Features
Wabote at GOCOP: Breaking down the gains and pains of Nigeria’s local oil and gas development
It was meant to be another interactive session, one in the series of what has underscored the robust partnership between the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Date was October 3, 2023, venue, the Ladi Kwali Conference Room of the Abuja Continental Hotel,Again. Again it was another opportunity for the top echelon of the NCDMB, a body, which since its establishment, in 2010, has become the engine room of boosting the involvement of indigenous operators in the oil and gas business and development in Nigeria and members of GOCOP, currently the highest authoritative voice of journalism practice in the country, to engage in not only promoting the ideal behind the Federal Government initiative, but emphasise the implication of the impact of its attaining its goal as a major catalyst for the Nigerian economy.
Listening to Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, who since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) on the 29th of September 2016, had pursued his brief with uncommon gusto rarely found among public officials, presented a fresh insightful and incisive foray into one of Nigeria’s most critical sectors that holds the key as a crucial hub and engine of growth in the nation’s economy.
With a 25 years in the business of oil development in Nigeria, Wabote, who was before his appointment, Executive Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria Limited and the General Manager Business and Government Relations for Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), could be no less expressive.
Like a teacher holding a class, he practically broke down the entire spectrum of the development to its bits and pieces, odds and ends of the issues surrounding the ups and downs as well as the gains and pains of the critical sector.
At the event and as in the past, the NCDMB boss, never left his audience in doubt that he is on top of his game not only in the agency, but has both a hands-on knowledge of how its operations could lead to the waking up of the sleeping giant that is the Nigerian economy, but the passion to do so.
As usual his top-notch account of the development of the agency so far, was captivating as it was enthralling for revealing the great potentials the nation has at its disposal. Yet, some of his revelations, left a sour taste in the mouth by underscoring the negative flipside of the situation to emphasise the reason Nigeria is still struggling even with the huge potentials of being an A-list player in the global economy.
It was a bitter-sweet tale. Of course Wabote reported how he and his team, had by dint of hardwork, grown the agency to its present status, in collaboration with stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including the media.
Imagine a situation where Nigerians now own a whopping 15 per cent of the oil operations in the country from a zero start just few years ago. Anyone with the littlest knowledge of what that entails in terms of money and infrastructure buildup would appreciate the reason Wabote and his men would beat their chests in celebration.
Of course, the ease of doing business in the sector, which NCDMB has promoted during the period, seems one of the major reasons for achieving the feat. It has even become better now and would become more so with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) the agency had recently signed with key entities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, meant to up its game in terms of speed.
Wabote explains: “We initiated this concept in 2017 to shorten the contracting cycle in the Nigerian oil and gas industry from an uncertain two to three-year period to six months.
“Our goal was to spur the speedy development of new oil and gas projects, ensure compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Content Act, and guarantee timely approvals of Nigerian Content documents.
“Our objectives were also to facilitate ease of doing business, set new standards of quality service delivery in the public and private sectors and provide evidence that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is not a mere regulator, but essentially a Business Enabler.”
Another raison d’être, is to pick up where the foreign majors are dropping off to ensure a seamless takeover that would make oil production continue without let or hindrance or make them less so. This is evident in the onshore and semi offshore operations, where the oil majors are currently divesting.
Wabote made glaring disclosure with the present situation of the low production in the country, which had put many stakeholders and concerned citizens in Nigeria in great anguish. Not a few of them had bemoaned the fact that Nigeria is probably the only oil-producing country in the world that is not smiling to the banks as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war that has seen a quantum leap in both the price and high level of production approved by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), due to the minimal role Moscow now plays in the industry.
He explained that the situation could even be more dire if Nigerians failed to fill the gap being created by oil majors, departing the scene and divesting their operations. According to him, the operators are finding it less attractive to invest in the offshore and shallow onshore regions for various reasons, thus making it imperative for Nigerian players to step in not as the only major way of provoking continued strong economic growth, but supporting President Bola Tinubu achieve the economic policies in his Renewed Hope Agenda.
Hear him: “Contrary to the popular view, the unfortunate stealing of our crude oil by vandals is not the only reason for Nigeria’s low production numbers and the decrease in our foreign exchange earnings.
“Our nation’s production deficit is partly caused by the lack of major investments in the past decade, declining oil production from aging oil fields, and the clamour for energy transition which caused international oil companies to cut back on new projects.
