In fact it fact decayed until Donald came and started the process of rebuilding the state and the growth and expansion of the town.

Before Donald came, let us look at the infrastructure for example. How many dualised roads did we really have in Calabar Metropolis. Even the Highway was only dualized up to MCC. IBB Way, Etagbo and Mary Slessor were the only dualized street in Calabar. Outside that I don’t think there has been any else, except Imoke who took the M/M Highway from Army junction to Tinapa junction and then constructed the Goodluck Jonathan bypass.

“Donald opened up the city. Before now there were just the few major roads. Of course Donald did this to open the town and the potentials of the state which is all about leisure. Unfortunately, all that seems to be lost now. It’s in recession. Generally things are costlier here.  The cost of living of Calabar is always high. It has always been so. The cost of living is on the high side. It is a normal place where if buy things at a lower price elsewhere, be prepared to buy at a higher price in Calabar. A very typical example is that sachet water started selling for 10 naira in Calabar. Across the country, this was where it started. It used to be five naira. Talking of the housing situation, of course the house rents are in Calabar.”

Also speaking along the same line another Calabar resident Mrs Lydia Aniekan, said “Up until the administration of Mr Donald Duke, Cross River State was like a village. You could count the cars on the roads. If I remember correctly children even played football on the roads. As recently as 1999, the only dual lane road in Calabar was the Murtala Mohammed Highway that leads into the state capital. Outside this were just narrow streets, most of them not tarred and in very terrible conditions. But when Duke came, he started the dualization of the popular Marian Road, which we have today. Also bringing traffic through the state, the state witnessed a rapid growth under him, which has brought us to the level of development we have today. I only think it is unfortunate the present administration has decided to jettison tourism on the basis that you have to put business before please.”

Cost of living in the city it was observed learnt is relatively high, but investigations revealed that there are also a lot of things that are cheap in the city. Also foodstuff is cheap compared to neigbouring states. It was gathered that people come all the way down to Calabar to buy dry fish, fresh fish, crayfish, palm oil, periwinkle among others.

It was observed that most times people Calabar, for any other reason, they still come to the beach market to buy all those things in bulk and also foodstuff and take back. from other states always buys them in bulk and take back. Though cost of living is high, but things like crayfish, food and fish a re relatively cheap compared to other places. Also food-stuff particularly are relatively cheap, because the state produces a lot of food most of which are wasted due to lack of roads to evacuate them.

Madam Cordelia Ene is a woman in her 60s, whose daughter lives in another state but visits her frequently would buy all these to last her a while till she comes back.

She said, “Whenever my daughter comes into town from Uyo, she really makes use of the Calabar Beach market. “The Calabar Beach Market opens on Sunday afternoon. Monday morning. Friday morning, and Thursday afternoon. The market opens everyday but those particular days for those big fish, fry fish, crayfish. You can buy oil periwinkle and other seafood, even second hand clothes. The also the “Afang” leaves. The market opens every time, but on those days you will get fish and other things in good quantity and also cheaper. People even come down by sea from Oron in Akwa Ibom to sell on those days,” she said.

The hub of the nightlife in Calabar, is the Atekong axis of Marian. All ages and classes of people can be seen here at nights, especially during the weekends, having fun. Long ago it was the time when the town went to sleep when the sun went down. That was before the tourism drive of the Donald Duke led administration, sustained by the present Liyel Imoke led administration, changed face of the state, making it more visible on the world map. Consequently the once touted sleepy town became a hub, attracting visitors from all over the country and even beyond.

Attendant on this development was a more intense social life. Coupled with the impression that the average Calabar person loves to live life to the fullest, the city had gotten all the necessary ingredients for frolicking and relaxation.

The proliferation of hotels, drinking joints and clubs to in the past few years has stimulated an active nightlife to match the influx of people who seek a fun. It is now common sight in most part of town, especially the Marian Road axis to see such crawlers at night who are out to have a good time. Most of them, especially youths, patronize the drinking joints that litter the city that seems to sparkle at night.

Also, the night-clubs which inject so much power into a bubbling night life that is blossoming in the city. The growth of night clubs had provided a fresh avenue for most residents and visitors to unwind, drinking, dancing and socializing. Among a host of such clubs are the most prominent ones as Jaspers along Marian Road, Mayfair Lounge at the Channel View Hotels, Pinnacle Club and Base Bar.

