Of all the 24 provinces which the British colonialists established to administer Nigeria in 1910 only two have not been transformed into fullfledged states or wearing the crowns of states capitals. They are Ogoja and Ijebu provinces. The old Ogoja Province consists of Abakaliki, Afikpo, Ikom, Obubra and Ogoja.
All in all, there were 54 native authorities that made up the province. It has produced numerous leaders who have played active roles in the making of old and new Nigeria.
They include Chief I.I. Murphy, Dr. Joseph Wayas, Senator Musa Adede, Chief Matthew Tawo Mbu, Jacob Alele Jumbo, Chief Adinye, Senator Kanu Agabi, Dr. Matthias Ofoboche, General Godwin Ally, General Godwin Unimna, General Tony Ukpo, Dr. Okoi Arkpo, Wilfred Innah, Chief Michael Ogon, Dr. Peter Ugbang, Honorable Declan Ogan, Prof. Godwin Ukandi Damachi, Chief O.B. Odey, Honorable Joe Ushie, Congressman Ushei Ugbelu, Chief Amele, etc.
Interestingly, it is easier in the present day Nigeria to get to Ogoja by air through Makurdi than to get to Ogoja through Calabar, which is the state capital of the Cross River State.
I have been to many parts of Ogoja. I have slept in Obudu Cattle Ranch several times. I followed Senator Musa Adede to Bendi when he buried his mum in Obanliku Local Government Area in 1999 and several times in the past, I was a guest of Dr. Joseph Wayas in his village, along the way to Obudu Cattle Ranch. Ogoja is buried in the lush Equatorial Rainforest zone, best noted for thick forest. The topography is very beautiful and the people, very industrious and friendly. Ogoja would have been richer if it had been a state by now.
The Ijebu kingdom was founded around the 15th century by Obanta of Ile-Ife. The kingdom was one of the most developed in the old Yoruba Empire with a complex and highly organised government. For several years the capital Ijebu Ode, was annexed to the colony of Southern Nigeria.
The kingdom rose in power in the 18th century mainly due to its important position on the trade routes between Lagos and Ibadan. The Kingdom was transformed into Ijebu Province, which comprised of Ikorodu , Epe, Ishara Lekki, Ikenne, Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu Ode, Iperu, Odo-Owa, Shagamu and almost half of the present Lagos State.
When Governor Gilbert Thomas Carter (1848-1927), the man who the present Carter Bridge in Lagos is named after, took over from Governor Cornelius Alfred Moloney (1848-1913), the man that had the honour of Moloney Street in Lagos Island named after him, he met a prosperous Ijebu Kingdom. Governor Carter pursued an aggressive pacification policy by attacking Ijebu kingdom in 1892.
The attack was in response to Ijebu kingdom's 'erected' trade barriers. The British expedition with heavy British artillery was led by Sir Frederick Lugard (later a British peerage). The battle was referred to as the Anglo-Ijebu war. The Ijebu kingdom was well organised in terms of administration, and had a buoyant economy.
It is therefore, not by accident that the younger elements from that kingdom are still prominent in terms of commerce in the present day Nigeria. It is the hope and wish of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Alayeluwa Oba Sikiru Adetona that his reign would witness the creation of Ijebu state.
The provinces of Nigeria were former administrative divisions in Nigeria, which were in use in colonial Nigeria and shortly after independence from 1960 to 1967.
They were altered many times through their history. They were divided into divisions; some of these were further subdivided into native authorities. Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were also sometimes known as the Northern Provinces or Southern Provinces respectively. Currently Nigeria uses states as its administrative division.
The first use of provinces was in Northern Nigeria after Britain took over administration of the area from the Royal Niger Company in 1900. The British originally divided the area into 11 provinces which were: Bauchi, Bida, Bornu, Kabba, Kontagora, Lower Benue or Nasarawa, Ilorin, Muri, Upper Bema and Zaria. In 1903 six more provinces were added; five following the Sokoto-Kano campaign, and also Gwandu Province, making a total of 17. The number of provinces was reduced to 13 in 1911 and 12 after World War 1.
In 1926, Adamawa and Plateau became new provinces. As at 1966, the new provinces of Nigeria were Abeokuta Province made up of Egba and Egbado with five native authorities; Adamawa Province made up of Adamawa, Muri and Numan; Bauchi Province made up of Bauchi, Dass, Ningi, Gombe and Katagum.
To be continued
Teniola, a former Director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos
