Info For Y'all Principal Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh: Nigeria`S Almost Flamboyant Pol That Always Lived Together With The Water-Spirit Omomi Ejo Of Itsekiri People

Chief Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh (1919-1966) was a prominent too close flamboyant Nigerian political leader of all times too quondam government minister for finance during the direction of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Okotie-Eboh  an Urhobo native turned Itsekiri human being was close expensively well-dressed Nigeria political figure equally far equally exquisite gustatory modality inwards traditional African article of apparel too Western dressing are concerned. Okotie-Eboh was the target of bitter criticisms, he sure enough was rattling rich. He was a human being of influence too power, amongst considerable fiscal forcefulness too know-how

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh too his married adult woman during the Queen’s catch to Nigeria inwards 1956. His wearing apparel is inwards flowing garments amongst a chain a yard long beingness held past times a boy.

 As a flamboyant dresser too fashionable fashionable impressionist he was given  the nickname , Omimi-Ejoh, Ejoh bilele, translated equally ‘the human being amongst long characteristic too flowing wrappers’.  He spent his coin lavishly inwards back upward of political causes too at the fourth dimension of the 1959 election was ferociously attacked past times Action Group leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, too defendant of corruption.
Nigeria’s political history attained a remarkably eventful crescendo on Jan 15, 1966, when Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was assassinated along Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the prime number government minister of Nigeria, Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Akintola, prime number government minister of Western Nigeria etc., inwards a armed forces pogrom too coup d'état led past times Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. Major Nzeogwu was quoted equally maxim inwards a Radio Broadcast that: “…Nigeria volition never live the same in i lawsuit to a greater extent than …”
"The moralistic too Victorian grundnorm that precipitated the Nzeogwu-led coup d'état became rubbished past times the July 27, 1966 counter-coup amongst Aguiyi-Ironsi equally the arrowhead. This activeness plunged Nigeria into a acute political too ethnic epicentre. Truly, Nigeria has never been the same ever since the Nzeogu-led coup too the Nigeria/Biafra civil war. Historians of diverse genre too colours take away hold tried to await at the justicability of history equally a ground for moving Nigeria forward. Any attempt is treated equally an epochal historical fraudulence, festering sore, nauseating gesture, parochialisation of history too the mere intellectualisation of trite matters." (Bobson Gbanjie,2013)

Minister of Finance Chief FS Okotie- Eboh responded to charges of accumulation of wealth past times regime officers past times quoting from the Bible, “To those that have, to a greater extent than shall live given. From those that produce non have, shall live taken fifty-fifty the lilliputian they have.”

Some critics of Chief Okotie-Eboh aver that he was  "a thief too corrupt populace officer." Some fifty-fifty described him equally a start close corrupt Nigerian government minister of province hence why was killed inwards the start 1966 armed forces takeover. However, evidence shows that the human being was rattling rich earlier he assumed populace go too that he was a "victim of circumstances."  Gbanjie (2013) asserted that "Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was killed because he was a meteoric star from the minority Mid-West Region, bluntly, the Niger Delta. He was a victim  of the despotism of the bulk triumvirates inwards the too so  military establishment too a guinea grunter inwards the laboratory of armed forces politicians. He was never found guilty of corruption past times whatever courtroom of competent jurisdiction too past times whatever interventionist torso of graft. The armed forces juveniles who carried out the coup too the killings take away hold at nowadays been proved incorrect too found guilty past times the justicability too  verdict of history."

From Left Festus Okotie-Eboh the ever-flamboyant human being amongst Eboh Johnson, celebrated sculptor Ben Enwonwu too others

Okotie-Eboh was born to an Itsekiri Chief, Prince Okotie Eboh inwards July 18, 1912 inwards Warri Division, a town along the Republic of Benin River inwards Niger Delta.  He was named Sam Edah but afterwards changed his shout to Festus Sam Okotie-Eboh. It is believe that his begetter was of Urhobo parentage too had settled inwards Itsekiri solid ground for eons. The shout Ekotie is said to live Urhobo name.
Festus had his unproblematic instruction at  his hometown too proceeded to Sapele Baptist School inwards Sapele for his secondary education. In 1930, he took upward an appointment equally an Assessment Clerk inwards Sapele Township Office. After a brief stint amongst teaching, he joined the Bata Shoe Company Limited, where he rose to the post of Chief Clerk. After working at the British Bata Company for a while, he became a deputy managing director inwards Sapele, during this fourth dimension he was also fellow member of the Warri Ports Advisory Committee too the Sapele Township Advisory Board. He took occupation organization courses equally a individual worker.

Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh too his married adult woman during the Queen’s catch to Nigeria inwards 1956.

At a fourth dimension when close of his Nigerians  peers were traveling too alone interested inwards studying police describe too politics, this human being had the intelligence to take away hold studied occupation organization direction inwards far away Czechoslovakia. With his Diploma inwards Business Administration too Organisation, he resolved to learn into occupation organization on his own.
So on returning to the country, he quit his prior topographic point too started a successful business, selling timber, prophylactic too owning a few schools. His occupation organization conglomerate included the Okotie Eboh Grammar School too Omimi Plastic too Shoe Factories. He was a wealthy businessman. According to around Nigerian writers Ekotie-Eboh "was equally rich if non richer than Dantata who owned 40% of the groundnut pyramids inwards Kanu too was wealthier than Ojukwu begetter too the Orizus."

             Chief Okotie-Eboh, earlier he became a politician

He laid upward the Rewanes whom he encouraged to opened upward a Flour Mill close his residence inwards same Ogorode, a Flour Mill too Top Feeds too other corollary industries that was to employ thousands of Deltans too none Deltans. He is said to take away hold built ii primary Schools too ii secondary schools, naming i after his friend Zik too the other Academicals which afterwards became Okotie-Eboh grammer school... All this he built earlier he stepped into government. It is said said that the Old Ogorode route that his pal Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe drived along  to solicit for finances for NCNC was tarred past times Okotie-Eboh amongst his personal money.
After making it big fourth dimension inwards occupation organization going into politics inwards 1948 was only the icing of the cake after all he was a financier of NCNC. He played his politics amongst the same enterprising spirit equally he did inwards business. He won a topographic point inwards the Warri Divisional Council, next a hectic election. As a grassroots politician, he was a councillor inwards the Warri Provincial Council. Later, he served equally a fellow member of the Sapele Township Advisory Board, Warri Provincial Ports Authority Committee too Warri Divisional Committee.
Okotie-Eboh was never defeated inwards whatever election, either inwards Warri or Sapele.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 chieftain of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens, he became the Chief Whip of the Western House of Assembly dominated past times the Action Group (AG) inwards 1959. His parliamentary contributions shaped major decisions
In 1951, after around influence from Azikiwe, he contested for a topographic point too was elected into the western percentage House of Assembly. Okotie-Eboh was appointed Minister of Labour too Social Welfare, having excelled inwards the fine art of governance.

The Prime Minister Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa arrives Lagos Airport after a individual trip. With him is Chief Festus Okotie Eboh (left) too other Officials.

In 1954, he was elected treasurer of the N.C.N.C. too inwards 1957 next the alliance betwixt the NCNC too the Northern People Congress (NPC), Ekotie-Eboh was made Minister of Finance past times  the prime number minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa."  He held the go of the finance ministry building until the 1966 coup which eventually ended his life.
 His reform programme inwards the Finance Ministry gave a novel lease to the Nigerian Customs. He delegated responsibilities to the unit, instead of quest the ports to collect duties. He established the Preventive Services Unit to confront, fighting too forestall smuggling, too protect local industries.
The introduction of the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) organization of taxation during his tenure was a novel idea. It jerked upward the revenue base of operations of the government.
Okotie-Eboh insisted that Nigeria should number her ain currency too take away hold her ain Central Bank instead of epending on the too so West African Currency Board, which was responsible for issuing currencies for the colonies. This was how the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) was established inwards 1958. Chief Okotie-Eboh, could therefore, live rightly described equally the founding begetter of the CBN.
He ever displayed the noble characteristics of a statesman too patriot. When the province was nevertheless grappling amongst post-independence challenges, too the regime wanted to create the Eko Bridge, he personally sought the assistance of United Kingdom too America for grants to execute the project, but they refused.