Mr Felix Asuquo (not real name) owns and runs a popular club in town said he returned from diaspora to establish the business which he said had so much potential in the state in view of Duke government’s tourism thrust.

“Running a club in Calabar is no different from running a club in any other city, but the only difference is that the people here are not hostile. Security wise, I think security in Calabar is very good compared to other places. So that is why nightlife and clubs would thrive in Calabar because people can feel safe going out.

“We have to give credit to our state government because they introduced tourism. Encouraging people outside the state and in diaspora to come and build up the tourism sector that is why I came back as well.

“People are always coming in and out of Calabar. It is a place where people come to have fun and we give them quality fun.

Besides the Lafarge Cement Factory and some quarry companies in Akamkpa local government area and the Niger Mills Factory in Calabar, there is hardly anything going on in terms of industry.

Two universities, the University of Calabar and the Cross River University of Technology, also do much to inject life into the city. Whenever they are on vacation or on strike as they are now, the city almost becomes like a ghost town, as most businesses complain of low patronage. Also giving life to the economy of the city are the activities of Igbo businessmen who dabble into many areas, especially electronics and vehicle spare parts trading.

The city is replete with relics of history, such as colonial buildings, showing evidence of early contact with the white man. The Watt Market along Calabar Road and the Marian Market along Marian are the two main markets in the town.

Today the present administration seems to be deviating from the original tourism master plan, pursuing and industrialization agenda to make the state more economically viable as the present governor, Prof Ben Ayade, believes work has to come before pleasure.

Another resident of the state, Ekeng Effiong argued against this, “They should know that tourism is business not pleasure. Tourism is the engine of Cross River. We are talking about a sector that sustains some countries and here you are describing tourism as mere pleasure, and that other things are more important. For you to sweep it aside because you feel that it is unimportant and it is just industries that are important says a lot about your sense of judgment.

“It is said that if you are good at something you should make you money from it. So if the state has hospitality, serenity, warmness, smiles, leisure and a pristine environment, they might as well better their fortunes from it. It really beats our senses, this level of thinking.

“We all witnessed the development that came with the tourism agenda of Duke. We witnessed all that came from this new tourism style. It was working. Everyone was talking about or coming to Cross River. It was making the state the talk of the world. The results were clear. It was something that showed potential for growth, in fact, it did. Now you come in with your own style with logic that if you have to work first before you eat. That is a wrong analogy. Tourism is not playing. It is serious business. Now I am not even saying your own agenda is wrong, you know, everyone has his style to everything, but it does not invalidate the other idea. They can go side by side. They can be managed. But you come in because you want to assert yourself and you say this one is useless and the people that pursued it did not know anything, Effiong said.

What is life like in Cross River, especially Calabar, the state capital? NICHOLAS KALU looks at the people, their strengths, weaknesses and capabilities.

Mr Emeka David is from the Southeast, but he has lived in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for over 30 years. He is so used to the city that he says he will find it difficult to live elsewhere.

“I actually love the town Calabar. Despite it being slow and some of the problems we have with some criminality and poor economy, it is good place to stay. But it is a better place if you have money already.”

From being regarded over time as a backwater state in the country, to becoming almost a household name within and outside the country, Cross River State has really come a long way, to being the state has come to be regarded as the tourist capital of the country.

Created in 1967, it is a coastal state located in the Niger Delta region, and occupies 20,156 square kilometers. It shares boundaries with Benue State to the north, Ebonyi and Abia States to the west, to the east by Cameroon Republic and to the south by Akwa-Ibom and the Atlantic Ocean. The present day Akwa Ibom State was created from it in the state creation exercise of September 1987 by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Its capital is Calabar.

Since then, the state has had several governors, military and civilian, since then, including Udoakaha J. Esuene, Paul Omu, Tunde Elegbede, Clement Isong, Donald Etiebet, Daniel Archibong, Edet Archibong, Ibim Princewill, Ernest Attah, Clement Ebri, Ibrahim Kefas, Gregory Agboneni, Umar Faoruk Ahmed, Christopher Osondu, Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Benedict Ayade. The current Governor is Benedict Ayade, who was sworn into office on 29 May 2015.

