The Etche and Omuma Local Government Councils have been asked to back a campaign which would eliminate cultism from the ethnic nation through the enlightenment of children of impressionable minds who are in school.
This is part of a strategy designed by participants at an Easter Retreat organized by Ogbakor Etche Worldwide to tackle security challenges and threats of instability within the ethnic nationality which could militate against growth and development,now and in the future.
According to a communique enunciating the desire of the Etche nation to rediscover itself in order to move boldly into the future, the Ogbakor Etche Worldwide noted that growth, progress and a competitive spirit were critical elements required to transform the area.
While calling on the Etche people, including those living in the diaspora, to reposition themselves in socio-economic and political environment in which they find themselves, the communique said it was time for them to close ranks, regardless of their political leanings,in pursuit of long term interests.
It urged Government to take the front seat in stimulating wealth creation through the encouragement of agriculture and industrialization, saying skills acquisition could help revamp the Etche economy and that of the State.
The communique also called on the leaderships of the Etche and Omuma local Government councils to liaise with the Nigeria Police Force to establish more police posts for the purpose of guaranteeing the safety and protection of the Etche people.
Below is the full text of the communique issued by Etche leaders who gathered to discuss the way forward:
Full Text Of The COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE 2021 EASTER RETREAT OF OGBAKOR ETCHE WORLDWIDE, -APEX SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF ETHCHE NATION, HELD ON MONDAY, APRIL 05, 2021 AT THE PASTORAL RETREAT CENTRE, IGWURUTA, RIVERS STATE
PREAMBLE:
On Saturday, December 26, 2020 a New Executive of Ogbakor Etche was elected at Obiri Etche, Umugwu Okehi.
The 18 Man New Executive led by Mr. Charles Nwonuala, decided to have a Retreat, instead of the usual Convention at the last Easter Monday, a statutory meeting date of Ogbakor Etche.
The Retreat was aimed at re-evaluating Ogbakor Etche’s successes and problems, aimed at highlighting and proffering solutions to myriads of issues that bother Etche people; provide sustainable and implementable strategic options to move Etche Nation Forward.
Correspondingly, providing a guide for the new executive.
Accordingly, going for a Retreat, Ogbakor Etche needed to provide a serene environment for the exercise and to limit the number of participants to 30 persons per clan, besides the Traditional Clan heads and Ogbakor Etche Executive, to act as the Think-Tank. These participants, over 200 were drawn largely from select professionals of Etche extraction namely: traditional rulers, civil society groups, the clergy, youth groups, women groups, the academia, captains of industry, entrepreneurs, the political class, including participation from those in the Diaspora virtually.
The sub-themes of the Retreat were as follows:
Etche Economy: Lack of wealth creation opportunities (agriculture, inadequate skills acquisition programmes for youths);
Environmental Issues: Deforestation and depletion of forest reserves, excessive depletion of flora and fauna and other unwholesome environmental practices;
Security and allied Issues;
Etche historical and cultural deterioration: Etche dying culture, language, as well as fading history, and
Lack of competitiveness of Etche nation: Non-promotion and mainstreaming of Etche interest in stimulating competitiveness in the comity of ethnic nations.
In furtherance of the objectives of the Retreat, a keynote paper titled: Setting a New Agenda for the Development of Etche Ethnic Nationality was delivered by a distinguished scholar and erudite academic, Professor Samuel Ababa Otamiri, an Etche son. This was followed by syndicate discussions on the sub-thematic areas of economy, environment, security, history and culture, and competitiveness.
The Chairman of the occasion, elder statesman and one-time Chairman of Old Etche Local Government Area, Sir Isaiah Choko, bared his mind on the critical state, the Etche Nation has found itself in the comity of nations, Rivers State in particular and Nigeria, in general. He called for a new orientation of Etche people if they must get it right and recover all that had been lost over the years. According to him, to make progress, the people would have to look ahead and work as a team.
OBSERVATIONS:
Arising from the keynote address and syndicate discussions, the Retreat observed that:
a. Despite being early starters in social and political activities in the region during the pre and early post-independence era, the Etche nation has not fared well in political, economic, social and infrastructural development over the years, hence the need to reflect on where they have gone wrong in a bid to retrace their steps and chart a new way forward. The Participants unanimously resolved to evolve proactive steps and set a realistic agenda that would take Etche people to the path of socio-economic, political and infrastructural development.
b. The Etche Nation has not fared well politically, thus affecting her level of competitiveness amongst other ethnic nationalities in the comity of nations. Etche people should form united political front irrespective of political parties in the choice of representatives; create data base for Etche professionals in Nigeria and the Diaspora; make adequate sensitization and orientation by Ogbakor Etche.
c. In the area of agricultural development, Etche, the food basket of Rivers State resolved that efforts must be geared towards creating awareness and encourage our youths to embrace farming. It was resolved that Government would need to take its constitutional responsibility in the revival of existing plantations and other agricultural institutions in Etche land to improve the capacity of the people for crop and animal production.
d. The wave of insecurity across Etche land has regrettably increased with adverse consequences on the socio-economic and political lives of the people. The Retreat further observed the low number of police presence in Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas. It also noted the systematic loss of Etche Ethnic Nationality territories, especially in oil bearing communities, to neighboring states. A clear case is the ceding of Umuakali oil well in Omuma LGA, to Abia State. This calls for extra vigilance on the part of community leaders. The Nigeria Police in collaboration with Etche and Omuma local government authorities and Ogbakor Etche should liaise with relevant authorities to ensure more police stations are established in Etche land (at least 1 in each clan).The condition of service of the existing vigilante group, ESPAC, is deplorable; The need to encourage community policing and an intelligence security network to report the infiltration and activities of marauders/ criminal gangs into Etche communities were also noted; the desirability of Community Close User Network for the purpose of reporting security breaches in Etche land also came to the fore. Cultism in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions as recruitment and breeding grounds for other forms of criminality was seriously noted. It affirmed the institution of enlightenment campaigns in schools to discourage the youths from joining cult gangs.
