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Season of Restoration: Okitipupa Must Shine Again
In a time and era like this, when sovereignty after so many moons of palaver, finally returned to local governments in Nigeria, the centre of concentration should be the restoration of life to some towns and villages that were once the centre of commerce and civilization but abandoned due to leadership ineptitude. As Okitipupa (Ikaleland or simply Ikale) which is undoubtedly one of the largest and most resourceful local governments in Ondo State and by extension Nigeria is not an exception to this rule, the focus of this piece is to remind us where the local council was prior it current parlous state and the need for concerted efforts that will bring it back to the fast lane of development it previously occupied.
In fairness to the Biblical chestnut in Matthew 5:14 that: “a city that is set on an hill cannot be hidden”, the glory of Okitipupa Local Government was certainly not hidden to the world shortly after independence when it was still Ikale Area because the developmental drive of Obafemi Awolowo manifested thereto. Much into the creation of Ondo State in 1976 when Irele Local Government was calved out of it, it was still a glory not hidden, particularly in the aborted second republic when Oluwa Glass manufacturing plant was at its peak and brought many expatriates to work thereto, thereby changed the face of the area completely. Oluwa Glass Plc manufactured glass sheets in commercial quantity which were exported to other states in Nigeria and some of our neighbouring countries. This of course generated employment among the Ikales and beyond. Apart from adding to the commercial viability of the entire Ikaleland, Okitipupa Local Government became so important in Nigeria that political campaign among politicians at the national level won’t be enough until Okitipupa had its turn.
Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc is another industry that launched Okitipupa to the world. I can write a book on this because my formative years were actually spent in a village (Agbetu) where one of the oil palm estates domiciled. Okitipupa Oil Palm produced palm oil and other derivatives of palm kernel and palm fruits in commercial quantity. Apart from siting the headquarters of the company in Okitipupa Township, every part of Ikale enjoyed massive oil palm plantations which were cultivated in every part of the land to serve as raw materials for the industry. Apart from creating employment for farmers, artisans, traders, engineers, doctors and accountants, people from other professions were also gainfully employed. Estates were built across villages in Okitipupa Local Government where foreigners were housed with skilled and unskilled workers from other states who were working with the company.
The proliferation of rubber plantation across the local government that supplied raw materials to Araromi Rubber Estate Ltd, added so much glamour to the whole situation. Like other rubber estates in Nigeria, Araromi Rubber Estate specialized in production and processing of natural rubber, manufacturing of synthetic rubber, artificial and synthetic fibres, forest nurseries and gathering of forest products. Sawmills or you call it lumber mills were also scattered across Ikaleland where logs were cut into shapes and transported to other states for use. Apart from government own palm, rubber and timber plantations, individual farmers would own many acres and hectares of plantation. Many parents, fathers in particular would go to any length to having at least a plot of oil palm plantation because it’s one of the measures of wealth and any family without one would not be seen as wealthy.
With the geographical advantage of being in the midway between the South-East and the South South and being the town that connects the state with the oil producing region, Okitipupa became a beehive of activities and darling of people from different parts of the country who jostled to becoming part of the booming commercial activities thereto. The Urhobos became local producer of palm oil while people from the South-South and South-East engaged themselves in the production of palm wine from palm tree, working in rubber plantation and other swift businesses. Our Northern brothers domiciled mostly in the Sabongari area of Okitipupa and other villages doing their trade. Unlike now, nothing was in short supply as there was no need traveling to Lagos, Akure or any city to have access to better social services because good road network, public water supply to houses, constant light, good post office, good telecommunication system, good hospital with nurses and capable doctors, commercial banks, secondary schools of international standard and many others were present. But then, the glory departed. Knowing full well that the glory did not depart in a day but rather took gradual process, the question therefore is, how did we open our eyes to allow the total collapse of the system?
Agreed that many people believed the taken over of government by the military in the 80s was the genesis of our woes but what is the state of the region since the arrival of democracy in 1999 where so many sons and daughters of the region have occupied great positions at both state and federal level enough to restore it’s lost glory? Alright, given that our democracy has become “turn by turn” where every leader first sees his coming to office as opportunity to develop his constituency, village or town as the case may be, has Ikale sons and daughters not occupied any office of such? As much as I would not like to go into details in this direction because governorship enthronement in Ondo State since the commencement of the fourth republic explains it better, we definitely had our turn many years ago but mismanaged it.
Politics apart, since the demise of Oluwa Glass Plc about three decades ago, the novelist and latest move to revive the company was the effort of the late Amotekun hero, Arakunrin Akeredolu. Having decried the importation of glass into the country notwithstanding the huge availability of raw materials for glass production in the state, the late governor had invited investors from the Horn Glass Industries in Germany to establish a new state-of-the-art glass factory in the state. This is because having been involved in the establishment of Oluwa Glass many decades ago that was supplying the then Peugeot windscreen and mirror as integral part of the vehicles’ production, the governor believed Horn Glass Industries would do well again in this direction. The state also signed Public Private Partnership agreement with the ZMP Industry Limited for the establishment of 600 Tonnes per day capacity float glass factory in Igbokoda.