For many it is a quiet and phlegmatic place, especially for those used to the bustle of like in states like Lagos and Rivers States. Mostly being a civil state, only during Duke’s administration from 1999 to 2007, was a conscious effort made to break away from this toga and diversify into other areas, particularly tourism, to improve the lot of the state and make it visible on the map.

From the creeks of the south, the vegetation of the central, to the savannah-like climate in the north, the cultures and languages of the state are very diverse. The state has 18 local government areas spread across three senatorial districts.

The Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Obudu Highway serves as the nerve of the state connecting almost running the 18 local government areas of the state in one long stretch. Calabar, the state capital is tucked away in the southernmost corner of the state. Up until very recently, the state of disrepair of the road had been a source of agony for commuters who have had to spend about 10 hours to travel from one end of the state to the other. This was until the Federal Ministry of Works embarked on rehabilitation of the road, which has lessened, but not solved the problem. This road serves as one of two that lead in and out of the state capital. The other one is the Calabar-Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene Highway. While the former runs from south to north, the latter runs westward to linking to states like Akwa Ibom and Abia States.

Maybe due to the laid back nature of the state or maybe due to the geographical position of the state, where they capital is tucked in the southernmost part of the state, economic activities in most of the local government areas besides those close to the capital witness any kind of boom in terms of economic activities. Farming activities which is the only business that should give life to the economy of these local government areas seem to be experiencing some kind of low as many of the farmers lament about lack of access roads to get their products out to the markets. Many of their products go bad or they have to be sold of at a loss because of this problem. Cross River produces crops like cassava, yam, plantain, rice, cocoa, oil palm among a host of others. If you are travelling the nerve road that connects the entire state, you will see along the way at various points where the farmers have managed to bring what they can salvage of their products to the highway and selling at give-away prices to commuters. They have to get it off their hands as soon as possible as it is mostly perishable.

A young farmer in Ogoja local government area in the northern part of the state, Godshield Kanjal, said it appears as if they have been forgotten by the government.

“We lack funding. It is as if we have been forgotten by government in this Ogoja, which so far from the state capital. We need assistance to expand our farms and also get quality seeds for our farming activities. After the harvest, we also have the challenges of assessing the market because of bad roads, especially those of us whose farms are located in the hinterlands.

“The middlemen now take advantage of that situation to exploit the farmers. They now come to the villages, get those produce at a very cheap rate and take it back to town and sell it off and make lots of profits, even more than the farmers. So we are calling on the government to look into setting up markets in rural areas and also look into checkmating these middlemen from exploiting these local farmers. Bad roads are a very big problem.

“We incur a lot of losses. There was a time I was trying to move some pepper from Ogoja to Calabar and our vehicle got stuck on the way, due to bad road, and that was during the rainy season. You know pepper is a perishable product. We spent over a day on the road and some of the pepper began to rotten and I incurred a lot of losses. Bad road is a big problem. Government should do something about the road to encourage the farmers. There are a lot of people interested in agriculture, but whenever they look into all this challenges being faced by farmers, they are discouraged,” Kanjal said.

These other areas of the state come to life once in a while, maybe during political seasons, or some festival or state function and other such events. In the central senatorial district, Ikom local government is the hub, while for the northern district, it is Ogoga. For the southern district, expectedly the state capital, Calabar is the hub of the district.

Cross River State spans from the coastal area of the Atlantic through the creeks and swamps of Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Calabar and Odukpani with its mangrove vegetation through the forests of Akamkpa, Etung, Ikom and Boki to the savanna-like environment of Ogoja, Yala, Bekwara and Obudu as well as the always lush highlands of Obudu and Obanliku in the northern part of the state. Also the state is made up of many ethnic/sub-ethnic groups with distinct languages and cultures. Cross River State is also blessed with linguistic and cultural diversity.

The cultures of the various people of the State are manifest in their various ways of life.

The state is also famed for its cuisine, especially those of the Efiks of the south. Popular dishes include the Afang, Edikang Ikon (pumpkin leaves), Fresh Fish Soup, White Soup (Afia Efere), Abak (palm nut) Soup. In the northern part of the state are dishes like Bene seed Soup, Melon Soup, Bitter leaf Soup and Groundnut Soup.

