The interview of Chief Olu False was excellent. However there were slips he made which I intend to correct to put the record straight. One of the historical distortions made by Chief Falae was that Chief Awolowo took some Eastern Minorities such as “Wenikie Briggs, Eyo Ita and others" to the London Constitutional Conferences of 1958/59. This is not correct.
I want to state unequivocally that the President General of the Calabar Ogoja Rivers State Movement at that time was Justice Egerton Udo Udoma, JSC and the Secretary General was Dr. Okoi Egede Arikpo(SAN). Udo Udoma resigned from politics after his appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos. Okoi Arikpo was a member of the NCNC and won election in 1951 to become a member of the Eastern Region House of Assembly and was nominated as one of four representatives of the East in the Central House of Legislature ( House of Representatives).Others include Nwapa, Mbonu Ojike and Raymond Njoku. Okoi Arikpo was subsequently among the four ministers who were appointed from the East. He fell out with the NCNC after Eyo Ita was removed as Leader of Government Business in the Eastern Region House of Assembly to pave way for Dr. Azikiwe.
The minorities in the East were piqued with the shoddy treatment meted to Eyo Ita. Okoi Arikpo left the NCNC to form the United Nigeria Independence Party who formed an alliance with Action Group. It therefore not correct for Chief Olu Falae to suggest that Chief Obafemi Awolowo took " Wenikie Briggs, Eyo Ita and others" to the London Conference. Okoi Arikpo, Briggs, Eyo Ita and others from the Eastern Minority Enclave attended the London Constitutional Conferences of 1958/59, which was convened to negotiate the basic and constitutional structure and frame work for Independent Nigeria, in their own right as representatives of their political party and people.
They were not taken to the Conference by Chief Awolowo. Chief Awoke was the Leader of the Action Group. I have previously stated that the Nigeria United Independence Party formed by Okoi Arikpo after leaving NCNC had formed an alliance with the Action Group with the aim of agitation for the creation of the Calabar Ogoja Rivers State out of Eastern Nigeria.It follows that Okoi Arikpo, Briggs, Eyo Ita and co, were part of the Action Group delegation to the Conferences.
There were other Eastern Minorities who attended the London Conference on the delegation of the NCNC. One of them was Chief Neil Ubi Offem, MBE from Ugep, Obubra Division. He was a First Class Chief in the Eastern Nigeria House of Chiefs. Chief Falae wrongly stated that Gowon created two States for the Eastern Minorities known as “Rivers and Cross River States". Gowon created Rivers and South Eastern State. The NCNC was stoutly against the granting of autonomy to the Eastern Minorities just as the defunct Northern People’s Congress vehemently fought against the struggle of the minorities of the North to have their own State.
In 1976 General Murtala Mohammed rather granting the demand of the people of Calabar and Ogoja for creation of a State out of the South Eastern State changed the name of South Eastern State to Cross River State. In 1987 Ibrahim Babangida created Akwa Ibom State out the present Cross River State.
Okoi Obono-Obla
I want to state unequivocally that the President General of the Calabar Ogoja Rivers State Movement at that time was Justice Egerton Udo Udoma, JSC and the Secretary General was Dr. Okoi Egede Arikpo(SAN). Udo Udoma resigned from politics after his appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos. Okoi Arikpo was a member of the NCNC and won election in 1951 to become a member of the Eastern Region House of Assembly and was nominated as one of four representatives of the East in the Central House of Legislature ( House of Representatives).Others include Nwapa, Mbonu Ojike and Raymond Njoku. Okoi Arikpo was subsequently among the four ministers who were appointed from the East. He fell out with the NCNC after Eyo Ita was removed as Leader of Government Business in the Eastern Region House of Assembly to pave way for Dr. Azikiwe.
The minorities in the East were piqued with the shoddy treatment meted to Eyo Ita. Okoi Arikpo left the NCNC to form the United Nigeria Independence Party who formed an alliance with Action Group. It therefore not correct for Chief Olu Falae to suggest that Chief Obafemi Awolowo took " Wenikie Briggs, Eyo Ita and others" to the London Conference. Okoi Arikpo, Briggs, Eyo Ita and others from the Eastern Minority Enclave attended the London Constitutional Conferences of 1958/59, which was convened to negotiate the basic and constitutional structure and frame work for Independent Nigeria, in their own right as representatives of their political party and people.
They were not taken to the Conference by Chief Awolowo. Chief Awoke was the Leader of the Action Group. I have previously stated that the Nigeria United Independence Party formed by Okoi Arikpo after leaving NCNC had formed an alliance with the Action Group with the aim of agitation for the creation of the Calabar Ogoja Rivers State out of Eastern Nigeria.It follows that Okoi Arikpo, Briggs, Eyo Ita and co, were part of the Action Group delegation to the Conferences.
There were other Eastern Minorities who attended the London Conference on the delegation of the NCNC. One of them was Chief Neil Ubi Offem, MBE from Ugep, Obubra Division. He was a First Class Chief in the Eastern Nigeria House of Chiefs. Chief Falae wrongly stated that Gowon created two States for the Eastern Minorities known as “Rivers and Cross River States". Gowon created Rivers and South Eastern State. The NCNC was stoutly against the granting of autonomy to the Eastern Minorities just as the defunct Northern People’s Congress vehemently fought against the struggle of the minorities of the North to have their own State.
In 1976 General Murtala Mohammed rather granting the demand of the people of Calabar and Ogoja for creation of a State out of the South Eastern State changed the name of South Eastern State to Cross River State. In 1987 Ibrahim Babangida created Akwa Ibom State out the present Cross River State.
Okoi Obono-Obla
a wonderful peace, I keep spending time with my friends striving hard to establish this point. It's the truth, the Action Group had alliance in UNIP and the rest. Hon Ikona Ikona realy had his gotts standing by these Heroes of ours. May their souls rest in peace... A..men!ends striving hard to establish this point. It's the truth, the Action Group had alliance in UNIP and the rest. Hon Ikona Ikona realy had his gotts standing by these Heroes of ours. May their souls rest in peace... A..men!
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