On his absolute readiness to execute this project, the comrade governor had said while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company that: “time is of essence. We are running against time. Pleases starts now. Undoubtedly, we are waiting. The state will be glad to have a glass factory back after 35 years.” As no man can question God for taking our beloved governor to himself, the onus is now on Aiyedatiwa to ensure the execution of this project. Apart from running a joint ticket with the late governor, the location of Oluwa Glass is in Aiyedatiwa local government of origin which gives him no excuse against this project. But should there be any justification otherwise by the governor, leaders in the region should not sleep and those who may forget to do so should not snore. As a man who is battling diarrhea does not take direction to the toilet from a stutterer, we should endeavour to seek help from the right source to persuading the governor to continue from where Aketi stopped. Our heavenly endowed Silica Sands which is the raw material needed for the glass production must not be allowed to waste.
Aketi also made giant steps to reviving Okitipupa Oil Palm which was established in 1968 but went into liquidation also about three decades ago. With scattered estates across Okitipupa, Irele and Ese Odo Local government, the state government under the leadership of Arakunrin Akeredolu established a security task force to secure the plantations so as to take the company out of the wood. As the then Chairman of the company, Chief Alice Osomo already rolled out the five redevelopment stages that will resuscitate the company fully to be; full plantation repossession and rehabilitation phase, development of its existing 5,800 hectares of a new green field, replanting of 9,000 of brownfield, upgrading of its 40 metric tonnes per hour mill at the company’s headquarters and the 4.5 metric tonnes per hour mill at Ipoke and the development of refining capacities. The onus is now on Aiyedatiwa to continue with the good work of the late Arakunrin, after all, government is a continuum. With deliberate and effective collaboration with stakeholders and investors across board, these and more can be achieved.
As the state prepares for its local government election, this definitely forms part of the agenda the incoming chairman will pursue. Yes, we know that Rome is not built in a day, given the zero level of development in the local government, the chairman that emerges in the next local government election in the state slated for 20th will have to roll up his sleeves to work. There must be effective collaboration with the state government so that the governor will know that we are serious and ready to take back our lost glory. The council chairman must arrange and lead stakeholders from time to time to the governor, he should prepare to mobilize through traditional rulers, women group, student union and other well meaning individuals that have the ears of the governor. There should be synergy between the chairmen of all the local governments involve in the negotiation to bringing back Oluwa Glass (or any glass company) and our dear Oil Palm Plc.
To the leading candidate in the coming council election in Okitipupa, comrade Andrew Ogunsakin, your ability to lead the local government is never in doubt because you have been tested, trusted maybe, but definitely, the people want to trust you more. If you ask me, this is not too much to ask for in a time like this given the political journey ahead of you. Demonstrate to them therefore that you can be trusted. How can this be achieved? You have beyond reasonable doubt proved your competence in the area of negotiation in the political scene of Ondo State through the various appointments you have so far enjoyed across parties. Now is the time to show the relevance of your competence at home. The last time I checked, I was told that light hasn’t been restored to many communities and homes in the local government because of the absence of transformers. If this is anything to go by, I am sure there will also be need to wire and rewire so many places until light is restored in every home because of the damages done by protracted darkness in the area. Please do everything within your power to achieve this within the shortest time possible as soon as heaven smiles on you victoriously so as to prepare ourselves for the expected industrialization of the area. You are also reminded to pay good attention to community road network to at least build on the legacy of the late Olusegun Agagu and end the era of neglect of roads in the region.
Your Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on behalf of the good people of Okitipupa, Ilaje, Irele, Ese Odo Local Government and every residents of the region, this treatise enjoins you to lead well and bring about the needed change in the land. Apart from these projects being the legacy of your boss, the fact that you are from the same region also puts you on a vantage position to bell the cat. Governor Aiyedatiwa, listen, the opportunity to revamp these industries and develop the region in question presented itself sixteen years ago but was not properly utilized. If we miss it this time, it might take another sixteen years of groaning in absolute abandonment. Being the legacy projects of Aketi, you will not only earn respect across the state upon their completion but would have also generated additional sources of revenue which is your primary duty to source for as the Chief Executive Officer of the state. Please do not disappoint us.
Every well meaning individual, group of persons, market women and others who truly love and want the development of Ikale and its environ should endeavour to patronise the governor in the name of anything he believes to making the development of the area a priority because the joblessness in the area with its attendant effects cannot wait for another 16 years. The gloom and doom picture of the area must also come to an end so we can resume our bride of place in the stock market. If during colonialism our mineral resources could be exploited and transported to develop Britain, then we must make concerted effort to explore it for our own advantage even if it involves bringing the whole of Britain to Okitipupa.
Ultimately, we must all do our parts to allow the manifestation of the just concluded light up Ikale crusade termed “The Light Will Shine Again” and allow the light to indeed shine. No doubt the crusade has brought healing and solution to all the problems in the land, however, we must take action and do more to ensure that the transformation brought by this crusade stays with us.
Ikale shall be great again.