There is a whole lot of cultural displays among the people of the state. The state is not lacking in centres of attraction, from the mountain tops of Obudu to the Rain forests of Afi, from the Waterfalls of Agbokim to the Calabar River which provides sights and images of the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar Marina, Calabar Residency Museum and the Calabar Slave Park along its course, there is always something thrilling for the visitor to the state.

Other attractions include the Ikom Monoliths, the Mary Slessor Tomb, Calabar Drill Monkey Sanctuary, Cross River National Park, Afi Mountain walkway canopy, Kwa falls, Agbokim waterfalls, Tinapa Business Resort and the annual Calabar Carnival that takes place during the Christmas period.

Approaching the state capital by road is actually disappointing, given the state’s reputation. The road which serves as the only channel into and out of the city should be better that what it presently is. Coming in from Odukpani on a one lane strip, with bad spots at everywhere, it really leaves so much to be desired of a state capital that is reputed to be a tourism destination.

Calabar, the state capital is an interesting city. It is pertinent at this point to point out that in the broad sense, the name Calabar refers to two local government areas of Calabar Municipality and Calabar-South. The former is the state capital. But likely due to proximity of both, Calabar the state capital, commonly refers to the two local governments. So when someone says I am going to Calabar it is assumed it is any of these two. Generally both are referred to as Calabar Metropolis. The people of Calabar are noted for cleanliness.

Municipality is the fancy part of town. Nicer streets, finer buildings, streetlights and any other developmental projects appear concentrated on Municipality. Calabar South on the other hand does not get as much attention. The disparities between both become glaring in the attention paid to the development of infrastructure. The rent on both sides of Calabar differs. If one for instance wanted a one bedroom place, the average price in the South would range between N200,000 and N250, 000, but in Municipality, it could go for as high as between N350, 000 to N500, 000. Also for instance at night if one is driving from Municipality to South, it would just be the literal movement from light into darkness, as the streets light (the ones that work) are concentrated in Municipality. There is also the general impression that the South is more crime prone, making potential tenants avoid the area, thereby leading to the hike of rents in Municipality.

Mr Udo Akpan, a businessman, who came to the city five years ago, said: “When I first came to Calabar I was looking for a place to stay. I asked around and I was advised to take a place in Municipality, even though it would be more peaceful. There were talks of frequent violence due cult fights and robberies in the south. It is not like there are no criminalities in Municipality, but are not at the rate which they are on the other side.

Also security agencies will be quick to respond to issues. Also there are better roads and the environment is nicer. The electricity is better. It’s not that there are no issues in here but not as much as in the south. They have water and they is more peace of mind. So I decided to get a place at Asari Eso in Municipality since I got here.”

In many ways it is a city of firsts. The city was the home the first social club in Nigeria, The Africa Club located in Calabar-South. It hosted the first competitive football, cricket and field hockey games in Nigeria. Among the city’s firsts were the first Roman Catholic Mass (held at 19 Bocco Street, Calabar – 1903) and the oldest secondary school (Hope Waddell Training Institution – 1895) in eastern Nigeria.

The city has, a Free Trade Zone/Port, an airport and a seaport, an integrated sports stadium complex (the UJ Esuene Sports Stadium), a cultural centre, one of the most prominent universities in the country – the University of Calabar, a slave history park and several historical and cultural landmarks. It also has several hotels prominent ones like Transcorp Metropolitan and Channel View, an amusement parks and a cinema. It also hosts Tinapa and is known for the Carnival every December as part of its unique Christmas festivities.

• To be contiuned

Emmanuel Umohinyang, a social commentator and analyst, hails from Akwa Ibom State. He is the convener of Re–elect Buhari Movement (RBM).  In this interview with reporters, he speaks on national issues and why he wants President Muhammadu Buhari reelected for another term of four years. OLUKOREDE YISHAU was there. Excerpts:

What is the mission of RBM and why are you very much passionate about the forthcoming presidential election?

After our great leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi contested the presidential election in 2003 and decided not to contest the 2007 election; he called us and told us to give our support to the current President of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari.  It was widely reported then. He raised Buhari’s hand as the man he endorsed for the 2007 presidential election.

