Images of Ebiraland

By Adeiza Momoh Jimoh The recent rejection of Obadiah Ando as ministerial nominee from Taraba State by the Senate marked the end of the political horse trading that was kick started by the three senators representing Taraba State in the Senate. The country was taken aback when all the three senators from the state addressed a joint press conference rejecting the nomination of Ando as minister representing Taraba State. They told the world that Dr. Ando did not serve the interest of the people of the state when he was first appointed Minister of Water Resources by President Goodluck Jonathan. They further alleged that he was highly inaccessible to the people of the state who he supposedly represented in the federal cabinet. One would have thought that the senators’ action was a kind of political witch-hunting if the senator representing the district of Dr Obadiah had not consented to the rejection. Worse still, the entire members of  the Taraba State House of Assembly unanimously pa

By Alh. Ahmed Adoke As inevitable facts of life dictates, the past makes the present, the present makes the future. The ignoble present of the Adavi Local Government Area has compelled me to ask of glorious yester years of Adavi Local Government people right from the time when the entire Kogi Central Senatorial District is addressed as Igbirra Native Authority comprising Okehi and Okene districts respectively. Late Alh. Ibrahim Onoruoiyiza Atta Who made Ebira thick then? The leadership of Igbirra Native Authority (ITU) under the colonial masters is not complete without the emphatic mention of the Atta of Igbirraland, His Royal Highness Alh. Ibrahim Onoruoiyiza Atta who hails from Adavi District of Ebiraland. His father, Late Adayi Otaru Kuroko, Opisa – the wealthy of his time and the mother Oyi-Ayi Iya-ebe a well traveled woman, daughter of Atta Omadivi, a wise brave visionary hails from Agada clan of Okene District of Ebiraland. Without going into historical volumes of the past

Usman Aliyu (team member) sensitizing a trader in Okene   By Ismail M. Kabir The long awaited public campaign agaisnt Breast Cancer by the Initiative for the Awareness of Cancer in Women has been held successfully. We were overwhelmed by the energetic youth who took the Road Walk to full sensitization exercise through door to door education of our women on the need for early detection through Breast Self-examination. The long train that departed around 11.30am from Inoziomi, Adavi LGA made a first stop at the Azad palace where the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, HRM, Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Ibrahim cut his meeting with some community leaders short to attend to his children. The Ohinoyi praised the courage of the youths for standing up against a menace that was fast becoming a household name in the land. While making reference to some victims of the ailment, Ohinoyi said that 'though I have not been personally affected by cancer, I feel deeply touched by the pains of those living with the ail

Ismail M. Kabir In 2007, I told a story of my experience when I trekked uphill the Okunchi mountain top ( click here for story ). The strenuous hike not withstanding, I was deeply touched by the sight of feeble women and mal-nourished children laden with heavy duty gallons and water kegs descending the mountain at  early hour of the morning. Upon reaching the water source, I nearly broke down in tears at the sight of long queue of weary-looking women, girls and boys waiting for their 'turn' to fetch a brownish looking water from a small dug-out pond. Today, water scarcity remains a major challenge faced by Ebira communities despite availability of about 3 major water stations; Osara Dam (Adavi LGA), Ekuku Dam and Okene Water works, the people can hardly enjoy this basic necessity of life as the water sources remain under-utilized by successive local and state governments. Women and children now trek long distances in search of water except during Rainy season in a community

By Ismail M. Kabir Sekinat Ajoge receives a warm handshake from Prof. Sam Ale At the 8th Annual National Mathematics Competition for Primary 5 & 6, Maths Whiz kids, Sekinat Ajoge, Firdausi Abdulsalami (both from LGEA Standard Primary School Onyukoko Okene) and Joseph Oriade Ajibola of Rock 'N' Garden private school Lokoja represented Kogi state at the final stage. Other states that made it to the final stage were also represented by three (3) pupils each from Abuja, Rivers, Ekiti, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Imo, Eboyi, Benue, Abia, Anambra, Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Ondo states. Sekinat Ajoge (aged 10yrs), an Orphan and a primary 5 pupil from the only public school that participated in the competition scored 96.4898 to win the overall 2nd position losing the 1st place to Nonso Chibundo Emelumadu from St. Jude's Private School, Lagos who scored 97.16122. She has been offered a 100% scholarship by Nigerian Turkish International College (Abuja Girl

Peace Campaign by Faceboard Publication