Factors responsible for this this can be divided into
two:
1. Geography
The geographical location of Ibusa was one factor that
contributed to the emergence of abundant human capital in the early years of
its foundation. The community located west of the River Niger Basin is considered
very strategic as it is surrounded by a number of notable towns and communities.
It is bounded to the North by Okpanam; Ogwashi-Uku and Ewulu to the West;
Asaba, Okwe and Oko to the East and Abala-Unor to the South. It also lies close
to other important Anioma towns such as Issele-Azagba, Ubulu-Uku, Ubulu-Okiti,
Aboh-Ogwashi and Akwukwu-Igbo. All the communities that encircle it are
important. For instance, it lies 6 miles to Asaba, which is the state capital
and lying further close Akwukwu-Igbo, to which is the headquarters of Oshimili
North, under which Ibusa is administratively situated.
This geographical factor naturally accounted for the enrichment of the
community in terms of human capital.
2. Early
educational institutions in the community
There is no doubt that Ibusa ranks among the comity of
communities with early establishment of educational institutions in present
Nigeria. Sacred Heart Elementary School established in 1908 helped to prepare the
community but St. Thomas Teachers’ Training College, established in 1928, turned
out to be the first higher institution of learning in today’s Delta State as a
whole and one of the oldest in Southern Protectorate of what is today part of Nigeria.
By the dying period of the 19th century, Ibusa had started receiving
missionaries that would eventually culminate in the establishment of St.
Augustine’s Catholic Church in 1898, from which the Christian missionary began
to spread its gospel to other parts of Anioma. The establishment of St. Thomas
Teachers’ Training College gave Ibusa an edge as the institution produced civil
servants, court clerks and teachers among other professionals.
These two factors put Ibusa in the forefront of development.
It was perhaps between 1970 and 1980 that the community reached its peak of
development. Ibusa was one of the communities favoured by what is now known as
the 3Rs policy of the military government of Gen Yakubu Gowon (rtd). Shortly
after the war in 1970, its Post Office was re-opened for efficient
communication. Water Board supplied the community portable water for public
consumption. It was also in in 1970 that General Hospital popularly called ‘Unor
Ogwu Ogbeowele’, was commissioned by Gen General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), the then
Head of State. Umejei Road was tarred by the government. Agriculture picked up as
the people returned to farming. In 1979, the community was lit up with
electricity and in 1980, Omu Boys Secondary School was established, adding to
the number of public secondary school directly available to the town. Ibusa
witnessed growth in human capital area as its professionals varyingly widened in
different endeavours such as academics, politics, medicine, business, law, sports
and beyond.
Surprisingly, by the 1990s, Ibusa began to experience
stagnation and downwardness underdevelopment due to certain factors. And as
socio-political and economic factors combined to take the community spatially
or metaphorically from higher to the lower level that it now finds itself, social
situation of the community changed for bad.
Some of the factors responsible for this are listed
below:
1. Lack
of government’s presence
Despite Ibusa’s nearness to Asaba, it is doubtful if the
community has ever been in the developmental agenda of both the federal and
state governments since 1991 when Delta State was created. Not only has the
community been stagnated due to its exclusion from government developmental
programmes, it has in some cases been retrogressed by some unfavorable official
policies. Worse still, the people of the community do not get carried along when
such decisions are taken. One of such decisions was the downgrading of St.
Thomas’ Teachers’ Training College, first to a mixed secondary school, finally
to a same sex secondary school that it is today whereas the teachers’ training
college in Abraka very much younger by date of establishment to St. Thomas’
Teachers’ Training College was upgraded to the arm of the Delta State
University that it still enjoys today. While this happened, the Ibusa people watched
helplessly. One wonders whether procurement of land by the government to establish
the intended Federal Government College in Ibusa rather than situate the
institution in an older school was the issue. There are absolutely nothing to
show that Ibusa lies near the state capital as not a single government ministry
exists in the town and government has not encouraged location of industries either.
There are though extremely narrow roads in bad conditions that can hardly
accommodate two vehicles, reconstructed and named Umejei Road and two other
roads named after Jerry Useni and Kefas, these roads are simply paths by
definition. The government once occupied a very large portion of land it stuffed
with see-saws and called it ‘Kefas Park’, a complete waste of land resources
for the community. In 2014, the administration of Uduaghan gifted the community
with a recycling plant project that would add nothing to the social development
of the community because it is a misplaced priority. As the people of the
community awaited the government to “deliver” them from about seven years of
power failure, authorities charged with supply of electricity embarked on
enumeration of structures in the community which they claimed would enable them
supply the community with light. Finally, there was light but shortly
afterwards, the light disappeared again completely. As the community reinforced
to “deliver” itself from the darkness, not a single word was heard from either the
federal or state government.
2. Lack
of adequate representation
Although Ibusa indigenes continue to enjoy government
positions but political representation of the community incites pity as it has
very little or no impact on the people. Therefore, the community continues to
thrive on self-help. Sadly, the highest stage of development for Ibusa, before
now was during the administrations of Samuel Ogbemudia and Ambrose Alli when
the General Hospital was established in 1970. Subsequently, there has been a recycling
plant unfortunately attracted to the community and now lying close to an
important stream of the people. Thankfully, there have been establishments of a
few secondary schools such as Akwue Secondary School and Anyallaobum Secondary
School recently sighted in the community.
Unruly
nature of the people
The average Ibusa person appears to be too
individualistic and passive in nature. He appears naturally unaware of an Ibusa
authority or rejects it outright. That an average Ibusa person is naturally
averse to taking order from a constituted authority especially that having to
do with Ibusa is bound to inhibit development of the community. That attitude
is so ubiquitous that it is often taken to the social media. Complying with the
simplest instruction can be absolutely grim. That Ibusa has existed for too
long on a social order based on traditional and informal processes may well be
responsible for this development.
3. Disunity
among the people
This factor is nearly as old as the town. It often
creates factions thus restraining the community from speaking with one voice. Factions
once created, reunification becomes a near impossibility thus some factions
have come to be accepted as parts of the community’s institutions. Community
development can only occur when a people in that very community believe in
working together. In this way, they can make a difference and organize
themselves in such a manner that they can address their shared needs
collectively as a people. Otherwise, development will continue to elude them. Since
a community development has been defined as a group of people in a community,
capable of making far-reaching decisions that will activate a social action
capable of ushering change in their economic, social, cultural and
environmental condition, doubt is placed on whether Ibusa as a community can
attract social development without first seeing to their unity as a people. As
we know a multiplicity of views and standpoint is welcomed but changed attitude
is also an important material outcome in building development in any society.
All of the above have visited the community with:
1. Stagnation
as result of lack of development
2. Loss
of respect for constituted authorities in the town
3. Near
extinct of some cultures and traditions
4. Loss
of kinship
5. Divisive
politics
6. Increase
in crime
7. Unexplained
political deaths
8. Avoidance
of the community by the government on one part and the people of the town on
the other hand
Naval
college as the most recent development
Luck smiled on the community when the then President
Goodluck Jonathan appointed Vice-Admiral Joseph Dele Ezeoba (rtd), an indigene
of the community as the nation’s Chief of Naval Staff. The then Chief of Naval
Staff, in his brief stay in office added to his achievements, a Naval School to
be situated within the community. In 2016, the school was officially named University
of Science, Arts and Maritime, Ibusa and on July 1, 2016, the current Chief of
Staff announced plans for the school to be jointly administered by the Federal Government
of Nigeria and foreigners. The University of Maritime became one of the biggest
projects ever attracted to the Anioma region in recent time and by far, the
biggest project in Ibusa since 1970 when the General Hospital was commissioned.
The
place of Think tank committee
Worried by lack of development and other situations
challenging the town, the Think Tank Committee led by Dr. Austin Izagbo took
the bold step to re-position the community by assembling from around the world,
prominent Ibusa sons and daughters that on Sunday, September 27, 2015 gathered at
the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos to particularly discuss ways by which peace
and development could return to the community.