Outside that endorsement from our great mentor, we have equally taken our time to look at Nigeria from 1999 till 2015 and we couldn’t fault that position taken by that erudite lawyer. So, we have watched events in the country; the coming of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. His government was in place for eight years and Atiku Abubakar was his deputy.  We also watched the brief period of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua . We also saw the five years of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

I think the last administration gave us the zeal that we mustn’t continue to sit on the fence.  Let us join hands to ensure that our country does not go the way the elites want it.  On that note, in the month of June, we called ourselves and decided that we must see what we can do to contribute to help the country move forward from this path of destruction that we find ourselves.  So we threw our weight behind President Buhari, the candidate of the APC. To the glory of God and, support of Nigerians and coupled with the technology that was introduced in 2015, he won the election. If you look at what President Buhari has done between 2015 and now, you cannot compare it with the 16 wasted years of the PDP.  So, RBM became a child of destiny.

Seeing the good works being done by the Buhari administration, we also felt a need to project these good works. RBM may be a political pressure group but we belong to different political parties. Some of our members of other political parties, like myself.

I am not a member of APC. Our focus is to support President Buhari to get reelected, not for any particular gain but to ensure that the pattern the government had taken to rebuild and sustain our country is sustained.  He has laid a solid foundation. We want him to consolidate on that foundation for the next four years. I think that is why RBM was formed. It is strictly formed for President Buhari’s reelection hence the name Reelect Buhari Movement.  I also want to assure you that by the grace of God by the time President Buhari is reelected on the 16th of February 2019, we will shut down the platform called RBM.

Why do you want to shut it down?

Like I said, the group was formed strictly to drum up support for President Buhari’s reelection. It was not formed to galvanise support for candidates of any political party. The focus is President Buhari and we have consistently maintained that focus. I can assure you that the focus will not be broken.

You are from the South- South region. Why didn’t you support a man from your region, Goodluck Jonathan especially during the 2015 presidential election?

Fortunately, I come from the South- South part of the country even though I don’t play ethnic politics.  Let me give you an illustration. In 2010, when former President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to go and campaign in Anambra, he stood at Onitsha Bridge and said if he does not finish the Second Niger Bridge in 2015, he will go on exile.  As much as we love Jonathan as our brother, it is not enough to support him if he is not doing the right thing.

That is one of the problems plaguing this country. If a leader from our region is doing something wrong, we keep supporting him because he is our brother instead of calling him to order. Also, cast your mind back to when he launched the Electricity Roadmap here in Lagos.  Also, when you look at his brief history on the 18th of September 2010 when he was declaring for presidency and he brought in the famous ‘I had no shoes’ doctrine.  One could say for a man, who had gone through this situation in life, the masses will be his focus.

To his credit, he may have meant well, but the government was hijacked from him. Under Jonathan, we saw the worst kind of government that one can ever imagine.  It was under that administration that corruption developed legs and was walking round the system.  It was also under his administration that many of our soldiers were killed because there was no money to procure weapons.  The story of Jonathan will not be told now. A time is coming when future generations will open the register and all the atrocities committed by that government will be brought to the front burner for all to see.

So, it would have been convenient for me to say ‘Oh, I come from that zone, let me see what I can do to protect my brother’. But in reality, who is my brother? It is the man who puts food on my table.  It is the man whose policy has helped to drive development in our country. It is the man who will make our education work so that I don’t take my children to private schools paying exorbitant fees. That is my brother. So, we must begin to focus on who can perform and someone who has the capacity to develop the country.  We have gone around the country and from what we have seen, we can attest to the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has done extremely well in three and half years. It is only normal that we say let us give him a second chance to continue this good works.  We have seen other candidates who have shown up; I think about 73 of them. We are not saying they cannot perform but we are saying that President Buhari has done well and should be return to office to consolidate on what he has started and do more for Nigeria.

The PDP said under its government insurgents were attacking soft targets but under the Buhari administration, they are attacking military formations. How do you react to that?

