Cyan Frank-Hanachor, a PR Consultant and Youth Development Advisor eulogises the late Chief Omozuanvbo Oarhe, who would have been 100 years on September 30 this year.
Education in the broadest sense is any process by which any individual gains knowledge, attitudes and skills. In our quest for culture and intellectual proficiency, we take pride in a rich history that boast’s of the excellent and professional teachers who have impacted upon us in our continuing journey.
We will forever be grateful for their patient, self-less, intelligent instructing and diligence in ensuring that not just I but every child who sat in on their classes, learnt to enjoy and appreciate the quality of tutoring we got.
With increasing dismay in the intervening years, we have witnessed a total departure from this norm and believe that any improvement and re-ordering of the educational sector as we all seem to be clamouring for must be accompanied with a conscious effort to re-assess the pedagogy and more importantly, upgrade the quality of teachers currently engaged in the profession.
My experience has proven that a resuscitation of the non-existent standard of education which we glibly accede to can only be achieved if we cease to harangue the students and actively pursue a policy that seeks to check the excesses, flagrant non-professionalism and studied lack of ethics in the teaching profession.
A clamour for the upgrade of the facilities of the educational sector are almost always circumvented by issues of improved renumeration and conditions of service for the teacher rather than addressing the quality of the teaching profession and education wherein lies the crux of the matter.
As much as we desire to provide an equitable and balanced frame-work for labour we must insist on “best practice” especially in our much vaunted responsibility to education for all and sundry.
Few if any are aware of the personality of the gentleman – teacher who proudly took up teaching to educate and undertake educating himself. He lived all his life solely dedicated to his chosen profession in an age where teachers were held in high esteem not because of the prestige associated with the profession but due to their diligence and dedication to service.
He was the first model we encountered of just how respectable and responsible the teaching profession was when men had honour and dignity and lived by a code that dictated excellence in all endeavours.
Hence, he would set out with boundless enthusiasm at the break of dawn and return as the sun set, constantly streamlining and tweaking a very extensive curriculum of education. He transversed the length and breadth of this country, sieving through the frame-work of education for a credible blueprint that delivered on effortless tutoring hinged on broad-based knowledge guaranteed to spur each child to the uppermost echelon of society as an educated and civilized adult.
It is necessary to emphasize this in this political dispensation where we have witnessed “pillars” of society as they claim, throw decorum to the winds when they perceive no-one is watching. He lived as he taught – with his life. Choosing an exemplary life without calling attention to his highly principled and disciplined philosophy of life that : “all men were born equal and all should be treated on the basis of their personal dignity and convictions.”
He studied extensively all his life. His wealth, in a private library which contained tomes on History,Literature,Geography, Science, Psychology, Politics, Philosophy and any number of subject to enrich the mind and broaden your horizon while realigning your perspective with informed opinions.
A knowledgeable and erudite speaker before the advent of motivational speaking, he would quote copiously from the speeches of Mahatma Ghandi, Karl Marx, Lenin, Winston Churchill, Jomo Kenyatta, Nehru, Indira Ghandi, Julius Nyerere, Plato, Socrates, kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo and all the other”young” nationalists and ideologists who had dedicated their lives to fighting for the freedom and victory from colonialism that we all glibly enjoy today.
He had an excellent command of the English Language. He spoke fluently, stringing together “quaint” words in a classic,bold style reminiscent of the dying art of speaking the “Queen’s English”. In his element, he would sprout ideas, his arguments strong and forceful, always stressing the tenets of democracy and pushing the frontiers for welfarism.
He held you spell-bound with his powers of oratory and as a politician gave his speeches extempore, the constituents screaming loudly: “Oar rise! Oar rise!” buoyed by his ingrained patriotism and transparent nationalism.
An excellent raconteur, he had enjoyed an excellent education. Each conversation in his booming voice that rang with the strength of conviction was a lesson in diligence and the milestones to be reached by reading extensively, seeking education in every realm, acquainting yourself of every body of knowledge and library in the land.
Everyone who had met him remember with nostalgia, the formidable personality who made each encounter a lesson in humanity and morality. You were transfixed as he discussed the topic of the day, infusing it with his rich knowledge of Ora adages and idiomatic expressions . He would pull a hat trick for every misdemeanor, never wearying of his duty of being first your friend before your teacher.
He was a seasoned historian, recalling events effortlessly with the ease of years of study and an unquenchable desire to excel at all things. He would often dredge through his life to bring a lesson to light. With a healthy dose of humour, he would cajole you to overlook his imperfections while being patient enough to listen to you, no matter your age.
