By Job Osazuwa
It is still over four months to the last weekend of January, a date set aside for Uhiele traditional festival, Ihuen,but an atmosphere of festivity and excitement has already descended on every part of the eight clans that make up the community situated in Ekpoma, Esan West LGA of Edo State.
The people have geared up for the handover and inauguration of a multimillion-naira ultra-modern community and development centre donated by one of their own, October 6.
Governor Godwin Obaseki would grace the ceremony as special guest of honour, while the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Marcus Onobu and other dignitaries, including government officials and notable sons and daughters of Uhiele, would also attend the event at Ukpoke, the traditional headquarters of Uhiele.
To chair the occasion is Chief Francis Ehiamen Ulinfun, academic, philanthropist, community leader and politician, while chief host is the Odionwele of Uhiele, Pa Andrew Osewele Ekpenwele, who would be supported by the other seven Edionweles. The Onojie of Ekpoma, Anthony Abumere, is the royal father of the day.
The inauguration would be preceded by a thanksgiving Mass at the Catholic Church of Nativity of Mary and blessing of the centre by the Bishop of Uromi Diocese, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, in the evening of Wednesday, October 5.
The Uhiele Community and Development Centre, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Chevalier Charles Osezua, a gas engineer and his spouse, Lady Gloria, consists of a multi-purpose hall, an office and a store on the the ground floor, while the first floor has two offices and a boardroom. It is intended that an office be assigned to Uhiele Development Forum (UDF) and Ukpoke Area Development Foundation (UADF), each on the first floor, with a boardroom, on a need basis, for meetings. The office room on the ground floor is to serve as office for the asset manager and/or security or event organisers/manager.
It was learnt the journey to the new masterpiece did not come without a struggle. The old town hall predates even the oldest persons in the community. Not one of them can say precisely when it was built. Naturally, over the years, the old town hall has not only become dilapidated but too small and unbefitting. However, the beauty of it is that the ancient structure has morphed into a an architectural landmark in grand style and in scale never imagined within just a span of six months.
As Osezua recalled, the development of the modern community centre came about following a series of requests by concerned Uhiele sons and daughters on the pitiable state of the old Uhiele Town Hall, and the call for intervention by stakeholders.
Accordingly, the sponsor had a meeting with the Odionwele of Ukpoke, who also doubles as the Odionwele of Uhiele, in January 2022 to discuss the possibility of not only rebuilding the hall but also elevating it to a community centre with a multipurpose hall, offices and board room.
Recollecting the encounter, he said: “During the meeting, in accepting our proposal, the Odionwele prayerfully said, “My son, if you can do this, it will be to my honour, you would have removed a reproach from us all. Ukpoke is the headquarters of Uhiele where the elders and people meet on important occasions; rebuilding it will indeed restore our heritage and God will bless you more abundantly!”
In recognition of the historical significance of the project and the site as a heritage site, it was resolved that the Odionwele should convene a meeting of all the elders to obtain the concurrent approval of the Edionwele of the other seven clans.
This necessitated the meeting of Saturday, February 12, at the historic heritage site in Ukpoke. At the session, the elders of Uhiele unanimously endorsed the desire of the Odionwele for the construction of a befitting Center, they also broke kolanut and offered prayers. That was followed by a ground-breaking ceremony witnessed by hundreds of son and daughters of Uhiele, including elders, chiefs and dignitaries.
Barely six month after the milestone ground-breaking exercise, the ancient town hall has transformed to an ultra-modern development centre ready for inauguration.
To ensure the ceremony lives up to its billing as a milestone, an organising committee headed by Mr. Vincent Odigie, professor and consultant surgeon, UNIBEN/UBTH and Dr. A.B. Ayeni, scholar and community development activist, as secretary, is working round the clock.
According to Odigie, “This project is a blessing to the community, just as Osezua has become an illustrious son of Ukpoke and Uhiele as a whole. We must learn to give back to our community as a service to mankind.”
On what to expect, he said: “Our guests will learn about our ancestral history, communal peaceful living and heritage. We intend to demonstrate our hospitality as envisage in traditional (Egbabonelimi) dance and bring some of the needs of the community to our enviable and hardworking and listening governor, particularly roads in an agrarian community to evacuate farm products to the town/market (Eguare).”
As the people bask in the euphoria of the project, Osezua has again embarked on more development projects. Any moment from now, the erection of a perimeter fence around the expansive town hall, while shelter for the local vigilance force in Ukpoke is also on the cards.
As George Bernard Shaw, famous Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist, once remarked: “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.” Those words resonate with Sir Charles Osezua.
Indeed, long before the call for citizens participation in community development became a recurring clamour, he had adopted