It is ridiculous that the PDP is still talking about a government not performing. We are all in this country when Force Headquarters was bombed, United Nations house in Abuja was also bombed.  What about the Nyanya bomb blast? For several years, Eagles Square was avoided by former President Jonathan.  He was even afraid to hold any party inside the villa. It was that bad. All ceremonies were held inside the house with battalions of soldiers protecting him.  So, when PDP begin to tell you efforts they made to curtail insurgency, it is a lie from the pit of hell.  Under PDP, insurgents took over several local governments in the North East, their flags were everywhere.  They were not just collecting taxes, if you fail to pay, you are dealt with ruthlessly.

Our constitution was desecrated and it was obvious to the whole world that our sovereignty was under threat.  They failed woefully.  The Buhari administration may not have gotten it hundred percent but I am certain it has gotten 85 percent pass mark in terms of security. I challenge the PDP to bring out their score cards for Nigerians to compare.  I can assure you that come 16th of February, Nigerians will rise and ensure that these people called PDP don’t find their ways back to power either through the front door, back door or even through the window.

Ahead of the 2019 General Elections, Rivers leaders have proclaimed peace on the state, declaring that the plots of evil doers will not materialise.

The second day of the Special Programme, “Rivers State Prays for Peace”, witnessed the leaders lifting their voices in faith that God will guarantee peace before, during and after the general elections.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike led top government officials and other clerics to the second day of the prayer programme organised by the Rivers State government.

Preaching on the second day of the prayer programme, Anglican Bishop of Evo Diocese, Rt Rev Innocent said when challenges rise up, God expects the right response from the leadership.

He said when the church prays, the devil was subdued and his evil agents are disarmed.

Bishop Ordu said that the success of the prayer programme is further guaranteed by the right motive of the Rivers State Governor for calling for the prayers.

The cleric said when the church rises in earnest and fervent prayers, God will arise in war to check the evil plans of the wicked against Rivers State.

Apostle Sarah Enoch led the prayers for the security agencies to be impartial for the successful conduct of the general elections.

Praying for peaceful campaign, Rev G. C. Osigbo prayed God to ensure that all political parties solicit for votes without any security infractions or loss of lives.

Venerable Sunday Okpara led the prayers for the Rivers State Executive Council, while Bishop Sunday Iboreme prayed for the Judiciary.  Rev Samuel Richard prayed for the Judiciary.

The news about the amazing rehabilitation of a “mentally challenged” family of five, a man, his wife and three little children, in Cross River State has suffused the media, social and traditional, space in the past couple of months, but not so much has been said about the one person who made it happen.

Miss Progress Oberiko, sent to Bekwarra local government area of the state in the Batch B Stream One, from November 2017 to October 2018, for her National Youth Service Corps, turned to be more than just another corps member, but also a blessing to the family and the community she served. Oberiko brought to the attention of the world the situation when she posted a photo of the family and some comments on her social media handles in October 2018. This had triggered actions from the Federal Government to take up the rehabilitation of the family at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Calabar. She pointed out that besides the hospital’s care they were not getting attention from anywhere else to help them sustain their recovery.

The ex-corps member, who calls them “one big family”, said she was moved when she saw the family always wandering around and she felt the need to do something about it, even at some risk to herself.

Oberiko, who emerged the best corps member in the state for her set, having several projects to her name, is a Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate Of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe, Oghara, where she studied Business Administration. She was posted to Bekwarra local government area for her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). She is also from Delta State.

Speaking on the journey to get the family rehabilitated, when she visited Calabar again after her service on an invitation for party organized to celebrate the family at the hospital, she said, “I first came across this wonderful family when I was deployed to Bekwarra LGA in Cross River State for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in January 2018. It was on my way to CDS meeting when I first noticed them, it was appalling and happened to be the weirdest thing I’ve seen in my entire life; Man, Wife and three children insane. I was compassionate for the family and including the innocent beautiful children. I took interest in them and began a personal follow up on their case. I always saw them move together in a solemn uniform manner. All of them wearing ragged clothes, unkempt twisted dreadlocks, sun scorched skin and dirty footwears. They have a tent like hut where they call their ‘Eden’. The hut was made with four woods and a polythene roof cover; there they slept on the bare floor. It took me close to nine months to strategically studied them.

“They were not aggressive. They just went about their business. It caught my attention why a whole family could be afflicted with such situation. So out of curiosity I took up on their case. So I started asking questions I stated meeting people and something drew me to his particular community, the place where they stayed. One of my NYSC projects was done in his community where I distributed 100 pairs of sandals and 100 pairs of socks in St. Augustine Primary School in Ukpa Community where he stays. It was from that outreach I saw the man and his family.

