Prince
L.G.C. Asibelua the Okwa Uku and head of OZUEM Royal House, Ase. The Onowhotor
of Aviara, the Grand Patron of Ndosimili people and Father of Ndokwa Nation. He
was born January 1st 1916, into the Royal Family of Ozuem and Ebeneze, the
founders of ASE in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State. He was the
first District Officer of Western Region, during the colonial era in charge of
Kwale and its surrounding districts. He worked in United African Company (UAC)
in Burutu where he was later sent to United Kingdom to further his education in
senior management courses.Below is an excerpt of one of his last interview.
(Culled from Vanguard of Saturday
April 5th 2008)
As
a nonagenarian, can you recall your growing up years?
Like
any other child growing up in a place like this. I was however, fortunate to
have been born with a "silver spoon” in my mouth. Why? Because my father
was a fairly rich man by local standard. My mother was also a successful
trader. I started school at Ase in 1925. During my school days at Ase, I had a
Hopper bicycle, a room to myself fully furnished with bed and beddings,
mosquito net, table, chair, bookshelf, and Aladin lamp etc. My books and my
school uniforms were bought and provided regularly and my school fees were paid
promptly as and when due. I never went to farm or had to work to pay fees. My
growing up years did not start and stop at Ase. I was also exposed
educationally in Port Harcourt, Onitsha, and Lagos and in England. So far I
thank God for attaining the age of a nonagenarian, in spite of human frailties
and vicissitudes of life.
 |
| Prince Asibelua |
Tell
us about your early work and history?
I
first worked with UAC Niger House Lagos in 1939. I served in various
departments, like Transport, Lighter age, Accounts, Import and Export, Customs
Wharf office, Staff Registry and the GM's office. In 1947, I was transferred to
the Labour and Staff Department in Burutu as a consequence of the labour strike
that took place there. I also served in the Transport Department and was in
fact responsible for the upward transhipment and delivery of goods from Europe
to all UAC stations along the River Niger and Benue and to Guara in Northern
Cameroun in 1984. I was also in charge of the downward shipment of cotton,
groundnuts and other produce from Guara and all UAC stations along the Benue
River to Burutu. Vessels, barges and cash entrusted in my care were worth
millions of pounds.
Your
daughter disclosed in Kwale that you gave the name Ndokwa. How true is this
assertion?
I
gave the name NDOKWA. The minutes of the meeting (Brandishing Documents) are
here with me. There was a lot of bickering and acrimony within the native
authorities regarding the continued use of the name Aboh division. Their grouse
was that Obi Oputa II of Aboh was high handed and overbearing. The Ukwuani
native authority was more vocal in the denunciation and as the problem was
almost getting out of control, the then Delta Province Head, Mr. R.J.M Curwen
had to summon a meeting of all the native authorities at Kwale. In which the
following among others were present:
R.
J.M. Curwen, Esq. Resident Delta province G.J.
Davies, Esq D.O. Aboh Division Kwale.F.H.
Butcher, Esq AFC. D.O. Aboh division Kwale.Chief
Anoka of Ogume. President Ukwuani District native authority.Chief A.B. Emeni,
M.H.C of Obiaruku. Vice president, Ukwuani District native authority.Chief J.O.
Iwegbue of Emu-Uno
Chief
I.E. Emegwari of Ase. President Ndoshimili District Native authority.Chief T.O.
Osaekete of Afor, Vice president Ndoshimili District native authority.Chief
W.F. Oki, M.H.A of Ashaka.
Chief
R.O. Morrison Obi and D. U Enebeli represented Ndoni native authority.
I
was also in the meeting in my capacity as the (ADO) clerk of all N.A Councils
in the division. During the meeting, the atmosphere was over-heated and
over-charged and because the Resident was keenly interested in the continued
existence and unity of the division due to their homogeneity, he advised
members to live and work together.
After
the meeting, the Resident told me that this was a test for me and one of the
main reasons why I was employed, being a son of the soil. He said I should find
a solution to the problem. I, at once put on my thinking cap and the name came
out of the blues. The N stands for Ndoni, DO for Ndoshimili and KWA for
Ukwuani, that is NDOKWA and NDOKWA means peace. I recommended the name NDOKWA
through the senior District Officers A.N. Cohen and F.H. Butcher to the
Resident, Delta Province. Thereafter, I was asked to take it to the then
Minister for Local Government, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in Ibadan. In-between, the
civil war broke out. After the war however, when the military were creating
states and local governments, the name Ndokwa Local Government surfaced
encompassing the three former native authorities. I was very happy that day.
Now, however, Ndoni is now in Rivers state.
You
were one-time ADO (Clerk of the Council) a councillor, and later chairman all
in Ndokwa. What were some of the key roles you played both on infrastructural
and human development in your area?
Apart
from the nomenclature, I was largely instrumental in the transition process
from native authority system of government to Local government administration.
As a matter of fact, four different areas including Aboh division, Edo, Oyo and
Ago-Awori were to be used as experiment for the workability of local government
administration in Western region, and as was required under the western
regional local government law of 1952. I had to make extensive consultations to
determine their wishes. I travelled by river utilizing a marine boat named SW
JACK DORE normally sent from Forçados to take me round the Ndoshimili areas and of course I
used my car and driver to tour the Ukwuani areas. The reports are still there
in Ibadan.In the areas of employment, there are so many of our people whose
names I will not want to mention here. I empowered so many by way of
employment. Those still alive appreciate my magnanimity. For roads, a number of
earth road in Ndokwa especially the Ukwuani areas were opened up like Afor
junction through Ugili-Amai to Utagba-Uno, Amai to Obiaruku. Kwale/Ogume/Amai
and so many others within a period of three months. In Ndoshimili area for
example, we bulldozed, graded and opened up the following earth roads:
Ashaka/Ushie/Aradhe. Ashaka/Igbuku/Ibrede, Kwale/Afor/Iselegu/Ossissa,
Edherie/Ase. It is on record that I opened up the road from Okpai junction to
Aboh town, bulldozed and graded it. All these were done with our personal funds
voluntarily donated by me and my colleagues at the council. There was no kobo
in the council's treasury then hence we had to tax ourselves. It is an
indisputable fact that my car was the first to drive from Okpai junction to
Aboh in 1983. The Obi of Aboh and Chief Onwusa are living witnesses.
NB:
Okwa - Ukwu,Prince L.G.C Asibelua, who was a Direct Great Grand Son of Ozuemthe
Founder of Both Ase Kingdom in Ndokwa East LGA and Aviara Kingdom in Isoko
South LGA, joined his ancestors early July 2016 after living to a ripe age of
106. He has since been buried in according to the Aseburial rite of an OkwaUkwu
Royals. He is survived by his wife of over 65 years; Chief Mrs. Rekiya Asibelua.
Children amongst whom areDr.Rose K. Ogbe, Nero N. Asibelua, Chief
Ugo Asibelua,Mohammed
Asibelua, a lot of Grand-Children,
Great-Grandchildren, and Great-Great-Grandchildren.
Courtesy: VANGUARD
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