I have only Ibusa Community to Call my Own

I have only Ibusa Community to Call my Own

 

-       PoON Award Winner, Douglas Ibekeme

 

Shortly after he was announced the winner of People of Oshimili North Man of the Year for the year 2021, which members call “PoON Ambassador”, Pen Master followed him up for an interview to bring to bear his experiences, reactions and future plans for the Organization and Oshimili North as a whole. In this interview with PEN MASTER (EMEKA ESOGBUE), People of Oshimili North award winner, Douglas Ibekeme speaks on his years of growing up in Ibusa, charity to the Ibusa community, political views of the government, his recent recognition as the Ambassador of the People of Oshimili North in Delta State and generously offers valuable advice to the youths of the Ibusa community. These and more are brought to you in this interview. Excerpts:   

 

Pen Master: Congratulations Douglas Nosike Ibekeme, you just won the People of Oshimili North Award with overwhelming fans and supporters casting their votes for you. Are you still basking in this euphoria? 

 

Ibekeme: Thank you very much Pen Master. Well, at first, I must confess that I didn’t really show interest in running for this honour because I believe that awards are to be conferred by merit but after nomination peaked with unexpected amount of support and fan base championed for me by my brother, Egbe (Charles Okwali) and some other supporters, it became inevitable for me to run as I started to enjoyed the support garnered for me from every corner. At that point, the joy became extremely high and uncontrollable so that it would have been a big ingratitude on my part to the overwhelming support they had gathered for me if I didn’t develop interest to complement their exertions. Well, this victory won't fade away in me in a short while. So, it still feels fresh and infinite in me to be honoured by my own people and in no other place than in my considered homestead. Even now, what seemed incredible in the beginning is now glorious. I made it! It's a great thing of honour.

 

Pen Master: Okay, but tell us what's this People of Oshimili North about? 

 

Ibekeme: Well, People of Oshimili North which we usually call “PoON” is a social organization with the membership derived from diverse personalities, selected from different communities of the Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. We are with defined aims and objectives to guide us with calibers of mighty people from this society. It's the place to be for all of us, really fun to be because of the wonderful nature of our members and also what the organization stands for. I modestly flaunt my membership of this Organization and also my honour. By extension, I thank everyone for giving me their support and for appreciating my deeds. 

 

Pen Master: You consider it so prestigious. What are you expected to achieve with it? 

 

Ibekeme: (Laughs) If you are a PoONite as we, the members of this organization know ourselves, you will understand how prestigious being a PoON Ambassador could be. Yes, I consider it prestigious because it really is. It's not really a matter of what I am expected to achieve with it because it is already an achievement to be a PoON member but greater achievement to be an Ambassador. As an ambassador, I will try to see how I and my co-awardee, the PoON Woman Ambassador (Mrs. Fumnanya Agbuga-Ezeana) will do our best to reach out to the People of Oshimili North. I will also see how we can to provide some necessary changes that will better the people’s lot. This is beyond an award for me. It is my responsibility to serve and increase the standard of the organization. People of Oshimili North is already known for great things far and beyond but we have to make it greater. 

 

Pen Master: You also proudly affirm the Igbuzo nativity in you. How's this of an honour really?

 

Ibekeme: (Laughing aloud) Well, I couldn't have chosen were to be born other than our Igbuzo. I was born and brought up in our Igbuzo community where I also schooled and lived all my life before eventually leaving for Germany in 1999. Like many, I was privileged to be groomed and nurtured in our beautiful Igbuzo so I have no other home. My parents are originally from neighbouring Anambra state but I can't live my life like them or anyone else. My own life is personal to me and even more important to me than anyone else. Pen Master, my life started in Ibusa and I have been living it without changes. You see, when people say “motherland”, I understand them to be talking about where they were mothered. I was mothered in Igbuzo so Igbuzo and nowhere else is my motherland. I owe no one, living or dead any apology for this. This is Douglas Nosike Ibekeme and not any other person.

 

Pen Master: How was growing up for you in this Ibusa? 

 

Ibekeme: Early in my life, I was a student of what was called Ota Akara, a sort of local nursery school for pupils that developed in the community. I attended this somewhere in Odanta in Umuodafe. I followed it up with Umejei Primary School, St Augustine's Secondary School (Oboshi Grammar school). My Father is Christopher A. Ibekeme who was better known in Igbuzo as “Iron Gate”. At the time, we lived inside Pius Okonji's compound where we were also particularly born and nurtured there. I am happy to recall that Okonji with his wives parented us like their own children and I am grateful to their magnitude. As was known in Ibusa, non-indigenes are "ndi ani nmadu", but to Pius Okonji and his wonderful family, we were never taken as foreigners but Ndi Igbuzo. They saw and treated us as their biological children which grew us up as the Ibusa people. we were all people of Igbuzo with one destiny.

 

Pen Master: (Shaking his head with emotion) Now, I see the Ibusa love and patriotism in you in extremeness. At this stage, let us talk about the philanthropism in you. The community itself is known for charity at any level possible; the Fred Ajudua, late Jude Okonma, Achor Nonyelim, Rosemary Moji Ikolodo, Awele Chigbue and others are examples of philanthropism in your Ibusa community and now you. Is this why you also extend your charity works to Ibusa and any regret so far?