He was honest to a fault and would never accept a bribe. He would proudly declare : “ A good name is better than silver and gold “. In the few appointments he took up in government, he was openly jeered at for returning monies disbursed as estacode into the government treasury; preferring to live in cheaper hotels and lodgings, disdainful of ostentatious lifestyles and wanton opulence.
Very blunt, he was forthright and open about his dealings with all men. He was highly principled and told the truth no matter whose : “ox was gored .” Above all ,he was “a gentleman to the core.”
He was spartan,living simply and espousing a wisdom that shunned extravagance and materialistic traits. He was proud of his ancestry. A farmer’s son, he venerated his father’s status and never permitted an opportunity to improve his native homeland slip by.
He considered himself privileged to have come from the small farming community that boasted of only “two tarred roads”. He enlisted the help of all and sundry to spark off development in the little farming village, far off the beaten track whicn he had joyously retired to to live out his last days. Even in his dotage he continued to rally support for his birthplace refusing to turn a blind eye to the distinct lack of infrastructural facilities and federal presence in his homeland.
He was a recognized authority on the rich tapestry of Evbiobe tradition and history. Several people tapped into this extensive repository of knowledge and information. Even after losing his sight, he had his children run shifts developing resource materials and completing a well-researched manuscript on the history and origin of the Evbiobe people of Sabongidda-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
He was first an Ora gentleman and effortlessly dispersed the multifaceted Ora proverbs and dialect to beam the light on the necessity for the integration of indigenous language in basic school education. Before his death,he had began yet another manuscript that would attempt to teach the cultural diversity, vibrancy and eloquence of the Ora language .
He wrote in a rich,flowing style brimming with character and breeding ; infused with the wisdom and learning he made a byline all his life.
Born on the 30th of September,1920 in Evbiobe, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, he attended St John’s Anglican Primary School in Sabongidda-Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Due to his distinctive intelligence and hardwork he was employed by the Anglican Mission and taught in Sabongidda – Ora and Iruekpen.
In 1941,he proceeded to the prestigious St Andrew’s College,Oyo. Rightly proud of its academic exploits he was very involved with the activities of the SACOBA and proved a worthy ambassador of that citadel of education.
On completion of his education in 1944,he returned to the Mission and taught at Evboneka Anglican College, then located in Sabongidda-Ora. In 1945, this dynamic and visionary leader organized the Ora branch of the NUT and served as its first Secretary.
An avid sportsman all his life he was very active in scouting. He was a Scoutmaster of the 2nd Kukuruku troop and engaged in a lifelong regimen of physical fitness and healthy living before the advent of the faddish “physical wellness and healing through food”.
In 1950,he was appointed the Headmaster of St John’s Primary School in the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau State and became the Chairman of the Jos Branch of the NUT in 1951. In 1953, the Western Region Government appointed him the first Vice Principal of the newly established Teacher Training College in Abudu, Edo State.
On the first of June,1955, he was seconded to establish the Provincial Teacher Training College,P.T.T.C at Agbede,Edo State. A resourceful leader and astute administrator, from 1955 to 1965, the school was recognized nationally as the most disciplined in the entire Western Region of Nigeria. During his tenure as Principal, of the nine National Teachers examinations, P.T.T.C,Agbede, maintained the lead seven times nationally and second twice.
In 1957, as an independent candidate, he contested for the position of Council Chairman of the Ivbiosakon District Council which now makes up the Owan West and East Local Government Areas of Edo State. His people, the Ora, kept faith with this ambitious and indefatigable champion of their cause and he defeated his NCNC and Action Group opponents.
His politics were specific and unwavering : service to God and mankind – in that order. He was a true democrat and firm believer in the mechanism of government to serve the purpose of sustainable and enduring policies for the betterment of the poor and needy in the society.
A dedicated welfarist all his life, he firmly believed in the effective management of resources in a socialist society and tenaciously pursued the cause of the proletariat convinced of our responsibility for the equitable distribution of wealth, nation-building and social reform.
In July 1965 at the “Agbor Conference”, he was elected the Chairman of the NUT branch unions in the Mid-West State. The NCNC had won the first election immediately after the creation of the Mid-West region and Oarhe’s political leanings were well documented and time honoured. In the backlash of the election,as a punitive measure, he was removed as the Principal of the PTTC ,Agbede after a ten-year stint and demoted to the Benin/Delta Teachers’ College, Benin City as a mere class tutor.
In deference to his activism and egalitarian tendencies, the Mid-West House of Assembly on the 26th of April,1965 debated : “The removal of Mr Oarhe from the PTTC, Agbede despite his hardwork as Principal.” He was vindicated.
In 1967, he was elected President of the defunct Mid – West Region State wing of the NUT. Between the 13th to 14th April,1969 at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, Mr Oarhe , Senior Master, Bendel College, Benin City, was elected the 2nd National Vice President of the Union.