“I have actually been trying to get snapshots of them, but most times I get threatened by onlookers and bike men and so on that if the man sees me, he might get aggressive, and that they will destroy my phone and so on. So I tried to be careful. Before I got that particular picture (The picture that was trending on the internet), it was after over seven months I have been following them. I was on a bike that day going for that outreach to distribute the sandals and socks so I saw them and it was on that bike I brought out my phone and started snapping before they got close. They did not notice I was snapping. So I quickly snapped and passed, some of the pictures were blurry, only that one came out okay for me to depict the article, I wanted to write about and the story I wanted to tell. So it was when I got home, I now developed the article and posted it on my Facebook page. It went viral.

“People were calling from the whole world. They wanted to be on the case, and how they can be of help to the people. They wanted to send money and all that. But because I had studied the family and asked questions, I did not think it was the right thing for me to collect money from people because I knew the family was not the kind of people that wanted help and they felt they were okay and don’t need any support. So if you go to give them money or foodstuff, they will tell you they don’t need it. So for that reason I did not receive any money or material support on their behalf because it would be like I am trying to take advantage of their situation.

“People who wanted to see them came and one of them was an NGO from Port Harcourt. They came and saw the man for themselves and he was cooking with his family in a place he called ‘Eden’. They were having a conversation and at a point he told the man that the conversation was over and he did not want to talk again. They brought noodles, bags of rice, money to them but they didn’t take. The villagers came and packed them because they would not touch them.

“When I came to Calabar and I saw the Medical Director of the Federal-Neuropsychiatric Hospital. I contacted him and he said the Federal Ministry of Health has actually contacted him to send a team to the village so they can contact me and we can go together, so when I called him, he said the following week they would send their team, so I went back to Ogoja and that we week they came and together we went and contacted some notable persons in the village which gave us permission to carry the family.”

Oberiko, said she felt very fulfilled seeing the level the family has achieved, although a lot still needs to be done for a proper rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

“I feel very fulfilled. Anybody that starts a project, whether it is lucrative or not, you want to see it prosper. You want to see the end of it. And I anything I start I try to ensure there is a long-term progress. So I am happy that this little thing I was able to do took them this far .

She called for support for the family who were at the time of writing this report, were still the hospital in Calabar.

“The man has skills, he can do things, the woman can trade, and the children are teachable so why are they are they not been taken care of? Well, by the grace of God the family is currently receiving close attention and medical care from the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar. Their dreadlocks have been neatly cut; they’re well fed, sleep comfortably and are well taken care of by the doctors, nurses and social workers.

After my Passing Out Parade, I visited the family at the hospital and was grateful. The man, who before the rescue only communicated to men, now speaks to women too. I sat and had a conversation with him and he responded cheerfully. The woman who only communicates to women now also communicates with the male nurses too. The kids are currently with their parents in the hospital and are undergoing personal educational training from the educational personnel in the hospital and will be registered in school for proper training.

“But they cannot remain in the hospital. Their recovery has to take another step. So this means that their rehabilitation process has to be fostered by support from charity organisations, individuals and benevolent indigenes so they can get to reintegrate them into the society, by giving them a home because they cannot continue staying in the hospital, giving them a good place, an apartment and also getting the children enrolled and scholarship for them, as much as can be done, because they have not actually gone to school before. So having that opportunity to go to school will change their lives,” the young Deltan said.

Speaking on the wide impact her effort made, she said, “I made little or no effort to invite the media and attract their attention. I simply posted on my social media handles; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp about a fascinating family of five whom I titled “ONE BIG FAMILY” and it got the attention of the world. I have had interviews with several media houses and was also was invited by the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria to their conference in Lagos and received an award for humanitarian services.

On her experience with the NYSC, she said, “Personally, NYSC helped me discovered that part of me that I never knew existed. It brought out the part of me I had never explored. There are some personalities I was able to gain access to during my NYSC projects whom ordinarily I wouldn’t have been able to meet. Apart from the fact that NYSC exposes us to opportunities and challenges which in turn increases our problem-solving abilities, it enhanced my relationship, some of which will last a lifetime. Through NYSC, I was able to impart the lives of the indigene of my immediate society in a way they will not forget in a hurry.”