“There is also the emergence of attractive oil-producing nations in Africa and across the globe, leading to intense competition for investment capital. These challenges were exacerbated by our inexplicable delay in the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act and of course the long contracting cycle time.”
Indeed, NCDMB boss explained that virtually all African countries are now discovering oil on their soil, unlike the situation in the past and due to the competition on ground entailed by the development, offering mouth-watering options to international oil majors who are biting at the bait.
It was against this backdrop that the NCDMB worked tirelessly to ensure the coming of the SLA, Wabote, said, adding that it was a bold steps to cut down time in all our touchpoints during pre-qualification, bidding, and award stages of the oil and gas tenders, starting with Nigeria LNG Ltd in June 2017.
“That SLA with the Nigeria LNG was the first of its kind between a regulator and another entity in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The implementation ensured that we broke a record for the shortest contract approval period.
“Before we instituted the SLA, we had already introduced the 15-DAY Rule to the industry in 2017, where we promised that we would respond within 15 working days to any formal request for approvals that relate to oil industry projects execution. The 15-Day Rule also permitted operators to go ahead with their projects if we fail to respond to their request after 15 days.
“As further proof of our commitment to a short contracting cycle, we achieved a 14-month contract approval record on the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater project which was promoted by the Nigerian Agip Exploration, in partnership with SNEPCo. We had accomplished this record before the project was suspended due to non-technical reasons.
“We are extremely delighted that our SLA template has been adopted across the entire oil and gas industry through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Service Level Agreement (SLA) we signed last week with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC Ltd) and five international oil-producing companies. Other participating companies in the SLA included Shell Petroleum Development Company, ExxonMobil, Chevron Nigeria, Nigerian Agip Exploration and Total Exploration and Production Nigeria,” he said.
The NCDMB boss also informed his audience that the agency created a separate SLA with the Indigenous Petroleum Producer Group (IPPG), which we signed in October 2018, adding: “Last week’s SLA signing is the climax of the adoption of the initiative and we commend the Management of the NNPC Ltd for their participation.
“With the position of the NNPCL as the senior partner in the joint ventures (JV) and concessionaire of the production sharing contracts (PSC) arrangements, the chances of achieving the six-month target period and other aspirations of the SLA look very bright.”
In fact, he said the theme of the interaction, Sustaining Nigerian Content Amidst Divestments to Indigenous Oil Companies: The Role Of The Media, was well chosen to give insight into the growing profile of Nigerian operating companies, especially the recent acquisitions or planned acquisitions of key assets divested by some international oil companies.
Here, he named Seplat Plc and Oando Plc that had now transformed from from midsized players into big-time operating companies, saying it underscored the new picture and the leaps the local content gospel was attaining.
“Seplat PLC is hoping to conclude the acquisition of the entire share capital of Mobil Producing Unlimited (MPNU) from ExxonMobil Corporation, a deal that would triple Seplat’s production and add 95,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
“Similarly, Eni signed an agreement last month to sell Nigerian Agip Oil Company Ltd to Oando Plc, a deal that will include NAOC’s four onshore blocks, the Okpai 1 and 2 power plants, and two onshore exploration leases. The transaction will double Oando’s reserves to 996 million barrels of oil equivalent.
“What is playing out is the implementation of the oil majors’ strategic move to sell down their onshore assets in Nigeria and concentrate on their offshore operations, where they retain a competitive advantage and contend with minimal human interferences.
“The implication is that we should expect other majors to soon offer their onshore assets for sale, while many other Nigerian independents will have a shoe-in.
“The ongoing and planned divestments are big accomplishments for Nigerian Content development. They are bold statements that Nigerian indigenous operating companies have come of age and have acquired the technical, managerial, and financial capabilities to play in the big league.
“We are proud that we have moved from near zero participation in the oil and gas sector to the point that our indigenous operators such as SEPLAT, AITEO, EROTON, and others are now responsible for 15 per cent of our oil production and 60 per cent of our domestic gas supply.
“With this planned acquisition, the share of local firms in crude oil production could reach 30 per cent or more in a short while. It is heart-warming to see our local operating companies deploy ingenious techniques to double and sometimes triple production volumes from their acquired assets and apply homegrown solutions in addressing host community concerns,” he said.
Wabote, however, explained further that part of the reasons for the divestment of the oil majors in the offshore and shallow onshore arena was not purely because of what many had misconstrued as harsh operating environment, but the discovery of new technologies that made it more rewarding to move deeper into offshore operations, with prospects for less human interference.