On December 16,1969, Oarhe was appointed the acting President of the Union. In January 1970, he was one of ten teachers appointed to the Teachers’ Council. In 1970,he was elected the National 1st Vice President of the NUT. When the National President, Reverend Akinyemi retired, Omozuanvbo Oarhe was appointed the Acting National President.
On the 29th of September,1970, the NUT under his control received exceptional recognition from UNESCO through the agency of the WCOTP. It was awarded the privilege of undertaking a study of the educational activities of the union . It was unprecedented and a clear testament of his unswerving dedication and professionalism.
In 1971, he was elected the National President, the Nigeria Union of Teachers. He provided an intelligent, decisive and dynamic leadership that oversaw a potential crisis of fortuitous gravity. In his characteristic diplomatic approach, he poured oil on troubled waters with the peaceful resolution and re-admittance of a breakaway faction,the Northern States’ Teachers’ Union, NSTU, back into the parent body.
He politely pointed out that when the NSTU had requested the then Head of State , General Yakubu Gowon to be patron, he had declined.on the grounds that he could not be a patron of any sectional organization. In his trade-mark charismatic manner,he allayed their fears of “Southern dominance and sectionalism” by tactfully pointing out that the : “Southern and Northern States had ceased to exist in the context of “one Nigeria “ and hence the question of dominance didn’t exist.”
Furthermore, he boldly pointed out that operational officers were: “elected on merit,” and that “the NUT is the only recognized teachers’ union in the whole of Nigeria.” Chief Omoz Oarhe also made a strong appeal to Alhaji Aminu Kano and the then Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Dr Ishaya Audu, both patrons of the NSTU.
He reteirated the need for a cohesive front to fight “for improved conditions of service and against the arbitrary treatment of all grades of teachers.”
He was one of three delegates that attended the 19th Delegate Assembly of the World Confederation of the Teaching Profession, WCOTP, in Sydney, Australia.
In 1971, he was at the WCOTP 20th Delegate Assembly in Kingston, Jamaica. The WCOTP at the instance of the United Nations urged its member associations to synergize activities to commemorate the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
On the 9th of October,1971, the NUT was the first WCOTP member to respond. The dogged administrator and his team came up with a week-long programme at the national level with complementary activities at each state wing. Adroitly, the NUT was the only member to incorporate the official logo marking the year to its letterhead.
In 1975, the All African Teachers Organization, AATO was formed and he was appointed its first President. A futuristic leader, the first in the pecking order of the excellent administrator was laying the ground work for the construction of the State Teachers’ Secretariat,now dubbed the “Teachers’ House”.
The government of the Late General S.O Ogbemudia had great respect for the teacher and appointed him as Director of the state – owned newspaper, The Nigerian Observer.
In 1979, he retired from the teaching profession as the Vice-Principal, Imaguero Teacher Training College, Benin City to fully engage in his “pet” vocation,politics. Though extremely conservative,he was very political. He was a National Executive member of the Unity Party of Nigeria,UPN. His involvement in grassroot politics ensured the success of the UPN at the 1979 elections when politics was intensely violent in Owan Local Government Area of Edo State.
He was appointed the Chairman of the “ Commission for the Implementation of Free Education in Bendel State”. The “OARHE COMMISSION” provided a blueprint for the implementation of the hugely successful “Free Education Program” for which the UPN was widely celebrated.
In 1979,he was appointed the “1st Commissioner” of the Bendel State Civil Service Commission where he brought to bear his wealth of experience in education and administration. He elected to chart a course for the formulation and effective implementation of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative education to the highly appreciative people of Bendel State.
In the wake of the turbulence of the military take-over of government in 1983, the retired “teachers’ teacher” par excellence, retired to his beloved village of Evbiobe and there was content to be active in the Equa-relu, the traditional Council of Chiefs of his forefathers.
A devoted acolyte of “Awoism”, he was proud of the exploits of the Action Group and the Unity Party of Nigeria,U.P.N. He remained a staunch Awoist all his life. “My word is my bond”, echoing eerily through the empty hallways as droves of political protégés defected to the greener pastures of first the NRC and then the PDP in the aftermath of the upheaval of the military coup.
He had a very active conscience and spoke often about refining the more traditional aspects of the Chiefdom which he felt were at variance with Christianity. He actively steered a course for modernism for his beleaguered people whose destiny was largely dictated by the very meager resources from subsistence farming and a fickle government that had sidelined the community through each successive administration.
The self-avowed, proud teacher was humble and unassuming. He had a kind word for everyone. He was unselfish and thoughtful; frequently attending to the needs of others out of his very meager resources. He was a friend to every one he met, thoughtfully pulling each man to his very large heart.
