Esan Unity: The Bedrock For Sustainable Development

Protocols… It gives me great pleasure to be considered worthy to climb this rostrum and present a paper on the theme of this summit. Turning the offer down was totally out of the question for several reasons despite my initial thoughts that the subject was daunting.

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This opportunity provides an avenue for me to talk about a subject that, of which though I am not an expert, is very dear to my heart and will make a huge difference to the future that we seek in Esanland.

After all, it was the same purpose that made me organize an Esan Day, as President of the Esan Students Association of Nigeria, Uniben Branch, way back in 1983.  I still recall Esan students from higher institutions all over Bendel State and beyond as well as academic and political heavyweights like Chief Tony Anenih, Uncle BIG Ewah, Chief Aguele, Prince Albert Okojie, Professor Anao, Professor (then Dr.) Okieimen, Chief Unuwabhagbe, etc. were in attendance.

His Excellency Prof. Ambrose Alli sent a delegation. However, as much as those my initial efforts at Esan Unity, to which our Forum is not privy, qualify me to present this lecture, I am greatly humbled by my choice by EDAF to present this first lecture at our first summit just after the inauguration. I thank the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee.

I would like to start with a few definitions.

ESAN: This refers to the ethnic group made up of the five local governments that form the current Edo Central Senatorial District.  They speak the Esan language generally with slight differences in dialects though some parts also speak a variant with deep influences from the Igala ethnic group of Kogi State.

Such Esans are found around Ifeku Island and Ozigono or Illushi. For completeness, since my subject matter is unity, I would like to add that the Esan-speaking people of Ehor, parts of Agbede and Ekperi environs are part and parcel of my definition of Esan.

So too are those who have come from elsewhere but have chosen to settle, and be of good behavior, in Esanland thereby making Esan their home.

UNITY:

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines unity as the quality or state of not being multiple.  It also states that unity is a state of harmony or accord or continuity without deviation in purpose or action. Unity in the Esan language is okugbe. The antonym is ozaghaa.

From the above, we can also discern what unity is not: unity does not mean we will all think, look or act alike.  It implies the pursuit of a common purpose beneficial to the group and doing so in harmony despite different personal views and approaches.  That is why the Esan sages say Ahayo na sikoko, abhayo na sun mama.

BEDROCK:

This literarily means the solid rock supporting loose deposits of soil.  Idiomatically, it refers to the fundamental principles on which something is based. In the absence of this bedrock or it being disjointed, whatever it supports crumbles and is washed away by the elements.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

This is the idea that human societies must live and meet their needs in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  Development is a process that creates growth, progress, positive change, or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social, and demographic components.

What are the manifestations of development that we seek in Esanland? They are very few really. Portable water supply; Infrastructure such as roads, rail, and mini river port; telecommunications and broadcast services; effective, relevant, and affordable education at all levels; well-equipped healthcare facilities with affordable drugs and adequate staffing; power supply and distribution to all nooks and crannies;  cottage industries to provide employment;  adequate skills and craftmanship to meet societal demands, secure communities where our people can sleep with two eyes closed at night and where they can go to farms without fear; an Esan that can play critical roles in state, geopolitical and national political spaces without a feeling of being a minority.

Esan with sons and daughters in high places at home and abroad. An Esan at peace with itself and its neighbors whose children will always long to come home.

SOME KEY QUESTIONS:

• Is Esan united today?
• Does Esan need development or have we developed enough?
• Is the current unity (if any) among the Esan people sufficient to form the bedrock upon which we can stand firmly to meet our development challenges?
• What are the imperatives for Esan unity?

What practical steps can we take individually and collectively to engender unity in Esanland and thereby lay the building blocks for sustainable development?

These are some of the questions I attempt to answer in the rest of this paper.

IS ESAN UNITED TODAY?

The question elicits contradictory answers.  There are those who would argue that Esan is very united and would point to the camaraderie among our traditional rulers and our elite as evidence.  We see them at cultural and social events and some developmental projects collaborating to some extent. Esan people are very happy to see themselves elsewhere and readily bond using the language as a glue.

Others will argue that evidence abounds that points to our disunity and failure to pursue a common purpose and support initiatives that will be of immense benefit to our homeland.

A ready example is that of our big industrialists who would rather invest outside Esanland and thereby take employment opportunities that ought to be available to our teeming unemployed youths elsewhere. Even for those who venture into such projects, do we rally around them to assure success knowing that their success would be a success for Esanland?

Then there are cases of those who have had raw deals in the hands of fellow Esan people but got respite or welcome relief through the magnanimity of a total stranger.

I will pitch my tent with those who say our unity is not at the level it ought to be.  If it was, there would have been no need for this summit or using the search for it as a theme.

Esan unity is still at the adolescent age. It can even be argued that it has even regressed from where it was when Ubiaja was our common headquarters. Now we need to nurture it and help it grow to provide that bedrock for Esan’s accelerated development momentum.

The only way we will know we have arrived is when our people rise to the challenges the way Ukrainians have done – leave differences aside and pursue our common purpose with a single-minded focus till success is achieved.  With unity, we can surmount our developmental challenges.

