THE history of our people is to the effect that the Idomas migrated from an ancient place called Kwararafa, located in the axis of present day Taraba State, before moving to the current Apa/Agatu local government areas in Benue State. From there, the Edumoga people were said to have moved to the present day Okokolo in Otukpo local government area where the stayed briefly before moving to finally settle at Edumoga-Ehaje in the present Okpokwu local government area.
As it is with all things human, there arose differences between the migrating brothers and these forced Amejo and Okonobo to move away leaving their brother at Edumoga-Ehaje and came to settle in the current Amejo and Okonobo areas. Eke followed suit later and settled at their current abode.
Contemporary Developments
Now, after all lineages had chosen their abodes as presently constituted; as expected, there arose some degree of competition between the respective Edumoga communities composed of Eke, Amejo, Okonobo, Ingle, Okpale and Ugbokolo (this is listed randomly and not in any order of seniority).
In the early days, Amejo was not quite doing so badly in this competition. Ad’Ogobeche, the founder of Ogene-Amejo made it as the Paramount Ruler of Edumoga just as his brother Chief Aba Ujah also ruled from the Okonobo axis. Moro Agbam came from Ugbokolo, Daniel Adulugba from Edumoga-Ehaje, Onum from Eke, Idoko from Okpale and now Abah from Eke. That was not too bad as there was some level of equity and equality.
As at then, all horses were diligently wagging tails and equally took their turn to be showcased.
But, between the last twenty to thirty years, I may not be proficient to conclude or assert, but in my little vision and from what I can see, the Amejo horse has suddenly ceased to wag its tail while others are gallivanting and hot in the race.
Could it be that the gods are angry, or something that is forbidden that has been horribly done or that the elders have forgotten or no longer know how to appease the land or the ancestors. Nothing appear to be working for us at Amejo while our other brothers take their turns even when we were not behind at the times of our ancestors.
And even at that, the attack dogs or the war generals in this business are mostly from Amejo community. How have we become the working tools of every dick and harry without our own plot? The agenda is to ensure that Amejo is in perpetual political slavery, and we most willingly submitted ourselves to that! But we ought to have known, by now, that even slaves had, when pushed into excruciating oppression, oftentimes revolt. I may not be totally correct, but I dare to say that our other brothers have political direction, but we just don’t have any; we only act as backups in Edumoga District.
While the traditional markets of Afor, Eke, and Ojapo survived every tribulation and made it to the current dispensation, Oj’Oweele couldn’t survive at Amejo. Another trial again at having a market was attempted in the ’90s with Ed’Ai-Abbah located at Olanyega and it again failed. Today of all the component clan families in Edumoga District, it is unfortunate that up till now, we cannot sustain a viable market like a number of others even when we have no reason not to have one. We are farmers, strategically located along a federal road and connected to very many communities that when Ed’Ai-Abbah Market was alive, it was a market to behold.
Of all the components of Edumoga community, Amejo appears to be the least electrified with only Ogbodo and Olanyega that have been electrified. [This was the case when this address was delivered. Now, Ogene, Opidlo, Oduda, Ijege and some other Amejo villages have been electrified]. We cannot count Ichakwu to be one because it only benefited for being close to the Benue State Polytechnic and not a deliberate decision of government to so do.
Ogene, Otobi, Ijege, Opidlo, though appear to be wired, but it is only Opidlo’ project that can support electricity supply hence the job done in the other communities are so sub-standard that attempts to connect them to the grid only resulted in the cable melting, especially at Ogene, hence the communities cannot be connected to the grid. The other communities in Okonobo, Eke, Edumoga-Ehaje, Ingle, and Ugbokolo clans appear to be up ahead much more in this regard.
One accusation that has always been chorused against the government of Benue state has been that it has excluded the people of Edumoga in the provision of secondary school education. I beg to be corrected, but I humbly wish to submit that it is not true as it is being painted. In the ’80s, there was a Government Day Secondary School situate by the government at Ogbodo-Amejo, but like the other tails of our horse, it couldn’t wag and it collapsed.
Just recently, and most unfortunate of all, the government of Benue State sited a Junior Secondary School which ultimately would have graduated to a full-fledged college at Ogene-Amejo, but again like the others, the horse still couldn’t wag its tail, hence it was even burnt down by wild fire. The government again sited another junior secondary school at Olanyega and unlike the horses in other clans, the tail equally failed to wag again. It was burnt down. Please, I would like us to reason together and arrive at a realistic conclusion on our fate by asking: Could it be that something is wrong with us or that we have done something wrong?
After rolling across several communities of Edumoga, a great son of ours, Abah Ujah fought and brought the headquarters of Edumoga to us in a platter of gold at Olanyega, when they, our ancestors, were alive, we were the pride of Edumoga District, but today that they had left for us, we cannot protect that character. As it stands today, that headquarter is almost gone and the other brothers are only waiting for the slightest opportunity to declare it official dead. While others disagree to agree, we disagree to destroy.
The same thing played out in the matter of Amejo Community Secondary School. Some individuals capitalised on the name of location to kill the school. Today, those of us that are still alive and participated actively in the burying of that monument may look back in retrospect and show us what we have gained now that that beautiful bride is gone. Amejo Community Secondary School was a star among equals. Today, not even the walls are still standing for the children to see as historical relics.