He lived simply, living off the land, years before farming became a “gentleman’s preoccupation.” An incredibly progressive father, he would detail his children to work on his farm daily, stoically paying his daughter’s labourer’s wages at the end of the day.
Behind the tranquil, interested expression on his face lurked a decidedly cerebral mind. Always one to enjoy healthy argument, he spent long hours dictating as he sent off yet another article for publication in either “The Nigerian Observer” or another national daily. He possessed a healthy sense of humour and would chuckle as he recalled events. He would gleefully clasp his hands at some remembered scandalous incident or remark as he decided against including it. As he sent his latest epistle to be dispatched at the local post office, he was already hard at work on another project that involved scholarly effort and promoted nation-building.
He enjoyed an excellent relationship with the NUT till his death. Ever so often they would send officials to consult and intimate him with the latest developments at the local Secretariat where they had named the Conference Hall after him. In these days of self perpetuation when some need to commission a poet to sing a dirge at their passing in the high hopes that they would be remembered at their death, we will forever remember the unflinching support and encouragement of his dedicated Secretary at the NUT Secretariat, the late Mr Egbehunkhaye.
Even in retirement, the faithful “man Friday” would come over to visit the dyed- in – the- wool unionist and teacher sitting quietly in his rocking chair lost in thought as he appraised him about recent developments and progress with his “brain child”, the NUT, Edo State branch. Few have ever shown such appreciation and unwavering loyalty to a man who put his entire life into the service of humanity and the teaching profession.
Despite his busy schedule he ensured he was in communication with each one of his brood using his compassion, thoughtfulness and unfledging devotion to encourage each child to be first, independent, intelligent and above all,resourceful.
From an early age his children looked forward to his conversations with them each evening after work. He made the rounds of each room, drawing you out to find out how classes had gone that day, throwing banters as he gave insightful hints to get you to a “good” place.
He never lifted his hands against his children. He believed each child had an independent spirit that should be encouraged, rebuked or as a last measure, “brow-beaten”, till it made an impression.
In an age when men were celebrated for the number of male children they had, members of his extended family never missed an opportunity to sneer at his apparent proclivity to father members of the “weaker” sex. Instead of being stung to the quick, each time he would thoughtfully reply that his females were far better than their males.
He was a disciplinarian who earned your trust by respecting you as an individual – no matter your age. You toed the line because he took time to make you see the reason for his instructions.
One who wishes to get ahead in school must,” a Babylonian copybook tells us, “rise like the dawn.” He encouraged his children to pursue knowledge and education at all costs. He was a hard-talker who would come down hard on you for not making good grades; relating in his resonant voice, his life’s varied experiences enough to make an impression on any recalcitrant child.
Beneath the gruff talk he was very sentimental and mostly blustery. He actively encouraged individual pursuits; hovering at the sidelines ,an interested look on his expressive face as a disarming smile danced around his lips as he politely asked your opinion on your latest endeavour to better understand your line of reasoning. He invested his life in making a better life for his children and all he met in his life’s walk and they were several.
His greatest joy was when he was impacting knowledge. He had a quirky sense of humour and taught unobstructively, making learning effortless and achievable. He had an insatiable desire for knowledge.Undaunted by the vicissitudes of life, even after the loss of his sight he continued writing and community development projects.
He was very religious and upright. Though simple in his lifestyle, he enjoyed a robust relationship with God. He had a deep abiding faith in God that would embolden him in his dotage when he would sneak off in the dead of the night to pray alone for long hours.
He filled his home with words of wisdom gleaned from years of independent study of the Bible and would sing reverently from the hymns with a voice that rang with the strength of conviction and the timeless truth of God:
“The king of love my shepherd is;
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever.”
He was an active member of the Anglican Synod and would fondly toddle gladly after his much younger children to their more exhibitionist fellowship glad of any new experience of serving his God and Maker.
Oarhe was an upright, conscientious teacher who enjoyed the mental exercise of his profession, eschewing the profligacy in the seamy side of politics to build a body of teachers proud of their calling, guided by a code of ethics to be above all, professional and diligent.
Nothing could have been more apt than 2 Timothy 4:7 when Chief Omozuanvbo Oarhe passed on as we heard at 2.20am on the 27th of September,1999, three days to his 79th birthday.
The authors of “Regions to State:The New NUT”, a compendium of a study commissioned by the UNESCO succinctly put it : “Chief Oarhe was cut from the same cloth as kuti and Ikoku.”
We can still hear echoes of the soft-worded voice of the most intelligent teacher we have had the honour of meeting saying the “Grace” in his native Ora language: “Esi-okhen Jesu Kristi nabian-mhai,ne khobe natin kno – foun, kno-de bhian mai, kno-rekhain mai, si – nene,Ese.”