The bottomline for making this critical decision of either divestment or continued operation, he said, is rested on Portfolio Rationalisation, centred on the Internal Return on Investment (IRI), a threshold through which operators in the industry measure profitability and sustainability.
Hear him: “A lot of people get worried to say, why are the international oil companies divesting? Is it that they are running away from Nigeria? That’s not the case. In all the oil-producing companies, we have a threshold that determines return on investment – the IRI. Once the IRI falls below that threshold, given their size and their global reach, they would want to divest, because it is no longer profitable for them.
“But to a large extent it is not the same for the indigenous oil operators who still find it profitable because they are nimble in size and their operations are largely localised. This is not peculiar to Nigeria. The Gulf of Mexico and even in the North Sea, where all the majors used to operate, a lot of these assets have been divested to local players. A lot of them have pulled out from those assets because the local players have come of age, they are a lot nimbler and they can turn around those investments and make huge profits. That is the major reason those companies are divesting. But most often than not, we see it differently from other perspectives. Once we see those oil companies divesting, all we conclude is that oil major wants to leave the country. That is not the case.”
Apart from the PR and IRI, other factors such as the global campaign against fossil oil in favour of renewable energy, also plays a major role for the new trend in the operational decisions of the oil majors, he said.
Besides that, he explained that because the International Oil Companies (IOCs), have advantage of deep pocket and technology, they had to adopt the Blue Ocean Strategy, as against that to the Red Ocean, stressing that unlike the latter infested with a lot of shacks struggling for space, since many people now had some form of capacity to produce oil, the Blue Ocean, where it is just the blue sea, the IOCs see it as a more convenient operation arena.
“There is a red ocean and there is the blue ocean. In the red ocean there are a lot of shacks. It is called red because there is blood. Everybody now knows how to drill oil onshore. Everybody now knows how to deal with oil and gas in the shallow offshore. So, there is some kind of entanglement and fight. But when you move to the blue ocean, there is no blood. You just see the blue sea and you want to get there in order to get away from Red Ocean. So, it is not a question of leaving the country. It is a matter of Portfolio Rationalisation.
“You can imagine exploring oil and gas two kilometres deep in the ocean, where humans cannot get to – the maximum as a human diver you can get is six metres. Anything beyond that you cannot stand the pressure. You can imagine that and even 3.5kilometres of water and you are going to the dept to look for oil. That can only be done by people who have the deep pockets and technology to be able to go that far. That is why you see the oil majors by virtue of their deep pockets, their research breakthroughs and their technology that they have attained that are able to go that level of water to look for oil.
“Of course, there is no gainsaying that there a lot of problems offshore in terms of oil theft, massive environmental pollution, local refineries that steal crude to refine. All those are challenges that the IOCs are faced with. So, the best thing is to hand it over to the locals who can deal decisively with some of these challenges and move to the deep ocean where they feel a lot more comfortable.
The positive outcome, Wabote said, could be gleaned in how a production well Shell divested, which initially produced a total of 20,000 barrels of crude, had now upped its capacity to a princely 75,000 barrels, after its acquisition by Seplat. In a similar manner AITEO, which also acquired another platform from an IOC, was able to ramp up production from 30,000 barrels per day to 80,000, even with close to 80 per cent local personnel.
But in the bitter-sweet narrative, Wabote also spoke about how the ubiquitous phenomenon called The Nigerian Factor, had not only crept into the arrangement, but stultifying the progress.
Hear him: “Beyond the positives, it must also be observed that the divestment of producing assets to indigenous players poses significant challenges for the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
“The worries are predicated on research findings and our experience in implementing the NOGICD Act in the past 13 years which indicates that indigenous firms, especially the indigenous operating companies are serial violators of the Nigerian Content Act.
“In many instances, international operators tend to comply with the Nigerian Content because it is in their DNA to obey laws or they have to show evidence of compliance to their home offices. On the contrary, some many indigenous companies feel entitled and assume they can get away with non-compliance. At other times they want to save costs to the detriment of the local economy.
“Some of indigenous have also argued that they should be excluded from the implementation of the NOGICD Act since their primary investors are Nigerians. Some of the common violations by indigenous firms range from executing projects without obtaining prior approvals, non-execution of mandatory Human Capacity Development Initiative (HCDI), Non-Utilization of vendors without approved Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC) and Utilization of the services of contractors that are not registered on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System Portal (NOGIC JQS) and several other violations.