I may ask again, what has really gone wrong with us? Could it be, perhaps, because we have lost our soldiers or that nature just abandoned us? I may not be too old yet, but perhaps, if those that I know in the character of Jonah Ogwuche, Obochi Ok’Oyi, Eje Ikpechi, Joel Edwama, Abah Ajogwu, Patrick Ochiga, Francis Adah, Edward Alome, Umale Egboyi, Emma Ochiga; to mention but a few from among many others, were alive, could we still have been beaten by this rain? Why have we suddenly become the weeping dogs among these our brothers?
If we have lost these generals of ours to the great beyond, can’t people like Joe Ogbaa, Daniel Abakpa and Ejembi Abah, among many others, come together, become brothers to everybody, united in one spirit and start from somewhere for us. As it stands now, who will build our Itakpa even as the entire house is leaking?
I will not end without talking about the global breakdown of family system that has caught up with majority of families. Like most places, our children today are in cults and armed robbery gangs. This is because the family bond has broken down. Not many fathers today parent their children. The Polytechnic has come and given us electricity, commerce, education, but the damages it has vicariously visited on us due to factors located in poor political leadership and general absence of good governance is better imagined than experienced. Families should please find a way of isolating their children from the negatives associated with the social decay in our tertiary institutions.
Can we take a look at our political standing among the other brothers and see where we stand? Ugbokolo has been to the Senate twice, the Benue State House of Assembly, and Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government Council severally. Ehaje has gone to the House of Assembly severally, been chairman of local government severally, commissioners severally, among others. Eke has been to the House of Representatives twice, Chairman of local government severally, commissioners in the state among others. In all of these the best we have had is member of the House of Assembly once.
Unless there are better explanations, it will be unfair to crucify me for saying that the gods have forsaken us!
And even at that, the attack dogs or the war generals in this business are mostly from Amejo community. How have we become the working tools of every dick and harry without our own plot? The agenda is to ensure that Amejo is in perpetual political slavery, and we most willingly submitted ourselves to that! But we ought to have known, by now, that even slaves had, when pushed into excruciating oppression, oftentimes revolt. I may not be totally correct, but I dare to say that our other brothers have political direction, but we just don’t have any; we only act as backups in Edumoga District.
Let me state clearly here that I drew this analogy from our experience at Ogene-Amejo. Some years back, Ogene youth had a very strong, viable, and development-oriented forum that was directing the affairs of the community. External forces in fear of the unknown used the community’s own children to kill the body. Till today, Ogene has not come out of the shock and effect of that destabilisation. But those benefiting are happy and are always ready do worse to serve their selfish interests and agenda. This body, which was paying teachers to sustain the primary school, paying corpers posted to the burnt secondary school, planned to begin buying uniform and books for those in the primary school has be killed for good; or bad if I may say. That is our own politics. SO HOW MANY OF US KILLED OCHANYA? I am sure you all know what I’m talking about?
We have been insulted for so long! When are we going to have an indivisible political Itakpa (parlour) that will enable to, instead of rendering ourselves subservient before other political actors, they will come to us at home with the desired respect like our other brothers. They were coming to Umale Egboyi, Jonah Ogwuche, Joel Onuh, Adoyi at Ichakwu, Abah Ajogwu, Patrick Ochiga, Edward Alome, Obochi Ok’Oyi, Oyilawu Ode and many others in all the Amejo villages. But now, we leave our villages and go to them. If we want to choose even a councillor, they tell us who to choose.
Where did we leave our developmental initiatives, those initiatives that constructed the Umabe bridges at Ogene, Opidlo and Otobi and Ikple bridges in Ogbodo as well as Ogene in the mid-70s; those development initiatives that built Amejo Community Secondary School, that connected Olanyega, Ogene, Opidlo, Otobi, Ogwudoja, Ijege, Oduda and Ichakwu with a viable road network.
I will not end without talking about the global breakdown of family system that has caught up with majority of families. Like most places, our children today are in cults and armed robbery gangs. This is because the family bond has broken down. Not many fathers today parent their children. The Polytechnic has come and given us electricity, commerce, education, but the damages it has vicariously visited on us due to factors located in poor political leadership and general absence of good governance is better imagined than experienced. Families should please find a way of isolating their children from the negatives associated with the social decay in our tertiary institutions.
Before I conclude, I must thank those with this noble initiative of organising this annual cultural day. It is a beautiful beginning that must be sustained. A lot more can be done along this line in the nature of cultural competitions, sports and educational innovations. Let us please engage private teachers to sustain our government primary schools in our communities. May God bless those that organise this and all that took time to attend.
I wish I am here to tell you all of this myself, but as servants, I have been directed to go to Kogi on election duties from office. Knowing what it is to superintend over elections in Nigeria, I am sure you will pray for me and my other colleagues here in Kogi State.
I love you all; God loves you too, and will surely bless our land. Good day and have a great celebration!
Dr Alleh Esq delivered this as keynote address at the annual Amejo Cultural Day held at Ichakwu on November 16, 2019. It was originally titled: “Why Is My Horse Not Wagging Its Tail?”
