Asaba – His Royal Majesty, Monday Obukowho Whiskey, a fearless journalist, was crowned the Udurhie 1, the Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta state. He spoke with Monday Osayande on his plans for the kingdom and his expectations.
Excerpts:
Your royal majesty, how do you feel attaining this position in life?
Everything that is good does not usually come eaay. Attaining of the king of Idjerhe Kingdom, I considered it a well bestowed privilege because it is not by strength, it is not by power but it is God’s design. So, I am grateful to God and traditional, political and economic leadership of this kingdom who had, against all odds, seeing the qualities one, seeing that I am a thorough person and seeing that of the truth I can usey wealth of experience to attract development to this kingdom. I also want to say that in attracting development we want to also work in synergy with the security agencies and other non-governmental agencies to ensure that there is peace and development in the land of Idjerhe.
What are the hurdles you went through before you were crowned as the king of this kingdom?
Usually, there is nothing that is good that does not have hurdles. Of course you know that becoming a king of a major kingdom like Idjerhe where the crown is not hereditary, you are going to be subjected to a lot of blackmail, a lot of intimidation, a lot of harassment. So my case is not different but in all these, I continue to give thanks to God because from the very onset I have committed the project to his hands ei believe that anything given to God is in safe hands.
Whatever hurdles that I went through are now testimonies that God has now made it possible for me to ascend this throne to His glory.
What are the expectations from you?
If I get you correctly, my people are expecting a fast track development. We are a major oil producing Community in Urhobo land and as a person, I have been a very strong activist of equity within the Niger Delta for about thirty years now.
As a journalist, I added the activism of my people. I added to it by being part of the Niger Delta struggle, the larger struggle.
You will recall that this kingdom suffered a major calamity twenty-two years ago precisely 1998 when there was a pipe line explosion and inferno that consumed over a thousand people in this kingdom. I was the PRO of the Kingdom then and now that I am the king I want to appeal to the federal government, NNPC and to multinational oil companies to revisit that issue. If we are not asking for compensation we should be asking for development. It was oil production that cost us that magnitude of damage both in human and in material.
There was a cottage hospital that the PPMC under NNPC initiated. As I speak with you, that laudable project is abandoned.
The casualty figure in that accident rose because there was no medical facility. As large as Idjerhe central, Jesse today, what you have is a dispensary and maternity.
Jesse today need a standard cottage hospital or at most a general hospital because this is a Community where you can now drive five kilometers within the town and the population is exploding. So we want the oil multinationals especially the NNPC to revisit that issue and possibly establish a training centre that has to do with safety. It can be a research institute, petroleum research institute. Establish it at the centre of the free disaster so that our children unborn can grow up and see that because this incident happened in this kingdom, the federal government of Nigeria built the institution. We have vast land and as the king I am ready to give land for such projects.
As a king of this kingdom I want to appeal to multinational oil companies and the international communities not to see the incident as too old. Wake it up. There are documents to show. The federal government and the international Community should come to our aid.
Come to the king that you want land for such an institute, for such a training centre. The kingdom is very ready to provide such land. Let the PPMC go and complete the cottage hospital. It is far too small for this kingdom now but let it be on record that because of the disaster of 1998 the cottage hospital was built.
Now that you are king, what are the wrong things you want to correct?
First and foremost I want the kingdom of Idjerhe to be handed over to God. I want the kingdom of Idjerhe to live in unity and peace. I also want the kingdom to embrace modern development that is devoid of no respect for elders, that is devoid of hooliganism. Anything that is good that can develop the Kingdom. These are the things that I wish for the kingdom
I want to advise our youths that there are several ways of becoming successful in life. If you are not educated, go and learn a trade, with these, there are possible means of having a good life. I do not want to hear that Iderhje is on the negative side of history. What i want to see consistently is development that is attracted to very high caliber innovations.
I want to hear that an Iderhje son or daughter of 20 years has come out of a Nigerian University or foreign University with Masters degree or at 24 with a PhD. These are the things I wish for my kingdom. These are the things I want God to do for me as a king. I want our leaders to live in unity. I want the government of this land to patronize my people through appointments and in all spheres of human endeavors because we have the human material.
When it comes to election, you need to get to Iderhje junction and see the number of posters, banners and bill boards that are there standing. They are not there standing as cosmetics, they are standing there because the population is here. Iderhje has over forty communities and it is a big political ground for politicians during elections, so I feel that if they can reach Iderhje during the elections, they should reach Iderhje with development because all areas of the Kingdom is yearning for development.
I want to use the opportunity to commend Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. He has done so many roads in this Kingdom but like Oliver Twist, we ask for more because you cans till go around the Kingdom and you will see some roads in deplorable conditions. Iderhje is not the only Kingdom in Urhobo land but I must speak about the predicament of my people.
We still need several roads, we need empowerment, skill acquisition so that a lot of our youths can be put off the streets. The white man says ” An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. I strongly believe that if these youths have something reasonable to do, they would not put their hands into terrible things.
In what way is your kingdom going to help the Federal Government?
The Federal Government and the State Government are direct beneficiaries of the oil resource of Iderhje. The kingdom is very rich in oil and gas and the government is benefiting. I expect that in return, our people should benefit maximally from the oil resource that is in our land.
Only recently, more oil Wells have been discovered and as a sitting King, I want companies to work with the palace to enhance peace in this area because of the truth, I do not want to see a company trying to divide my people.
I like to see a company uniting my people through infrastructure and technology. These are the things I wish for this Kingdom.
Now that you are leaving journalism into royalty, what do you think is wrong with the Profession that need to be put right?
Nobody that is lilly livered should go into that profession. My 30 years of active practice has exposed me to near death experience. I can still recall with nostalgia what happened to me in 1997 while I was covering Warri crisis as the state editor of the defunct Diet Newspapers. I had a very close shave with death.
What I keep telling young journalist is that journalism is not about making money. Journalism is about going for the truth, reporting the truth, nothing but the truth.
As I left journalism profession into royalty, my advice to younger journalists is to see journalism as an eye opener. You must be fair, you must be just. In journalism training, we were taught that if you have doubt about any particular story, drop it.
I want to say that Journalists can only be honored and respected if they treat stories brought before them in a very discipline and mature manner. Do not deliberately sensationalise a story or create tension where is no tension. Best stories are stories that are verifiable and can stand the test of time.
Some reports I put up 15 years ago are still being read by people as reference point. My appeal to young journalists is to see journalism as the only available tool to build a society. We build the society, we inform the society and entertain the society. Journalists are not ordinary people, they are special people who render selfless service to people.
Government must put a programme in place that will encourage the active practice of journalism in Nigeria. Owners of media organization are not treating journalists fairly. Journalists are not being paid and you turn round to accuse them of carrying out disservice to the Nation.
Journalism is a profession of repute. Medical doctors are being taken care of, engineers and pilots are being taken care of.
Journalism is one of the oldest profession in Nigeria. Over 100 years and you still see even those that work in Government owned media living from hand to mouth. I think journalists should come together, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) should sit down with senior editors and fashion out welfare packages and new salary structures that can really take Journalists to the next level.
Your majesty, what is your relationship with your opponents who were in the race for the crown with you?
As a royal father, I do not have an opponent. Those who were in the race legally and went on to the extent of buying nomination forms and were screened from the group I emerged, I congratulate them. For those who went into the race illegally because they saw themselves too important to go through the process, I congratulate them and I advise them to join the moving train. If the train leaves the station, you hardly can enter it. It is better for them to harness their resources and materials and join the moving train.
We have policies and programmes. As a sitting King of this Kingdom, all sons and daughters of this Kingdom are my subjects so whatever activity that they carry out to the detriment of the kingdom, at the right time, Idjerhe will convocate and look into their activities and the right sanctions will be passed. We do not pretend about that. There are always laws to guide communities and kingdoms so if you contravene the law, the process is to be followed.
You do not come around to beg. People are turning a new leaf and they are coming for royal forgiveness and royal blessing. I owe them forgiveness but vengeance is of the Lord. I have been enthroned so whoever is still going round to campaign against what God has done is deceiving himself. They have to turn a new leaf and as a royal father, I am ready to accept them. That is my candid advice to them.