“Other times, the firms fail to remit their one per cent mandatory Nigerian Oil Content Development Fund and engage expatriates without requisite approvals from the Board or even award contracts to foreign firms, even when other Nigerian companies can execute.
“It is very surprising to see local companies undermine and flout the Nigerian Content Act despite being the immediate beneficiaries of the Nigerian Content policy, thereby causing capital flight, loss of jobs, and opportunity for technological development.”
Commending the indigenous companies gearing up to acquire the divested assets, he reminded all stakeholders of the industry that the provisions of the Nigerian Content cover all entities and all activities connected to the Nigerian oil and gas industry adding that the board would continue to study the changing ownership dynamics in the industry, and partner with the industry stakeholders to institute regulations that will ensure that the increasing footprints and stakes of indigenous production companies will not lead to a reduction in Nigerian content compliance and participation of Nigerians in the industry.
Soliciting more support from the media, especially GOCOP, to continue advocacy for Nigerian Content compliance by all stakeholders of the industry. Wabote, maintained that Nigerian Content implementation remained a marathon, and we will require all hands on deck to ensure that the benefits of the oil and gas industry is retained maximally in Nigeria.
The records show that the giant strides the organisation and its men are making are not in vain, given the recognitions they had received in recent times, including the award by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as the most efficient agency among all the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government in 2022.
While the body was also rated PLATINUM by the Bureau for Public Service Reforms in recognition of the self-imposed reforms of our processes, Wabote himself was honoured in October 2022 by former President Muhammed Buhari with the “Distinguished Capacity Development Award” at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS).
“These awards have challenged us to redouble our efforts to deepen Nigerian Content in the oil and gas industry and the linkage sectors and to continue to contribute to the growth of our national economy,” Wabote had told his audience.
In the end, it was a case of preaching to the converted. Maureen Chigbo, President of the organisation, assured Wabote and his men that the group would do anything and everything within its powers not only to project the ideals of NCDMB, but ensure that defaulters are held accountable.
Seyi Adewunmi, President of the Lagos Country Club (LCC), launched into his third term in office on Tuesday, with the eternal words with which William Shakespeare depicted the pleas of King Richard 11 to British noblemen at daggers-drawn in his forecourt, some 431 years ago – forgive, forget, reconcile and be agreed.
It was his way of offering his olive branch to seek healing for members still lacerated with old wounds of the bitter battle for the soul of the club, which ended up in courtrooms after failure to settle it inside the games-room, the tennis courts and other troubleshooting arenas.
Flanked by his wife, Ify, whose contribution he lavishly acknowledged, Adewunmi, at his inauguration at the club’s main hall, apparently recalling the incident, which nearly crippled affairs at the family club, said: “To those who are still aggrieved, I speak to you now, directly and without condition. Whatever the disagreement, the Club is bigger than any single dispute, and its future is far more important than any lingering bitterness.
“Whatever the words that were said or the decisions that felt unjust, I invite you, today, to lay it down. No dispute is worth dividing us. I extend to you my open hand and my open heart. This is your club. It needs you. I need you.
“The chapter we are about to write is better written together and it MUST be written. So please sheathe your swords. Come home. The gates are open, the seats are ready, and the work is too important for any of us to sit it out.”
The President, who was full of praises for the club’s Board of Trustees, was particularly enthused with the contributions of Aare Kola Oyefeso, the leader of the exulted body, whom he described as “a conscience and compass of this club,” for donating his wealth of experience.
Hear him: “To our Board of Trustees, and to Chief Kola Oyefeso in particular, I offer my deepest respect. You have been the still, small voice of wisdom in the seasons of noise.
“Every time this Presidency needed an elder’s hand on the shoulder, you were there. The Management Council and the Board have not merely coexisted during my tenure, we have collaborated, and the Club is better for it. I am indeed very grateful sir.
Expressing similar gratitude to other members of the Management Council Officers and the Chairmen of the various Sections and their Committees as well as the members, he enjoined them to prepare for the task ahead.
He added: “I see you all. I greet you all. And I am profoundly glad to be standing here, still standing, before you today. Let me begin with a confession. When I first stood in this position three years ago, I made promises. Big promises. The kind that sound magnificent from a podium and look somewhat different at seven in the morning when the contractor has not shown up and the cheque has not cleared….but I did not run away.