e. Etche culture and language are fast disappearing. Efforts would, therefore, need to be intensified to stem the ugly situation. Identifying the dying culture of Etche people, including the fading language, would be a good approach to tackling the problem. The teaching of Etche language in primary schools was noted as one of the ways to preserve the heritage. Parents could also endeavor to educate their children in Etche language while competitions in Etche language could be introduced to create the desired awareness. The Etche Language Committee in Ogbakor Etche could be made a standing committee; radio and television media programmes. in Etche language could be promoted with Etche riddles, folklores and proverbs and the activation of traditional attire would be adopted for Etche nation.
f. Etche environment is unsustainably depleted as result of over exploitation of forest, and marine natural resources. There is excessive and loss of Flora and Fauna and uncontrolled sand mining with attendant soil degradation and erosion.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
In view of the numerous observations, the Retreat unanimously agreed that:
a. The socio-economic, political, security and infrastructural challenges in Etche land deserve urgent and proactive attention by all and sundry.
b. Ogbakor Etche should interface with the traditional institution and other stakeholders to stem the ugly consequences of disputes amongst traditional rulers; in the short term, both Etche and Omuma local government councils should make available a monthly subvention of one million Naira each to Ogbakor Etche. In the long term, both local governments should mobilize efforts to launch a N200 million endowment fund for Ogbakor Etche.
c. The State Government should establish local agricultural institutions to discourage deforestation; encourage planting of trees and create awareness campaign on youths on going back to farm.
d. Government should establish veterinary services and also encourage people to go into large scale farming, processing and storage facilities; encourage use of improved agricultural inputs; adoption of modern agricultural practices; Etche people should diversify into: (a) quick-win crops (b) industrial areas such as fertilizer plant, petrochemicals, ceramics industries. Veterinary clinics should be established in Okehi and Eberi. Ogbakor Etche in collaboration with Etche and Omuma Local Government Councils should collaborate with national and state institutions to articulate investments in agricultural extension workers to train farmers in Etche. Participants further recommended creation of forest reserve in Etche; remediation of negatively impacted sites in Etche, establishment of sanitation marshals in Etche and Omuma local government areas, advocating for reduction in gas flaring; environmental impact assessment should be carried out before projects implementation in Etche.
e. Encourage skills acquisition such as: masonry/ carpentry, electrical/electronics, plumbing, vulcanizing, tiling, welding, fashion designing, shoe making, mobile phone/ computer repairs; Ogbakor Etche should also synergize with government to revamp existing plantations in Etche land to full capacity for the needed job creation; craft schools in Etche should be rehabilitated; educate the youths in agriculture and encourage diversification into other sectors of the economy.
f. Etche and Omuma local government councils in collaboration with Ogbakor Etche should empower and strengthen the existing vigilante group, ESPAC; sustain the improving security landscape in Etche land; Etche and Omuma local government councils in collaboration with Ogbakor Etche should establish an intelligence security network to report the infiltration and activities of marauders/ criminal gangs into Etche Nation communities; Etche and Omuma local government councils in collaboration with Ogbakor Etche should establish Community Close User Network for the purpose of reporting security breaches in Etche land; sentiments and sympathy for criminals by relatives and friends should be discouraged to ensure the sanctity of community legal and law enforcement systems;
g. The Nigeria Police in collaboration with Etche and Omuma local government authorities and Ogbakor Etche should establish more police stations in Etche land (at least 1 in each clan), and request for the establishment of an Area Command for Etche/Omuma with headquarter at Okehi.
h. Ogbakor Etche with Etche and Omuma local government councils should raise a petition to the National Assembly to reclaim our land and oil wells at Umuakali Omuma, Oyigbo and Owaza axis of Etche Ethnic Nationality; Community leaders should take security matters seriously; marauding herdsmen should be identified, enumerated and registered to curb the incidences of conflict in Etche land; land purchase should be documented with the knowledge of chiefs, elders, Community Development Committees CDCs and/or Town Councils of communities in accordance with extant land laws, to avoid the issue of “land grabbing” that is currently in the increase.
i. Ogbakor Etche should form a forum known as Ogbakor Etche Team for Etche Environment or Ogbakor Etche Environmental Marshal Team. The Team which would operate under Ogbakor Etche Executive Committee would liaise with relevant bodies at the state, national and international to ensure a sound environmental integrity for Etche nation.
j. Etche and Omuma local government authorities in collaboration with Ogbakor Etche should institute enlightenment campaigns in schools to discourage the youths from joining cult gangs.
Implementation Committees should be created to ensure the realization of these recommendations.
CONCLUSION:
The Retreat reinforced the fact that Etche Nation has not fared well politically and economically thus lagging in competitive and developmental equality amongst other ethnic nationalities in the comity of nations. This has engendered security and other social challenges, if unresolved could compound an already bad situation. This would therefore require a united political front irrespective of political parties in the choice of representatives. Consequently, the current Executive Committee of Ogbakor Etche is to galvanize the critical mass of Etche people in developing the report of the deliberations obtained at the syndicate sessions with a view to ensuring that they are implemented to the letter. This, ultimately, places the Ogbakor Etche Executive in a critical position at this point in the annals of Etche ethnic nationality and so the people of Etche must give the Ogbakor Etche executive the needed support to achieve the agenda for the development of Etche nation.
Together with unity and purpose, participants believed that Etche Nation shall rise again
Cheta Ala Etche, mee ya nma