It was the first of its kind built in the ancient city of Benin in 2010 during the administration of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Its beauty radiates adjoining streets at the popular Ring Road also known as the King Square. The water flows in rhythm with the music caused awe. It was the N200m musical water fountain which was opened with fanfare. It was erected inside the Benin Museum ground as part of the Urban Renewal project of the Oshiomhole’s administration. Besides the water fountain, gardens with artificial rocks were erected at the museum and around the Ring Road.

An excited Oshiomhole renamed the King Square the Oba Ovoranmen Square apparently because it was at the place the trial of Ovoranmen and others took place. The Water Fountain attracted thousands of fun seekers to the museum especially during festive period. The gardens provided relaxation spot for fun seekers. Oshiomhole promised to build another musical water fountain at the Ramat Park in Oregbeni quarters, an outskirt of Benin City.

A former Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Mr. Clem Agba, had explained that a contract for the running and maintenance of the water fountain was already in place but added that the state government intended to fund it through marketing right.

He said companies that want their presence to be seen at the fountain would pay to have their logo displayed.

Agba, however, said that the sustainability of the project would depend on the government in power whether they will have the will to continue with it.

“If they don’t have the will to continue with it, they can switch it off. I will not be in charge then. I wold not be able to control what they do. Ours is to ensure that we built the system and put a process in place.”

Just as Agba said, the musical water fountain has since parked up and it has become an eyesore. Checks showed that the sum of N150m was voted in the 2015 budget for the water fountain and in 2016, another N100m was earmarked to revive it but it was not confirmed whether funding was approved for the project.

Last year, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had described as misplaced priority the provision of N134m in the 2018 budget to build a water fountain when portable water was not available in the state.

There was visible disappointment on the faces of fun seekers that visited the museum ground on Christmas Day when they saw the sorry state of the once beautiful fountain. Children were seen playing inside the fountain as a large part of it has dried up. There were dirts inside even as people were still posing for photographs. Many families just sat around.

All the artificial gardens and rocks built around the Water Fountain were overgrown with weeds. Some photographers who spoke to our reporter lamented poor patronage because of few visitors.

Mr. Igbinobaro Osasere who took his family to the Museum ground on Christmas Day said he was not happy with the state of the place.

According to him, “Edo State Government lacks maintenance culture. When former Governor Oshiomhole built this fountain, everybody was happy. What will it take the present government to restore and maintain it? You will be surprised that they will condemn this one and think of constructing a new one.

“I brought my family for sight-seeing and I am not happy with what I saw. These government people are people that will travel abroad and see what is going on over there but come back and mess up everything. Obaseki is trying in road construction and I am sure they have not drawn his attention to this place to see what is happening here.”

Philip Aleka, a photographer said the presence of the Water fountain made the Museum ground a tourist destination anytime visitors come to Benin.

“We all admired it. People come to view it. You forget your sorrows when you are here. There a lot of people here today but no fun at all as it were before. This is a big setback. The government should work on it to make it more beautiful. When I worked here as a photographer, you need to hire someone to work for you. There is no patronage for photographers again.

For Miranus Okhigbochie who usually visit his family every three years, what he saw was shocking. “I am disappointed with what I am seeing now. I am not based in Benin but when I am around I like to bring them here to seek fun. Three years ago, this place was nice and the children were happy but today they are not happy.

“I advise Obaseki that this is a public place where people have fun. If he could improve on it, it would be better for the masses.”

To Sanni Yusuf, “I am surprised that the fountain is not working. It is a important place to visit during festive period for both Christmas and sallah celebration. We are begging the Governor to repair the place.

Another fun seeker, Mr. Ighodaro Innocent said he used to bring his friends to have fun at the place. “We see people from outside the state coming here to have fun. The Governor is trying in terms of infrastructure but I don’t know what the cause is. There is a power generator they used to pump the water.”

Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Omoua Alonge Oni-Okpaku, said plans were on to fix the water fountain but that the prices being quoted were high.

She said the pipes were blocked and the state government planned to enter into a maintenance agreement.

“We will get the place working again by God’s grace.”