The Sun News Online

We’re still anchored at the Port of Koko, and we plan to return here in the first week of August to participate in a local observance, which, curiously, is in honour of a Briton, even though the British colonial authorities triggered the fall of this community in the first place.

The fiesta that would bring us back to Koko is called Neville’s Day, and takes place annually on August 8. The origin of Neville’s Day follows shortly. For now, let’s dwell on other aspects of Koko, which stands in Warri North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State. Koko has snatched lead story headlines in various media at least thrice for different reasons over the last century or so.

Koko apparently grabbed the headlines for the first time in 1906, following the choice of the former cocoyam farm for home by the returnee deposed Itsekiri King, Nanna Olomu. Famously known as Nanna, King of the Itsekiri, the former monarch was sent into exile after he lost The Ebrohimi War (July-September 1894) to invading British troops.

Koko would again make the news severally, when a local port that had been in use for decades, if not centuries, was modernized and upgraded to accommodate larger vessels. Locals say this was in the early 1960s. Another issue that forced the sleepy settlement of Koko into the headlines was the dumping there, in the late 1980s, of toxic wastes by a ship flying the flag of a European Union (EU) member nation. Last but not least, is the fact that Koko once again became the cynosure of culture buffs, especially museum lovers, across the world, since the establishment of the Nanna Living History Museum in this riparian village. As its name suggests, Nanna Living History Museum is named in memory of Nanna Olomu.

Just before dusk
But, who was Nanna Olomu that a museum would be named in his honour? The November 3, 1894 edition of Lagos Weekly Record described Nanna as: “… a spare-built man, standing about five feet, six inches.” If that appeared rather diminutive, what about this, from the same source: “(Nanna had) most intelligent features, a high forehead projecting over a pair of keen piercing eyes, the face being rounded off with a chin indicative of much determination.”

In 1884, Nanna was installed Governor, following the passage of his father, Chief Olomu, the previous year. Although Itsekiri folks elected Nanna, his ascension coincided with the arrival of British traders. Initially, the relationship between Nanna and these foreign merchants/intruders was warm. In fact, the Britons that attended Nanna’s coronation as the new King of the Itsekiri, brought three precious gifts; six guard swords, six ceremonial walking sticks, and a staff of office, with the inscription, Nanna the Governor from their then sovereign, Queen Victoria.

Expectedly, Nanna was happy and proud to be part of the British Empire. He had thought that with this enhanced authority, he could even rule better and that should any need arise, he could always call on the British for assistance. But, when he realized the aliens were out to seize his domain and all appurtenances thereof, Nanna would resist and the relationship soured.

To invoke some semblance of moral justification for their planned aggression, the imperialists resorted to attempts to stigmatize Nanna. The British subsequently labeled the Itsekiri King, their former ally, as a slave-dealer, terrorist and trade-monopolist, among others. As it turned out, all the attempts to demonize Nanna would not hold water, going by statements to the contrary made by more credible figures.
For example, in a 1914 issue of Journal of the African Society, Mr. George William Neville, the founder of British Bank for West Africa (BBWA), wrote of Nanna: It has been my privilege to enjoy the friendship of this remarkable man for over 30 years.

I have seen him at the possession of great wealth and authority, and I have also known him in the hour of dire distress, when as destitute and an outlaw, he at last surrendered to the British authorities. One who stood foremost among his countrymen, and who by his genius, character and enterprise assisted in the upliftment of the African Race.

A quote from Richard Fry’s 1976 book, Bankers in West Africa, corroborates Neville’s opinion thus: In judging the African, let us not forget that almost within living memory, we Englishmen hanged men for sheep-stealing and exhibited heads on Temple Bar; and I question whether any atrocities in Africa, now things of the past, have ever approached in magnitude the massacres under Cross and Crescent in modern times.

Bishop James Johnson of the Anglican Church, who visited Nanna during an evangelical mission to Koko in 1907, a year after Nanna’s return from exile recorded: The chief (Nanna) is somewhat tall and spare and is evidently a man of will, purpose and determination. He submits as a Christian to all the loss… and appears to care more now for the things of heaven than for those on earth.

Sabotage of an African business mogul
Did you know that Nanna was once poised to become one of Africa’s wealthiest men? He wasn’t planning to join the billionaires’ club the way some Nigerian leaders do today: Nanna was going to become extremely rich through hard work. He was planning to co-found a bank with his British friend, when some colonial crooks moved in on him. Nanna’s friend, Mr. Neville, would later establish the British Bank for West Africa, which evolved into today’s First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc.

Honour even in defeat
According to Mr. JOS Ayomike, Chairman, Committee of Friends of Nanna Living History Museum, the most ferocious battle of the Ebrohimi War took place two days before Nanna’s Kingdom fell. On that day, within less than an hour (55 minutes), “Nanna’s men fired 90 discharges of cannon fire from the town.” These were beside rifle and machine gunfire, which the Itsekiri warriors rained on the intruders. Ayomike again: “For the British, the episode was not a picnic (that) most of them had thought it would be.” Moreover, Mr. Ayomike couldn’t be faulted, when he observed that “The Ebrohimi War was Nanna’s finest hour.” This arose from the fact that Nanna “resisted the (British) oppression most vigorously. Against Her Majesty’s four gunboats deployed from South Africa and elsewhere, plus several gun-mounted creek launches, Nanna’s men fought bravely for three months.”

Albeit, the local army still lost that war and, Nanna, who escaped capture, “dramatically showed up in Lagos and surrendered through his friend, Seidu Olowu, and Barrister Sapara Williams to Governor Gilbert Carter.” In Lagos, before he was taken to Calabar for trial, Nanna had interview with the press, which was published in the Lagos Weekly Record of November 5, 1894.

The following statement of Ayomike is quite instructive: “In their Kangoro Court, presided over by Sir Claude Macdonald, Commissioner and Consul General of the Niger Coast protectorate, whose star-witness was his deputy, Ralph Moor, who had directed the war operations, Nanna was easily found guilty and sent to prison in Itu, near Calabar. After two years, and against his plea for clemency, he was exiled for life to Accra.”

Neville, a friend in deed
In Nanna’s hour of tribulation, Neville, in whose honour the Library at Koko Museum is named, mobilized petitioners and lobbyists as well as organized protests calling for clemency for the embattled former king. Neville was simply being a friend in deed, for the relation between this Briton and Nanna spanned some 30 years. Neville was BBWA helmsman in the United Kingdom at the time, and Nanna was eventually allowed to return home in 1906. It was at this point Nanna chose to make home in his former cocoyam plantation, Koko. It was in this settlement, which derived its name from the Yoruba language epithet for that crop, that Nanna passed on in 1916.

But, as is sometimes said, and for a few people truly so, death cannot kill Nanna’s name. Such was Nanna’s prowess that he earned at least one Ijaw sobriquet, which is similar to what the Yoruba call Oriki. This cognomen, Okpubeni, translates as mighty flood that floods every where.
To this day, the Itsekiri invoke fond memories of Nanna through Ukpukpe, a local war dance, performed at every funeral. Nanna ghele agbamudu gb’Oyibo, a part of the lyrics of the song accompanying Ukpukpe, is said to mean, “Nanna truly was stout-hearted against the British.” Although he lost The Ebrohimi War, there is no doubt that Nanna was a warrior and not a squaw. Here was a true leader, who richly deserved that title, unlike today’s crop of parasites that loot the treasury like lunatics under the camouflage of politicians.

Origin of Neville’s Day
Further insights into the depth of the friendship between Nanna Olomu and Mr. Neville could be gleaned from the fact that the former Itsekiri monarch actually decreed August 8, every year as Neville’s Day. August 8 is the date that Nanna set foot on Koko from exile in 1906. To date, descendants of Nanna’s family do not miss that observance. Neville’s Day activities include a church service, symposium and other ceremonies inside the Palace.

Ayomike, Chairman, Friends of Nanna Living History Museum, wants Neville’s Day beefed up into a bigger fiesta. Pa Tony Nanna, caretaker of that repository, shared that notion, when he echoed: “This is a tradition the management of this museum would encourage as parts of efforts to sustain our heritage and give life to this community-based facility; the first of its kind in Nigeria.”

Economic downturn
Sources reveal Koko Port, which is part of the Delta Port Complex, has been in use since 1917 before it was enlarged and equipped with what were modern facilities, those days. Aside Koko, other quays of the Delta Port Complex include Bomadi, Burutu, Sapele and Warri. It is worth noting that despite being one of the oldest wharves in the country, Koko Port has whittled to one of the least lucrative and rarely used in recent times.

Many residents recalled with nostalgia that Koko Port used to be a money-spinner and source of hope for numerous youth of Koko in search of work. Older respondents added that things even got rosier, when the wharf was rebuilt during the First Republic, while Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was Finance Minister. They said it was about that same time that a cement packaging or processing factory was also established in Koko. Sadly, like the port, which is now more or less fallow, the cement or whatever factory it was has actually metamorphosed into a church.

Asked for an assessment of his town, the rue of a 38-year-old Koko native, Mr. Friday Memofoyi was: “There’s nothing in this place. Apart from Total-Fina-Elf and the seaport, young men have no jobs to do. Unfortunately, vessels don’t even berth at Koko Port as frequently as before.”
During our most recent visit, Travels gathered: “The last time a ship berthed at Koko Port was almost six months ago. To be precise, this was in October 2007.” That information came from many locals, including Mr. Memofoyi, who fingered the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidency’s curious Ports Concession policy as a source of their many problems. “Before port privatization, vessels used to visit Koko frequently,” Memofoyi moaned.

Nowadays, only the vessels of one trawling company, with cold rooms in Koko and Warri come along once in a while, Travels was told. Asked what the community was doing as regards drawing the attention of the state government to their predicament, Memofoyi revealed that Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, had been informed. In deed, it would appear that the decline of Koko is receiving more attention, where it matters. Aside bringing their plight to Governor Uduaghan’s attention, Koko natives added that Mrs. Irene Imala, Warri North Federal Constituency Member of the House of Representatives, actually embarked on a working visit to Koko in January 2008. To date, locals are eagerly awaiting the outcome of that honourable member’s tour.

Currently, Koko’s principal crowd-puller is the Nanna Living History Museum. Unfortunately, the museum is not yet attracting as many viewers as the authorities would prefer. However, Pa Tony Nanna is optimistic the future is bright for this outpost of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM). A direct descendant of Nanna, King of the Itsekiri, Pa Tony Nanna hinged his optimism on the fact that “awareness is growing.”

Our latest visit, on February 17, coincided with that of a team of evangelists from the Deliverance and Healing Unit of St. Jude’s Military Church, Port Harcourt. St. Jude’s Military Church is the chaplainry that runs the Military Hospital in the Rivers State capital. Although Evangelist Peter Okechukwu, who led the delegation, voiced his reservation toward publicity, he however revealed that the local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) invited his Deliverance and Healing Unit to Koko. Pressed for his delegation’s mission, Evangelist Okechukwu remarked: “We’re just going about and preaching the word to bring salvation to people.

On the one hand, we’re here to look (tour the museum), on the other hand, we are also here on a spiritual mission. God never said that one person should dominate any one. And, if you don’t release the person you’re holding, the one he is holding would not be released. We pray that all the slaves, explorers, Chief Nanna and others can all rest in peace.” When that happens, as many as 5, 000 viewers could flood Nanna Living History Museum weekly, bringing much needed prosperity, the evangelist enthused. For now, however, Koko continues to groan under want of opportunities. In fact, there is nothing in Koko to justify the New America epithet by which this settlement is sometimes fondly addressed.

Such is the economic depression in Koko that the local arm of CAN actually held an all-night prayer session on February 15, to beg God to break the yoke of depression on this town, so that development and prosperity could return to Koko, and by extrapolation, Nigeria and the entire African continent. God, the worshippers implored, should save Koko and Nigeria and the whole of Africa would be saved, the faithful had fervently prayed.

No longer at ease
Senior citizens of Koko easily recalled that this settlement was once a prosperous town swarming with princes and princesses, after Nanna, King of the Itsekiri came to live there with his dozens of offspring. Mr. Ayomike aptly put this in perspective thus: “In Nanna’s days, Itsekiri land was an affluent and a glittering society. It had a brilliant culture and was glorious.”

Sadly, things have since changed for the worse in Koko. Many young people have abandoned their town owing to lack of job opportunities, and the few residents, mostly non-natives, that seem particularly well-off allegedly make their money through illegal bunkering. Apparently owing to fear of subsequent harassment, none of our respondents would speak on this issue. Travels’ investigations nonetheless revealed that to save Koko from the tragedy that befell Jesse, a nearby village, where explosion during illegal bunkering led to a fire outbreak that cremated alive hundreds of victims, certain loopholes needed to be plugged around this museum town.

Although Mr. Memofoyi would not comment on oil bunkering, he was more forthcoming with regard to Koko’s infrastructure. Koko was electrified in the 1970s, according to Memofoyi, who named Ojomaba Primary School as the first educational institution in that settlement. He further recalled that his town’s first secondary school is Iwere College, which was established in 1970.

Interestingly, when asked his view of Koko’s most urgent need, Memofoyi chose a tertiary institution. Memofoyi, who spoke to Travels at his 16 Olomu Road, Koko residence said: “A tertiary institution is our most pressing need.” To accentuate his point, Memofoyi stressed that even one tertiary school would not do. Hear him: “Koko needs more than one,” because “a university, polytechnic, college of education and so on, would boost the local economy. If thousands of students and hundreds of lecturers operate from Koko, traders would come, shops will open, there’ll be demand for goods and services and some of our numerous unemployed youths would find jobs.”

Culture: Bride price, fashion and so on
According to Pa Tony Nanna, the aborigines of Koko belong to the seven maxima families of Eburu, Abiwaye, Egbele, Akeko, Olomu, Omawumi and Medu. Six of these lineages came from one woman, Iwereko, while Ameren the elder sister, had an only child, Medu. Although the mother tongue of the Itsekiri of Koko sounds more Yoruba than any thing else, unlike people of the latter race, these locals have no special place for twin children. In fact, Itsekiri used to do away with twin children like the Calabar Efik-Ibibio people.

In the days of pounds, shillings and pence, Itsekiri bride price used to be 12 shillings. When that neo-colonial currency was jettisoned, the official fee for taking a wife became N24 at some point and rose as the naira lost its lustre to the current N1, 200. Going by the rather token nature of this formal bride price, it shouldn’t be financially taxing to take an Itsekiri maiden for a wife. However, no Itsekiri family was ever so desperate to get a partner for their child that it would neglect the serious aspect of investigations into the background of the prospective husband and vice versa.

If nothing untoward, such as stealing, lunacy et cetera was found in the groom’s/bride’s lineage, then the first hurdle was as good as successfully scaled. At this point, both families may start formal discussions, provided the maiden agreed to the union. Subsequently, the lady’s parents would collect her bride price, and necessary feasting would take place. But before the young wife moved into her new home, the girl’s parents, depending on their financial muscle, were expected to buy her a boxful of cloths.
If the union proved fruitful, resulting in the arrival of a baby, the child would be named on the eighth day, according to Pa Tony Nanna.

Itsekiri Fashion
Akin to the Hausa-Fulani Babanriga or Yoruba Agbada and virtually all other native African attires, which seem specifically designed for ceremonial outings, the Itsekiri man’s traditional dress simply won’t fit in an office environment. The Itsekiri man’s Kpa-igboro is not only decidedly elaborate; it is probably meant to throw up some idea of the wearer’s purse. Igboro, the second part of the wrapper’s name (Kpa-igboro), derives from the Yoruba word for very lengthy (gboro) and alludes to the fact that this loincloth must be at least six-yard long. Aside showing off the wearer’s wealth, Itsekiri fashion hints at the possibility that locals used to have plenty of time to spare, for none could dress hurriedly in Itsekiri attire.

It was partly for this reason we are grateful to Mr. Memofoyi, who was kind enough to deck himself up in traditional Itsekiri apparel for us. Apart from Kpa-igboro, the paraphernalia includes Ewu (top) or Kemeje (a special ewu) as well as a conspicuous string of beads (Okun), all topped with a hat (Ekuru). Moreover, each man’s headgear (Ekuru) must be adorned with Ilele (feather): Apparently, the natives of this town of princes and princesses all along appreciated the importance of adding a feather to one’s hat. But, even with all these, the dressing would be incomplete without an Opa or walking stick.

Delayed final journeys
Ancient Itsekiri buried their dead within 12 hours, while other funerary ceremonies came later; nowadays, however, many survivors put the remains of their departed ones in the mortuary, pending interment that could take place months after. That’s how salt and ogogoro (native gin) entered the scene because these help to preserve the corpse, slowing down decomposition, Pa Tony Nanna reasoned.
Itsekiri tongue may be close to Yoruba, but this is not to say that this dialect is still as vibrant as other variants of the Oduduwa descendants’ lingo.

Across Koko, pidgin or “Broken English” has virtually assumed the role of lingua franca. Never mind the locals’ names of Olusegun, which is sometimes spelt Olutsegun but rendered as Sher-goon, these worshippers of Oritse (God, pronounced as Orishe) mostly communicate in pidgin. And was that a threat to an indigenous tongue? You can say that again: “We’re now aware that because we don’t speak Itsekiri at home, our language is dying,” Pa Nanna lamented. As to what should be done to preserve this tongue, Pa Nanna wants the language put on local curriculum. “I believe schools should take it up,” he concluded.
Want to know more about the Itsekiri of Koko? Join us in Nigeria’s New America on August 8 for Neville’s Day.