IS ESAN DEVELOPED?

I am sure we are proud of some of the development strides we have made over the years in terms of road infrastructure, educational institutions, and the luck that shined on us in terms of the Itakpe-Warri rail line that traversed parts of Esanland.

Our people are also very enterprising and have been achieving great feats in commerce and agriculture. Most towns and villages in Esanland are connected to the national grid and power supply ought to be the least of our problems but for the general national malaise in that sector.

Even in politics and modern religious enterprise, Esan is pulling its weight.  We have great academics across the Nigerian education firmament and in the armed forces.

However, we still have serious developmental challenges in all areas. Many of the existing roads are in a state of disrepair, the ones with awarded contracts are going on interminably and there are parts of Esanland today that are virtually unreachable due to very bad roads; many of our primary and secondary schools do not have enough trained teachers and many are not teaching the required skills for modern times and the near future in which our children will play.

Many Esan towns and villages still do not have stable electricity supply and portable pipe-borne water is not available anywhere in spite of the fact that pipe-borne water first flowed in Esanland in the first republic; there are no industries to employ our youths. The largest factory we had in the 80’s is dead and only the carcass remains standing at Ewu today.

A modern jetty at Illushi will make a huge difference to their water-borne commercial activities, transportation, and safety.  Is there a reason why our communities only receive TV and radio signals from other states but for the gap being somewhat bridged by EsanBinoculars Radio and TV?

How do you develop when violent herdsmen and terrorists make it impossible to carry out your farming activities and sons and daughters elsewhere have to contribute millions, not for development purposes but for ransom payments for the release of their kidnapped loved ones?

Development and insecurity are never found in cohabitation.  How well have we done in housing, erosion control, and tourism?  Can anyone go to Udo Rest House now?

Development without cultural components is incomplete.  How many of our cultural activities are still commonplace today?  Our dances are dying. And some of our cultural practices like itolimin have become sources of extortion in some communities.

Such too are a disincentive to some of our children who come home on their loved ones’ demise.

These are aspects that our respected royal fathers can look at with a view to standardizing and making them less burdensome for the bereaved.  Our future must be progressive.  Those at home must be united with those outside in purpose and outlook.

I therefore submit that Esanland as at today has huge development gaps that only unity can form the springboard for closure. A ready example where this unity has been demonstrated is the massive redevelopment efforts at Uromi Central Hospital and the several medical outreach events sponsored by our people across Esanland that have literarily restored sight to many.

We thank the Diaspora Group and Bishop Matthew Okpebholo for the jobs done so far. The unsung efforts of Mr. Peter Aisagbonhi, who has been blazing a silent trail in education especially in Esan South East, is worthy of note.

IMPERATIVES FOR ESAN UNITY

For Esan unity to be achieved, the following are imperative:

1. Equity/Justice: This requires us to treat all parts of Esanland fairly and to regard every Esan man or woman as a brother or sister. We must do away with the concept of ‘isi’. Political equity requires that minorities should be considered and accommodated in political or economic decisions to ensure no community is left out.
2. Political Activism: We must be active in politics.  That’s the only way we can ensure our people are helped no matter which part they hail from.
3. Social/Cultural participation: We can use this as a vehicle for unity.  For example, the annual Ubiaja Igbabonelimi cultural Fiesta could be made an Esan-wide event and all towns bring their troupes to participate.  It could even be made a two-day event and it would bring our people home. The unity this will engender would be immeasurable.  Similar festivals can be planned by other towns, and this can also have a spinoff in tourism terms.
4. Elite Altruism/Inspiration: Our elites need to lead the way. Today, there are some of our elites that are not in speaking terms because of politics.  Their supporters post unprintable things using obscene about their opponents painting each other black in social media with a view to making opponents totally unsellable.  This need not be so, and the trend needs to be stopped else we give ammunition to opponents of Esanland and cause disunity among ourselves. Our elite must not only ask ‘what is in it for me?’, they should always add ‘and what is in it for Esanland?’. They need to inspire the up and coming with their exemplary altruism and conduct.
5. Belief and Articulation: We must believe that Esan unity is possible, and we must articulate this at every forum where Esans are gathered.  If we don’t believe it in our hearts, then we will just be paying lip service and pursuing the unattainable.
6. Diplomacy: We must be diplomatic in relations with other people. This is because whatever objective we want to achieve will need the help others: in government, security services, regulatory agencies, entrepreneurship, legal, etc.
7. Sacrifice/Effort: We must be ready to make sacrifices in order to achieve Esan unity. It could be through financial contributions, organizing, shifting ground, or even stepping down for one another when necessary. It may even require a leader to play a good follower of his ‘junior’ in certain circumstances in the pursuit of a common Esan goal.
8. Diaspora participation: Whether we like it or not, those in the diaspora are less blinkered by town and sectional considerations. Over there, they see Esan as one. They can bring that attitude to bear on Esanland and help engender this spirit that we seek.
9. Lifting Others Up: Incidentally, this is the motto of Esan Descendants Advancement Forum. By lifting each other, we lift ourselves up. No child should be illiterate because of his parental background or his town of origin in Esanland. Our wealth is meaningless if all around us is filth and poverty. A rich man can neither sleep well nor be safe if all those around him are hungry. We need to look around us and see where we can be of help.

MECHANISMS TO IMPROVE ESAN UNITY

There are several ways we can continuously pursue Esan Unity and put it on the front burner in all we do.  The list below, though not exhaustive, can go a long way towards the attainment of Esan Unity which would help foster the accelerated development required to make Esan greater than it is today.

I. Esan Enigies’ Lead:

Our respected Royal Fathers and cultural custodians represent a uniting force in Esanland.  They are respectfully expected to take the lead in this regard and once they give the required leadership and show the way, their subjects will definitely follow.

After all, there is an Esan adage that says Ogie a rune, odibo n’uluamen!  We need to see a united Esan Enigie forum with a purposeful and progressive agenda.  Chieftaincy titles for deserving people should be bestowed across town divides. Happily, this is already happening, and we crave more of it.

II. Cultural Festivals:

When well organized and well timed, these cultural festivals should be a source of local tourism and attract Esan people from different towns.  Our festivals must go beyond mere eating and drinking; there should always be cultural dances and events possibly with prizes for competitive groups that will attract our people.

The Ubiaja Igbabonelimi fiesta is a ready example that can be made Esan-wide.  We need to ensure we revive Esan cultural dances that are almost going to extinction.  We owe this to the coming generations. Ijeleghe, Ikpegbegbe, Uleke, Obodoiribhafe, Ikolikoja, Odide, Ebu wonder from Illushi/Ifeku axis, Oguiose, Ojeke and the inimitable Igbabonelimi are things we can use as uniting cultural dances.

I recall in my youth that the new yam festival was never only about eating pounded yam and drinking palm wine.  It used to include asonogun dances and friends across towns used to visit and revel all night long. In the late afternoon/evening maidens wearing akpono beads on their waists with colorful body paintings used to gather at the village square to do the Ikhio dance.

III. Esan Sports & Games Competitions:

We can use inter-town sports competitions to engender unity among Esan youths.  Football, athletics, boxing, traditional wrestling, draughts, volleyball etc. will attract youths across Esanland if we can get sponsorship for such events.

Cultural games such as Akhue can be revived and used to engage the youths and when competition for them is organized across towns in Esanland it will have multiple spinoffs in addition to engendering unity among our people.

IV. Markets and Market Women:

Our women trade across towns and they know where to go for the best bargains on food products and other commodities. They must be encouraged to treat traders from other towns as their townsfolks and once women are united, their husbands and children have no choice but to do otherwise.

We should therefore make our markets more conducive for our women so as to attract cross-boundary trading even in the most remote villages. No one goes to war against those that provide them food!

V. Remove ‘isi’ from our language:

No Esan man should be called isi in another Esan town! It is anti-unity. Oriobhe is close enough and perhaps preferred while isi, is considered, in my view, derogatory.

1. Use of Esan Language: Esan language should be taught in Esan schools and the issue of children being punished for speaking vernacular must be discontinued. There should be time to exclusively use English and so should the use of Esan be defined.  We should also encourage the use of the Esan language at ceremonies in Esanland and encourage our children, even if born abroad, to speak Esan.

VII. Scholarship awards across Esanland:  Our brothers and sisters as well as groups who have the means should be encouraged to award scholarships across Esanland without consideration for only their town of birth.  Bishop Okpebholo is already at the forefront in this regard.

VIII. Political Temperament: All Esans can never be in the same political party.  Therefore, politics can be divisive. Yet, in order to ensure Esan Unity is not at risk due to politics, we must eschew bitterness and foul language that we are seeing especially in social media each time we approach primaries and elections.

The language of political opponents as well as their supporters must be civil and decorous knowing that what you are pursuing is for the development of Esanland.  Elections come and go but Esan remains.

IX. Pan Esan Social/Cultural Group:

There is a need for a pan-Esan social/cultural group in the shape of Afenifere or Ohaneze that can speak for all Esan people.  Such a group will embrace all Esan groupings and associations with the capacity to speak for all Esan people across various divides. I know Esan Okpa is working on such a premise, but it requires serious traction and the support and acceptability of every group to come to fruition.

X. Link Roads:

Every part of Esanland must be linked by motorable roads to have a sense of belonging and ease of communication and access to every part of Esanland. Our political players must bear this in mind. We are all left behind when a part of us is left behind!

Our respected Royal Fathers, Board of Trustees, EDAF Exco, and members, Award winners, our distinguished guests, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen, Esan Unity is a sine qua non for the development that we seek. I am convinced that it is indeed the bedrock of the future development of our beloved Esanland.  I hope too, that I have been able to stimulate your thinking along such lines.

Esan unity is an irreducible minimum for Esan’s desired progress – indeed, it is the bedrock.  I have submitted that though Esan has seen some development over the years, we still have a long way to go.

I have also laid bare some imperatives for Esan Unity as well as attempted to enumerate what initiatives, in my humble view, can engender and accelerate the attainment of greater unity in Esanland.

I thank you all for your valued attention – Austin Isikhuemen 

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