PROTOCOLS. I wish to thank the organizers for finding me worthy to present this speech. I feel highly elated and humbled to stand before you to deliver this speech. I believe that my main function is simply to stimulate the intellectual saliva of the audience who are waiting for the main dish (Guest Lecturer). The theme of the conference is apt and relevant to our contemporary search for solutions for the multifarious challenges facing Agwa development.
The meaning of the word, development is wide. According to the Oxford English Learners dictionary, development is, ” The gradual growth of something, so that it becomes more advanced, stronger and advanced, etc.” Consequently, we are going to assess the gradual growth of Agwa to a bigger, stronger, and more advanced or developed community.
Development may arise as a result of social change or social development. Social change is, “any significant change or alteration in the structure and functioning of social arrangement or society.”
On the other hand, social development refers to, “any instigated change directed towards the achievement of desirable societal goals.”(that is, induced or planned by human beings). The difference between the two is that social change can be natural or man-made, good or bad. It is neutral in terms of consequences. While social development is planned with certain specific purposes.
One of the main purposes of development is to improve the quality of life of the citizenry. Thus, technically speaking, development embraces, ideas, culture, structures, policies, infrastructures/facilities that improve the quality of life of the citizenry. We may have social progress without development. That is, the provision of social amenities white elephant projects, or modernization that don’t add value to the quality of life of the citizenry.
The Archbishop emeritus of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev Dr Anthony J. V. Obinna, referred to some of the projects of the then Governor, Rochas Okorocha (2011 -2019), as, “impressionistic development.” Similarly, we can have growth without development. That is when there are growths in Gross Domestic Product, (GDP), Gross National Product(GNP), External Reserve, National Revenue, etc, without corresponding impacts on the quality of life/standard of living of the citizenry, e.g, increasing real income, narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, raising people above the poverty line, improvement of life expectancy, etc.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing, we are going to assess the historical development of Agwa. In doing so, we will divide Agwa into four historical epochs: (1). ORIGIN OF AGWA TO THE ADVENT OF COLONIALISM(1889).
Oral history had it that the ancestors of Agwa migrated from Ihiagwa, Owerri West, Local Government Area, Imo State. When our ancestors settled within the territory called Agwa, they started boosting their population by bearing as many children as possible, and adopting and assimilation strangers (Ndi Isu). With an increased population, they started the ” expansionist project.” The large expanse of arable land we have today is to their credit. Like a typical rural community, agriculture was their major occupation. They were able to produce enough to feed themselves and a surplus to sell.
The clan was well organized and each town was self-governed and developed at its pace without fear of domination. There was relative security as the towns joined forces to repel external aggression. They built their streets, and major farm roads and maintained them. They maintained their culture and tradition. They were very religious. They refrained from offensive acts – taboo to the Omenala and Earth gods/goddesses, etc. Punishments were meted out to offenders as decided by Umunna (Kinnsmen), Elders, Diviners, and Chief Priests of Oracles/gods.
Each person was his brother’s keeper. There was relatively common ownership of means of production, and land. This epoch could be likened to Karl Marx’s (1818-83), primitive communism in his classification of different historical epochs of the development of human society, as illustrated in his theory of economic determinism or historical materialism. Through their indefatigable efforts, our ancestors lived a good quality of life and laid a solid foundation for Agwa’s development.
1900-1966. Nigeria came under British rule in 1861. The Northern and Southern Protectorates were amalgamated in 1914, to form the country called, Nigeria. The introduction of colonial rule and imperialism truncated the natural and traditional courses of development initiated by our ancestors. Colonialism introduced new systems of government, politics, dispute settlement (Judiciary), education, religion, worldview, etc, that were alien to our people. Thus, generating inbuilt contradictions that are raging till today.
These systems produced new political, bureaucratic, judicial, academic, and religious elites who were supposed to drive the development of the new dispensation. The period under review, witnessed the construction of Douglas roads(Uzo ontoglass), Irete/Obeakuma/Obeama/Ogborie/Obudi/Obokofia Egbema Road; Obudi/Uba/Izombe/Mgbele, Orsuobodo/Kalabari Beach Road; establishment of Churches/primary schools, St Theresa Catholic Church/School, Obudi, 1918, St Michael and All Angels Church/School, Obudi, 1923, primary health center, Dispensary, customary court, etc.
These schools produced the first crops of “academic elites” – teachers. Most of these first-generation teachers didn’t encourage our forefathers to train their children up to Secondary and University levels, pointing out that, the cost was prohibitive for an average farmer to undertake. Virtually all of them were intelligent but didn’t go to the University. They married beautiful girls in their classes most of whom didn’t finish primary school. They confined themselves in Agwa and detested posting outside Agwa. These had negative impacts on Agwa’s development. The schools later produced the quantum of school leavers, and academics in various fields of human endeavors.
On the political scene/judicial administration, the system produced the first Warrant Chief-Chief Okorie Onunwa, from Obudi and other Warrant Chiefs, Customary Court Chiefs. Our illustrious son, the late Hon. Mac Austin Obodo, contested and won election into the Eastern Region House of Assembly in 1959. He also contested election into the House of Representatives in 1964. An election he allegedly won but was denied victory by the ruling party, NCNC. By his pioneering role, he wrote the name of Agwa in gold in the political map of Igbo Land in particular, and Nigeria in general.
Again, agriculture which was the main occupation of our people tended to be a clog in the wheel of development of Agwa, because, parents refused to allow their “well-behaved brilliant” children to go to school, but the “lazy” ones were allowed to go to school. Thus, Agwa didn’t embrace Western education as soon as it came to Agwa, which was not salutary to Agwa’s development.