Chief Okotie-Eboh too his wife

As a diplomat, his passionate appeal received favourable consideration from the High German regime which paid Julius Berger for the project.
His benevolence was enjoyed past times his party, the NCNC. He sourced for grants for the political party when it was broke. His colleague, Chief Richard Akinjide recalled: “In the NCNC days, Okotie-Eboh was richer than the political party too everybody. He had made his coin earlier coming into politics too whenever the political party was broke, it was to him nosotros went to collect around coin for political party activities. Nigerians should live grateful for having somebody similar him; he was generous to a error too did non discriminate against tribe or tongue”.
The NPC/NCNC alliance worked rattling because of the cordial relations betwixt Balewa too Okotie-Eboh. The Prime Minister believed that he was a loyal minister.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 well-travelled man, Okotie-Eboh was a personal friend of the belatedly U.S. President John Kennedy inwards the sixties. His catch to the Papacy, where he met Pope John XX111 twice, became his greatest religious voyage. He also visited the Israeli statesman, Mr. David Ben Gurion.
The quondam government minister was non happy because of the lingering crisis inwards the Western Region. He believed that it would engulf the country.
He warned that the crisis was spreading to Lagos too its repercussions were beingness felt throughout Nigeria. He said across the 4 regions, innocent people were beingness killed during electioneering.
Okoti-Eboh, added: “We are worried too nosotros believe that, yous the Prime Minister, who has the overall responsibleness for police describe too order, are to a greater extent than worried. Although the maintenance of police describe too lodge inwards the Western Nigeria is the primarily responsibleness of the Western Regional Government, the activities of the Nigeria Police, specially those drafted to the West from other parts of the Federation, take away hold brought the federal regime to a greater extent than closely into the picture”.
Okotie-Eboh stated further: “Something must live done right away to convey peace to the Western Nigeria. If immediate activeness is non taken, skilful regime inwards whatever constituent of Nigeria volition live endangered. Fanatics, hooligans, armed robbers too irresponsible elements volition live given the chance to consolidate their positions too rest a perpetual danger to all governments too political leaders. Everybody’s life volition live inwards danger.”

At community grade Ekotie-Eboh was seen equally number i facilitator, middleman too dealer who fixed things for his people. He was known to take away hold employed many Urhobos which included millionaire too boardroom power-broker Michael Ibru too belatedly Edewor. These men were employees of Okotie-Eboh. While Edewor was his "houseboy" too trusted servant, Ibru was a managing director of sorts too when Okotie-Eboh decided to import frozen fish.  At that fourth dimension people refused to swallow the fish but preferred the fresh fish inwards their pre oil-pollution waters, the immature forward-looking Michael Ibru asked to live given the fish. He took it to other areas including Cameroun too thus Okotie-Eboh gave Nigeria too Urhobo one-time wealthiest human being inwards Africa inwards the individual of Olorogun Michael Ibru whose angling conglomerate was feeding many countries inwards Africa too coin from which has given nativity to Oceanic Bank, Aero Contractors, Guardian newspapers, Eko Le Meridien (sold off) Sheraton, etc.
Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh (the 1966 coup leaders cited this form of flamboyance equally i of the reasons for staging their coup)


When Major Nzeogwu was to accept his coup inwards 1966, amidst those pencilled downwards to live killed was a Niger-Delta occupation organization colossus. Along amongst Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Belewa, Akintola, principal Okotie-Eboh was killed. Rumours say bullets could non penetrate his peel so they tied him to a automobile too dragged him. Reports of those who saw his torso say he was mangled beyond recognition. It is said that his grave inwards Okotie-Eboh baptist Church which borders Zik Grammar School is nevertheless empty of his remains.
At the fourth dimension of his death, Okotie-Eboh, was survived past times a married adult woman too xiv children.They at nowadays maintain his retention equally a loving begetter too a patriot who paid the supreme toll for his province too died equally a “victim of circumstance”.
Chief Okotie-Eboh nevertheless remained the pop “Omimi Ejo” – the Water Spirit – to many Itsekiris, specially inwards the Republic of Benin River villages. His honour for the elders was spoken of too specially his generosity. He himself boasted that he had spent over £3,000 inwards paying other peoples’ fines, unremarkably imposed for non-payment of taxes or a breach of customary law. It was said that he had paid for a novel corrugated-iron roof for the chapel of the Cherubim too Seraphim sect inwards i hamlet too that he was paying for the rebuilding of the Diare occupation solid unit of measurement shrine, although he was alone remotely connected amongst the family. His State-of-the-Art Pipe Organ inwards the church building amongst which he serenaded God to beautiful music much equally david did amongst his harp is nevertheless kept sacred past times his people.
Source:http://thenationonlineng.net/new/okotie-eboh-victim-of-circumstance/
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/tribute-chief-festus-okotie-eboh-and-the-justiceability-of-history/

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