In summary, speakers at the meeting noted and submitted on
the following among others:
1. Absence
of electricity supply in the community that has invited economic retrogression
2. The
need for unity among indigenes
3.
High level of kidnappings, armed
robberies and other social ills in the community.
4. Moral decline, unruly youths that openly
flaunt their lack of respect for elders.
5. Need to inject a serious purpose in Ibusa
meetings and gathering.
6. Drawing up of a cabinet of serious-minded
men and women willing, knowledgeable, passionate, able and devoted volunteers,
with specific duties and responsibilities assigned to them
7.
Motivation of youths and rekindling
in them, a sense of industry by example, discipline, hard work and honest
enterprise
8.
That the people should bury forever,
the unjustified stigma wrongly ascribed to them through the activities of a
few.
Think
Tank: suggestions on the way to go
1. Issue
questionnaires to a large number of Ibusa persons to enable the committee discern
the concerns of the people
2. Organize
an all Ibusa conference with delegates from every ogbe that will include the Obuzor,
Senior Diokpa, ICDU, youths, students, clubs and associations among others to
agree on socio-economic and political issues that will help move the community
forward. Agreements should be made to bind the community.
3. Have
the courage to settle the Obuzor-Diokpa issue
4. Reform
ICDU to make it attractive to the youths. For instance, there could be ICDU
chapters in Nigerian higher institutions of learning
5. Try hard
to do away with the involvement of money in their meetings as the average Ibusa
person is inclined to assume that every Ibusa gathering is a ploy for
collection of money.
6. Reform
some of the community’s customs and traditions such as burial ceremonies. Some
aspects of burials must go. Stop second burial in Ibusa. Nobody rips benefits
from funeral ceremonies. It is always a wasteful “project”. Christians should
be allowed to bury dead in their own way.
7. Revival
of judicial arms of the community
8. Appeal
to the state government to transform Okpuzu waterfall to a state of the art
tourist centre
9. Encourage
and provide Ibusa Youth Council and National Association of Ibusa Students
(NAIBS) with offices each.
10. Encourage
Ibusa individuals, clubs and associations to organize regular seminars,
workshops and conferences for Ibusa youths and adults alike
11. Empower
the youths of the community.
12. Encourage
emerging critics in the town. They will help oversee the development of the
town. Courageous critics like Barr Femi Okafor and Mr. Michael Nkadi are gifts to
the community.
Think
Tank and Ibusa light project
The attempt to light up Ibusa after several years of
outage was the Obuzor of Ibusa, Obi (Prof) Louis Nwaoboshi’s survey of old NEPA
facilities in the town, aimed at ensuring that Ibusa was accommodated in the
Transition Company of Nigeria’s mega step down project located at Ugwu-Atakpo,
Ibusa. Thereafter, members of Ibusa Youth Council began to canvass for funds to
procure electric poles and other electrical facilities to prepare the town for
restoration of light. It is believed that the involvement of Mr. Emmanuel Kwasa
Amatokwu was to later invite the responsiveness of Ibusa elites who began to
donate towards the electrification of the town, which in turn invited the
wakefulness of Think Tank. The participation of Think Tank was also to complete
the exercise. So that on December 22, 2015, light was finally restored to the
community by BEDC, the authorities in charge of electricity supply and on February,
2015, bills were distributed to households.
The
role of Concerned Ibusa Citizens (CIC)
The Concerned Ibusa Citizens, popularly called CIC, a smaller
body of Oshimili North forum has been praised for its efforts. The group
promoted earnest and conscientious doings, intended to accomplish stability of
light in the community but their expectation was despaired. Several factors
that included those listed below were to result in the re-disconnection of the
community that followed. Thus, few weeks afterwards, Ibusa returned to
darkness:
1. Antipathy
from the people of Ibusa
2. Poor
payment by those already lit up
3. Poor
billing system by BEDC as a result of unavailable pre-paid billing system
4. Poor
negotiation by those involved in the restoration of light project
5. Lack
of enlightenment on the part of consumers who began to rumour that the bills of
the entire Ibusa people have been paid for up to three months by Think Tank and
other donors
The
election of Dr. Austin Izagbo and Ibusa Community Development Union (ICDU)
Following the end of the tenure of Prof Anthony Arinze,
erstwhile President-General of Ibusa Community Development Union, Dr. Austin
Izagbo, a visionary and regular contributor to the development of the town
became favoured by the popular will of the Ibusa people expressed in majority
votes. Thus, his successive beginning as the new President-General of the Ibusa
Community Development Union (ICDU) dawned on the community. While majority
rejoiced over his beginning, a few others, fathomed his advent as an inheritance
of an insalubrious society in which constituted authority is rarely respected.