This was a transitory period and it had its ups and downs.
1967-1979. This was a turbulent period of Agwa development. The Nigeria Civil War aka, the Nigeria/Biafra War started in 1967 and ended on January 12th, 1970. During this period, the Agwa clan was at one time or the other, deserted due to bombardment from the Nigerian army. Hunger, malnutrition, diseases, and rampant deaths ravaged the clan. Churches and schools served as Army Camps, hospitals, and sick bays, hence the schools were temporarily closed.
1970-1979
Was the post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation. The ravages of the war continued. However, this period witnessed a boom in school enrollments in Agwa. The phobia of going to Secondary School and University was broken. The establishment of Agwa Secondary School in 1979, gave more opportunities for our sons and daughters to attend secondary school and later University.
The period under review gave birth to the “political emancipation” of Agwa, by carving out Agwa from Owerri district to the newly created Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta Local Government, Area in 1976. Thus, Agwa started playing a dominant role in the new Local Government.
1980-2024
The Military ruled Nigeria from 1966 to 1979. In December 1979, the Military handed over power to a democratically elected Government led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The Government lasted from 1979 to 1983, when the Military overthrew the government, following disputed results of general elections. However, an illustrious son of Agwa, the late Hon Raymond Ubochi Anumaka, was elected into the Imo State House of Assembly, representing, the Agwa/Izombe constituency. During this period, Agwa Secondary School was established, through community/government partnership, the uncompleted Agwa water project, etc.
Agwa also held the following political positions among others: 1. Member, House of Assembly, 1979 to 1983, 1992 to 1993, 1999 to 2003. Hon Commissioners, 1999 to 2007, Executive Chairman, Oguta LGA, 1999 to 2005, T.C. Chairman, Oguta LGA, 2007, Hon Commissioner, 2007 to 2011, Coordinator, Agwa Development Area, 2007 to 2011, Hon Commissioner, 2016 to 2019, 5 No T.C. Chairmen, 2011 to 2019, Chairman, ISOPADEC, 2015 to 2019, Hon Member/Commissioner, Local Government Service Commission, 2015 to 2019, Hon Commissioner/Member, ISOPADEC, 2020 to 2024, 2 No Special Assistants to the Governor, 2021 to 2024, etc.
From the above, one may safely say that, Agwa benefited reasonably in terms of appointments/positions at Local Government and State levels. A critical assessment reveals that the appointments/positions did not have corresponding positive impacts on the development of Agwa. However, some of the officeholders performed well while some didn’t. It is noteworthy that most of the infrastructures attracted by these officeholders were destroyed/vandalized by our people. Some of our youths are into banditry, kidnapping, arson, get-rich-quick syndrome, etc.
Education which is the driving force for social mobility and development has been relegated to the background. Insecurity has enveloped the entire Agwa clan and no meaningful development will take place in these prevailing social maladies. The discovery of crude oil/gas in commercial quantities in Agwa seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. As of now, Agwa is regressing instead of developing.
PROJECTING INTO THE FUTURE. According to Prof Chinedu Nebo (2010 Ahiajoku Lecture series), ” To all and sundry, Nigeria’s chronic underdevelopment, her miasmic posture, her anemic economy, her conflagrant polity, and her disastrously porous security are all blamed on poor and inept leadership.” He went further to say, “And without any fear of contradiction or any other thing, I stated again that poverty in this land is artificial; it is self-inflicted scourge; the same goes for unemployment too.”
Similarly, the underdevelopment of Agwa may be blamed mainly on failed leadership, from Town Unions and communities to political leaders and elites in general. This is because they are the flowers of the society that mobilize and galvanize the people for development. Other reasons include poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, and self-inflicted destruction. However, the key to these challenges is responsible leadership.
Consequently, we recommend, Servant leadership. According to Prof Chinedu Nebo, Servant leadership, “is primarily a principle of leadership that believes that leader is first and foremost a servant of his people or followers.” It sees leadership as a trust that must not be betrayed and the leader as primus inter pares. Servant leadership is a personification of integrity, accountability, and excellence. “It is always proactive, accommodating, and tolerant of constructive criticisms.” It is this kind of leadership that we advocate to drive the development of Agwa in the future.
Empirical studies carried out in developing countries on poverty reveal “that many of the resources needed for development are at hand, unutilized or poorly utilized. Foremost among them are, intelligence, ingenuity, and efforts of the labor force itself. Usually, a small part of the rural workforce often is openly unemployed, while a larger part of the workforce may be underemployed in the sense that it is engaged in a very low level of productivity.” This applies largely in the Agwa situation. The abundant human and material resources in Agwa have not been put to maximum use. The vast arable land in Agwa is wasting and begging for effective utilization. These will form challenges for future leaders of Agwa.
The future holds a lot in stock for Agwa and it is our collective efforts to make Agwa better in our time. Agwa Central Union(ACU), has a big role to play in this dispensation.
Thanks a lot once again, for allowing me to share my thoughts with you.
REFERENCES. 1. Chinedu Nebo, Nigeria Sectoral Underdevelopment And Leadership Challenges: the Igbo Perspective, Ahiajoku Lecture series, 2010
- M. Haralambos and Heads, Sociology: themes and Perspective, University Tutorial Press, Slough, 1980. 3. Keight Griffin and Azizur Rahman Khan: Poverty in the Third World: Ugly Facts and Fancy Models, in Hamza Alavi and Teodore Shomin, ed, Introduction to Sociology of Developing Societies, Macmillan Publishers Ltd, London, 1982. 4. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, International Student Edition, Oxford University Press.
That was a very good articulated keynote.But question is, after all these people as appointees both in state and Local government, AGWA is still undeveloped.