“I did not make excuses. I did not hide behind procedure or blame my predecessors. I rolled up my sleeves, as you well know I am rather fond of doing, and I worked. Two terms. Hundreds of meetings. Thousands of decisions. One attempted character assassination which, I am glad to report, the character survived.
“And today, you have returned me unopposed for a third and final term. Not because I cannot be challenged. Not because the road ahead is smooth.
“But because you looked at my record, you weighed me as a man, you made your assessment, and you made your verdict. I receive this mandate with the full weight of gratitude and the full fire of purpose. Lagos Country Club — your President is back. And this time, we will finish the work.”
He also expressed gratitude for various members of the club, who had supported in many ways to keep it going, recalling particularly the donation of equipment worth millions of naira by Tunji Amosu, the Vice President of the club, saying such a selfless gesture defined the idea behind LCC as a family club.
Hear him: “He (Amosu) reached into his own pocket, deep into his pocket I might add, and donated equipment worth millions of Naira to our new clinic. Millions. I want to be clear: this was not government allocation. This was not a corporate write-off. This was one man saying, ‘I believe in this Club enough to invest my own resources in its wellbeing.’ That is the spirit of Lagos Country Club at its finest, and it deserves to be celebrated.
“But let me also say that greatness is not only measured in millions. Gifts are never less precious than the grand gesture, and for this reason, I want to honour those who gave what they had, and gave it gladly. Confidence Yunusa (D12848) donated pillows to our clinic, and before you smile, those pillows matter. They speak of someone who thought about the comfort of a sick fellow member on a sick bed. That is love in action.
“Also, Femi Oduwole (D14027) gave us a water dispenser. Clean water. To all who gave in any measure: this Club sees you, this Management Council thanks you, the Board of Trustees appreciates you and history, as I speak is recording you.”
By Sunny Igboanugo
Despite consistent usage, it has remained a powerful reality, the age-long saying that the drum sounds for a great man – in life and at death. Rather than becoming a tiring cliché its reality continues to emerge as demonstrable evidence from time to time.
So, when on Sunday, October 26, 2025, the cap lowered on the head of Ben-Chuks Nwosu – astute lawyer, consummate politician, inimitable humanist, gifted public speaker and foremost community leader, it was not just another historic event, many of which have trailed him over the years, but a clear statement on the persona of the former Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly – one meant to capture his import as a man who has conquered his territory and etched his name permanently on the sands of time.
The versatile lawyer and politician, was among the influential figures assembled for special recognition by Igwe Keneth Orizu 111, Monarch of the Nnewi ancient kingdom – one of the iconic traditional stools in Anambra State – to mark his 100 years of age and 62 years on the throne, as one of the features of the historic event.
The monarch, the oldest and longest reigning king in Nigeria was emphatic on why Nwosu made that list – it was an acknowledgement of his positive contributions, not only to the development of the ancient town, but to the advancement of humanity in general through his engagements in many aspects, especially his chosen career of law and his vocation as a politician.
Ostensibly, the royal father wanted to make that statement both as part of the records of his reign and to demonstrate the essence of the biblical saying – to whom much is given, much is expected – and how this son on of Nnewi land had over time, fits that bill perfectly.
For instance, not only the monarch, the people of Anambra, if not the conscious world, bore and still bear witnesses to how, the primus inter pares of the Anambra legislature, Nwosu unsheathed his sword from the scabbards to confront the political hounds that attacked the state at that time, in defence of his territory – democracy.
The echoes of that historic period in the state, have continued to reverberate across the firmament, while the imprimatur has continued to be evident in demonstrably bold terms even now, as the doyen has again donated himself to yet a fresh battle – that of rescuing the people of Anambra from the abyss of despair as the state approaches the edge of the precipice where the current minders are driving it, through bad policies and unwholesome politics.
Currently, the Chief of Staff (CoS) of the John Chuma Nwosu (JCN) Campaign Council, the ex-lawmaker, has become a central voice for the new advocacy in Anambra by JCN – the man, who has taken it as duty to rescue the state and reverse the evil political vehicle, fast galloping towards that inevitable destruction.
Ndubuisi Nwobu, Deputy Governorship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), at the hosting of members of the council at a reception organised at his Nnewi country home, shortly after the event at the Igwe’s palace, spared no words in acknowledging this aspect of the former Speaker’s persona, particularly his contributions to both politics and human development in Anambra State and beyond.