Again, only a few reasoned that a cyclical Ibusa, already
insufferably, agonizingly and despairingly debilitated also drained and
exhausted by Obuzor-Diokpa sections would require more than Dr. Izagbo’s individualism
to propel. In actual sense, the new President-General would require the best of
his abilities to urge relentlessly or exert motivation to achieve the aims and
objectives of his union and that of the community as a whole as everyone as
much as everyone expects.
The turning
tide for ICDU
The Ibusa Community Development Union has become carried
with unfavourable tide of recent happenings in the community. The two factors responsible
for this are:
1. The condition under which Dr. Izagbo
emerged as President-General: People who fault the election
of the new President-General over what they termed non-availability of Lagos
Branch of ICDU appear to be unmindful of the Ibusa system. Whether the Lagos
Branch was operative or not, as Mr. Asiana observed, in what he titled
“Doctrine of Necessity”, ‘Prof Arinze was not Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who is
a life president’. Having spent about nine years, it was imperative that a new
President-General emerged and that became possible in the advent of Dr. Izagbo.
Rather than spend time faulting his election, every energy should be properly channeled
towards urging and helping him to aid the resuscitation of the Lagos Branch as
a correction of the past. Since the ICDU position is not politically motivated,
the way forward should be to revisit the past and do the needful for the good
of the community, not minding whether there was Lagos Branch or not. Moreover,
one should never be oblivious of the ‘natural truth’ that a society at every
point in time operates within its means thus no society can offer its hosts what
it does not have. The Ibusa situation brought home to us this actuality. Since
it could not have given us more, we could settle for what is available at hand
and not expect enthronement of an Obama. An Obama is certainly impossible in
Ibusa society of today, considering that the people have not given much to it.
What a people plant in the society is what they reap from it.
2.
The recent
announcement of the Obuzor to institute ‘Ibusa Development Congress’: Though
the Obuzor has denied any grand plot to rival the ICDU, that stance should be
maintained in practice if Ibusa is to avoid repeating several of its past
challenges. Worthy of note here is that every known community has only one town
union. Asaba has Asaba Development Union, Ogwashi-Uku has Ogwashi-Uku Development
Union, Onicha-Olona has Onicha-Olona Development Union, and so do all
communities in the South East, South West and South-South. A town union is not
a club or association, it is an organization formed to bargain with the
government and other capable individuals in order to attract growth and
developments to the community. For this reason, every community channel its human
and material resources towards a single source.
The Ibusa Community Development Union has in recent times
come under severe criticisms from Ibusa people over its inability to record laudable
achievements. In truth, the union has failed to live up to expectation. One
cannot be wrong to advance that in its more than seventy years of existence,
its biggest achievement has been the establishment of the Town Hall presently
located in Umuisagba Quarter of the town even so the Town Hall is in desertion.
ICDU, judging from the abundant human materials available to the community
ought to have made better achievements than this. But it is also proper to hypothesize
that given the present condition of Ibusa expressed in disunity and factions, state
of social developments and inability of its political representatives to
deliver developments, growths are difficult to achieve.
Added to the above are:
1. Obuzor-Diokpa
factions, which has divided Ibusa (ICDU membership inclusive) into two parallel
lines that never meets. It is one of the biggest challenges in history that confronts
Ibusa in recent times, maybe only second Eze Ofu Ani crisis.
2. ICDU-Obuzor
dispute is another huddle that militates against ICDU.