 

Ibekeme: There's never regret in giving if you are a natural giver. Giving is something that brings joy to the giver but sometimes, I feel abused when people call from all angles and every now and then because they know you give munificently and most times, they call for irrelevant extraneous things especially for their own luxury over desires of the needy. It then feels abusive. At the time my transportation company was set up, it was established around the services, patronage and satisfaction of Ibusa want and needs and I did this out of the love I have for our town. In truth, that's the only thing I have regretted because the company was mismanaged by our people charged to handle it with my efforts seeming grossly discouraged. Out of 12 trucks, none is still on the road today. But if you look at it deeply and with genuine love, I don't think anyone will ever regret any charitable service to his own community despite the abuse. 

 

Pen Master: You are now in German after your years in Ibusa. From your German base, what have you missed more? 

 

Ibekeme: What I miss most in Ibusa is our people’s Ose ani local delicacy. Oh, how I miss this delicacy! I eat this when I visit my father in Amorka but the Igbuzo Ose ani is beyond description and this is what I miss the most. 

 

Pen Master: You are a big supporter of the Buhari Government. What policies of this government do you applaud?

 

Ibekeme: Yes, I strongly support the PMB administration because I see things differently. I don't let the public tele-guide me. I build my own perspectives and opinions uniquely and sensibly different from the bandwagon. PMB is the very first Nigerian President to proffer leadership style near governance. I live in an advanced democracy. Mind you! So I know what I am talking about considering what I have seen here. Government is a continuum and PMB is the very first Nigerian President to continue where his predecessors stopped and that is if there were any before him. TSA and BVN were Jonathan's idea but PMB didn't squash them, he implemented them. Many abandoned projects littered everywhere in Nigeria, instead of creating new ones to be abandon later, he started working on them and went on to complete them beforehand. This is how a leader should operate. His leadership may not be perfect because there are places he's disappointed even me personally but in all, he has been the best president so far at least for the Igbos but sentiments and bias won't let us see this. I see things differently anyway. That is the point I make. 

 

Pen Master: Do you share same view with the Okowa Government?

 

Ibekeme: For me, Governor Okowa does not fit into my description of Buhari’s laudable achievements comparatively. In fact, I see the former as a Medical Doctor who cannot boast of bettering the health care sector in the state he is governing. PMB is a farmer that took us back to farm, Okowa is a doctor so I expected that under his leadership, health sector should be his priority but health got worsened under his watch. Okowa knows only his allies and he cultivates them pretty good but he’s nearing woe in matters of governance. They call him the Road Master and I wonder where the roads are. Ika is not the only LGA in Delta state so we can't judge Delta state with his Ika feats. Nepotism also comes to play. Anyone may easily mistake Agbor for the capital of Delta State because of the much attention it got under the Okowa administration.

 

Pen Master: But now, we should single the Ibusa community out in your analytical opinion of the Governor. Do you think his Government has favoured Ibusa?

 

It is difficult for me to point one thing the Okowa Government has done for Igbuzo other than to point to the bringing down of the Oshimili North “Jagaban” to hold on to Ibusa but I am skeptical about this because I am not sure he did that to liberate us. I think he did that to set up his own structure in Ibusa so I am not really amused. I rate my leaders not with how many people appointed from my area but with the number of social amenities provided for the ease of lives of the masses in my area. The General Hospital in Igbuzo is almost collapsing whereas our Governor is a Medical Doctor. What a leader, what a shame. 

 

Pen Master: You have continuously landed us deeply in politics. The journey to the Local Government election is open in Delta State now. Do you have any candidate in mind?

 

Ibekeme: Judging from what we have known and seen so far. For me, I will tilt towards Esewezie because of the leadership qualities he has exhibited in the past. I just hope he will consider the people more than his master, Okowa. I do not get easily convinced but one of his COVID-19 sensitization policies persuaded me to see a leadership in him and I hope he will continue like that. 

 

Pen Master: Away from politics now, what is your advice for the Ibusa youth?

 

I will advise Ibusa youths to always get focused and engage themselves in something no matter how big or small. They should do something to better their lives. They should get busy with their hands at all time.  We must drop this “chokalim” and “chopulum” mentality. We must try to see that we are not manipulated into believing that all what is needed is beggarly queuing behind one person to allow him all he wants at our own detriment. We must be jealous of our future and the future of our next generation and their generations. We shouldn't let some people plunder our tomorrow. I encourage the Igbuzo youths to rise up and speak to power, we shouldn't deify anyone as a god then just relax for crumbs. We should start making ourselves self-reliant. 

 

Pen Master: Tell our readers more about Douglas Nosike Ibekeme, the DNI.

 

Ibekeme: Douglas Nosike Ibekeme (DNI) is a jolly good and easy going person that will never take any shit from any person no matter who or what that person is. I do not see anyone as a god but I respect everyone I know and have come across in life. I see things differently and this is why people always say I am a controversial person. I don't stereotype and I don't also discriminate. I see every opportunity as a reason to show love. I believe in God but anything short of practical reality is not for me. DNI is a believer of reality who is never easily convinced except with superior intellect.

 

Pen Master: Thank you for speaking to me

 

Ibekeme: Thank you too my Pen Master