Nwosu takes traditional greetings with Igwe Orizu
For Nwobu, himself one of the biggest names in Anambra political arena, bearing the scars of its different political wars, it was a recognition of a fellow warrior in the battlefield and a colleague in arms, whose contributions are vital for the mission at hand.
The former Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who represented the governorship candidate at the event was emphatic in guaranteeing that Nwosu would neither relent or be deterred by the arsenal of war being assembled by the anti-democratic, anti-progressive and clearly negative forces in the state, who seem intent on relentlessly asphyxiating it of life.
Hear him: “There is greater work ahead and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll live up to expectation, because your passion for the service to mankind is exceptional. Whatever you set your mind on, you pursue it with so much gusto and vigour, as if your life depends on it. For you, there’s always no going back.
“Congratulations. The entire campaign council greets you. We thank you for what you have done and have no hesitation in our belief that with your contributions to this onerous task, we’re going to triumph. Remain strong. May the good Lord continue to strengthen you in the name of Jesus.”
Before Nwobu spoke, Prof. Zelinjo Igweze, Director, Women Mobilisation and Dr. CC Okeke, Deputy Director General (DDG) Political Matters, had also spoken in the same manner, paying glowing tribute to the Nnewi-born political juggernaut.
Ike Iwenofu, accomplished Engineer and Director General of the council, had earlier in his tribute on behalf of the members, also acknowledged Nwosu’s towering profile and invaluable contributions to the campaign efforts.
He wrote: “The entire John Chuma Nwosu Campaign Council bursts with joy as we celebrate our indefatigable Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Barr. Benchuks Nwosu, on this glorious day of honour and recognition by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Dr. Kenneth Orizu III of Nnewi, during the historic Centenary Birthday Celebration.
“This royal honour is not just a mark of distinction, but a celebration of character — a recognition of your steadfast loyalty, uncommon humility, and tireless service to humanity and our great movement. You have continued to distinguish yourself as a pillar of strength and a shining example of leadership, loyalty, and integrity. Your honour today reflects the values we hold dear — service, excellence, and commitment to the greater good.
“We rejoice with you, Ogbalike Nwachinemelu, and pray that this recognition opens even greater doors of favour, grace, and impact in your journey ahead. A thousand cheers to a worthy son, a noble leader, and a loyal ally!”
Nwosu with Nwobu
But for the man of the moment, the event evoked memories decked in family history, particularly depicting a family of warriors, whose essence was captured in the roles they played in defence of the territorial integrity of the Obuofia Nnewi enclave in the years of yore.
He tells the story: “My father, Nwoke Modo was a warrior and it became his assignment to move from Obuofia to wage wars against our attackers. Where we live now is called Agawana, meaning war trenches. So, Eze Ugbuonyanta, the great grandfather of the person that gave me this title today, named him Ogbalike. That means, when things get tough, he is invited.
“So, when this came up about a year ago, I told the Igwe that I had a senior brother, but they said the knew the history, but that this was given to me in recognition of the special role I played as Speaker, particularly during the impeachment saga (of former governor, Peter Obi.)
“They said I proved some genetic trails when I did not betray him as then Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Council and I did not betray Dr. Dozie Ikedife, who was the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. So, this has been in the making for more than a year. In line with tradition, I had to let my elder brother know and he gave his consent that I could go ahead and take our grandfather’s title. That’s what I have done today. Since he was a warrior, they felt that the role I had played in Anambra politics akin to that of a warrior, hence the title.”
With this historic aspect, it might no longer be surprising to anyone the line the former Speaker is toeing, why his battle-weary body is lacerated with the scars of war and why his path both in politics, law and other endeavours is strewn with courage and forthrightness. It lives in the family – an acknowledgement that Ogbalike Nnewi is not just a title, it is history!
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Columns4 weeks agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING: Terrorists strike Ibadan again! Abduct ex-Minister’s sister, twin children
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Wait over! Arsenal are CHAMPIONS! Win EPL after 22 years hiatus
-
Columns3 weeks agoSee Tinubu’s terrible damage on Option A4 and its precious memories
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Jonathan emerges presidential candidate *Gets automatic PDP ticket!
-
News4 weeks agoPresidency: Obi met all requirements – NDC *Cleared to contest primaries
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Troops rescue wife of kidnapped General! *Terrorists flee scene