For Ibusa to make advancement and development
meaningfully attained, the Obuzor-Diokpa dispute must be put to amicable end. A
lot of questions have been advanced on why the community is in neglect. This is
because its political representatives have over the time, been unable to place
the community in the developmental agenda of the government, thereby failing to
attract developments. Those who place huge blame on ICDU must understand that
by the Nigerian arrangement, development comes to a society through:
1. Political
representatives: These are people in authority charged with the advocacy of
policies. They strived, canvassed, maneuvered, elected or appointed to carry
the burden of seeing to the welfare of those they are to represent.
Furthermore, they receive salaries and allowances; they carry with them the
mandate of the people. They are aware of their responsibility and promised the
people able fulfillment on election. Where they are unable to fulfill this, that
society disconnects from the government agenda. Such is now the fate of Ibusa
2. Indigenes
and individuals in that community: The second means of contributing developments
to a society is through the indigenes and individuals of that community. But
the first, which is political representatives remains more assured since
indigenes and individuals have a choice on whether to participate or not.
3. Clubs,
associations, developments unions and other organizations: This category under
which the ICDU comes in is another means. However, unlike the all other
categories that come before and after it, it remains charity. Moreover, they
can only make meaningful achievements where all other indices are in place. In
other words, political representatives must ably function for others to key in.
Also noteworthy is that these other categories are limited to the sort of
projects they can win for the community thus the advantage political
representatives enjoy. Since some projects can only be approved debated in the
house and approved by the government, they are in some cases hamstrung.
4. Corporate
organizations and multinational companies: They are also expected to contribute
developments. But at the moment, there are none.
5. Traditional
rulers: Traditional rulers are expected to play their own role but like the
rest of members of the categories, they are also dependent on the political
representatives of their communities to bring meaningful developments.
In combining all the above categories to deliver to any
particular community, it must be noted that a community development is a
process where the people of that very community are united with those of the government
authorities to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of their
communities. It is for this reason, that only little can be achieved without
the willing cooperation of those in authority i.e. political representatives of
the Ibusa community. It is only easier if the political representatives are
able to attract developments to Ibusa.
The political representatives of Ibusa should be able to
evaluate the result of what they have achieved at the end of the year, in a
town hall meeting. This is where they should see their failing and decide for
themselves their failures and seek ways for improvements but this has been
obviously lacking. The people too, that should stimulate them are busy singing
songs of praise for them.
A blame on ICDU is a blame on the entire people of Ibusa
who being that ICDU is not a foreign firm but a union of the Ibusa people. In
the strictest sense, Ibusa people failed in ICDU. Inability of ICDU to make
achievements over the time is a clear testimony of the failure of the Ibusa
people as a whole. Therefore, the earlier our people realizes this and comes to
the rescue the community, the better for the people. As an institution, it is
expected that over the time, it may have lost touch with certain dictates of
modernity or societal requirements, so the appropriate action to be taken is to
set reform on motion. A state of steady change is a necessity. ICDU, no doubt
is the character of the Ibusa people. So it must be ready to accept and embark
on change, which can only be achieved where peace is in place.
ICDU,
the way forward
1. Call
for a fund raising and use proceeds to establish a state of the art secretariat
in Ibusa and accommodate other organs such as Ibusa Youth Council, National
Association of Ibusa Students
2. In
electing the President-General of the development union, ensure that he is not
politically affiliated with any political party
3. Make
ICDU attractive, create platforms for indigenes to meet through regular
workshops, seminars, conferences etc
4. Engage
in empowerment of youths, scholarships etc
5. Set
up youth wings of ICDU
6. The
people of Ibusa should key into the membership of the union
7. Encourage
lesser demand of finances in Ibusa gatherings. That is one of the reasons most
people avoid Ibusa gatherings.
8. Take
ICDU chapters to universities
9. Draw
benefits between members and non-members to compel indigenes to identify with the
union
10. Members
should try as much as possible to disassociate themselves from factions in the
town
If this article has interested you, play your role
towards the betterment of the Ibusa community. That is its essence.
Emeka
Esogbue, a journalist writes from Lagos
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