…as minister inaugurate technical committee for cultural and historical centre in Opobo
By Gloria Ikibah
Member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, has commended the Tinubu-led Federal Government for taking concrete steps to immortalise King Jaja of Opobo.
Rep. Abiante who represents Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State, stated this at the official inauguration of the Technical Committee for the Implementation of the King Jaja of Opobo Cultural and Historical Centre, Opobo, Rivers State, by the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Rivers lawmaker who was the lead lobbyist for the project explaine that it will give exposure to and immortalize the great leader through indept research, letting the world know the heritage of the people.
According to him, the peoplenof Opobo and Nigerians at large stand to gain a lot from the project.
He said, “As a servant of the people, anytime you’re sent to do a job and at a point where there’s success, of course, you should be very happy, you should be elated. That’s exactly how I feel today.
“This is a project that has taken us seven years, when the other people who were there didn’t share the same vision with us, but we’re very happy. I am glad that a Minister came, bought into the vision and today, we’re starting the actual journey to making people know exactly what our intentions were, expanding beyond even what we’ve conceived. We are glad.
“It will lead to the imortalization of the great leader through deeper research, letting the world know who we are, bonding people together. It will also create jobs. Is it in the area of tourism, a lot. It will open that area up, we expect a lot to be achieved, a lot to gained.
“That axis will now become a hub of tourism in Rivers State and even in the South-South, if we harness the things that are there properly.
“We have the aquatic splendour behind the oceans, we have a neighbouring Local Government Area which have elephants, if those elephants are conserved at this period, you can imagine what that could bring to us. There’s the wide beach beside the Atlantic ocean, there’s a lot. What about the blue economy, it’s going to be a part of it”.
The Minister in her address said the project was key in the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
“This project signifies a milestone in our collective resolve to take Nigeria’s Art & Culture to enviable heights. Permit me to add that one of the Ministry’s core mandates is immortalizing past heroes by promoting national heritage and values.
“Therefore, today’s event is a testament to our readiness to partner with any State, community, individual or group that desires to immortalize persons of proven capabilities whose immense contributions had helped in shaping and projecting the uniqueness of our cultural values, norms and artifacts as a people,” the Minister stated.
According to her, the project as captured in its concept note, was designed to be a historic tribute to cultural renaissance as well as a clarion call for cultural preservation.
“It is a step to encourage our nation’s quest for cultural tourism and a boost for diplomacy in international affairs. I would like to reiterate that the establishment of the Centre is in tune with Nigeria’s vision of utilizing the Art, Culture and Tourism Sectors to create job opportunities for the teaming youth as well as contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
“ Similarly, establishment of Cultural and Historical Centres engender peace, unity, and national cohesion as well as mutual understanding among Nigerians and the International Community resident in the Country”, she noted.
The minister therefore charged members of the Technical Committee to regard their selection as a clarion call to national assignment.
“Let me remind you that you are expected to play critical roles in the realization of this onerous task at hand. Your assignment will require you to serve as liaison between the Federal Government (represented by the Ministry), the State Government and the Host Community.
“You will also be required to come up with a Work Plan for the project and draft the strategy on the implementation, detailing the timeline as well as suggest other terms of reference that are considered germane to the success of the project”, she said.
Leading the Rivers State delegation was the paramount ruler of Opobo, His Royal Majesty, King, (Dr.) Dandeson Douglas Jaja, Jeki V, Treaty King, Natural Ruler, the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom.
The monarch also appreciated the federal government.
He said, “This is the time when God decreed that this project will takeoff because we’ve been agitating for the federal government to do something to immortalize King Jaja of Opobo for all his contributions to the emancipation of the blackman, and especially, the independence of this country. Save that in 1955, a merchant ship was named after King Jaja, but that merchant ship has been decommissioned.
“Since then, the federal government has not done anything to immortalize King Jaja, so this is the first time the federal government is taking steps to do something concrete in his name; build a centre where people will come, read about his contributions to commerce, his contributions to the defence of his kingdom, and the impact on Nigeria’s history.
“This is the fist time the government is doing this, and we’re thrilled”.
On acceptability of the project by the people, he said “this is a project we’ve wished for, for over seven years, and it is a project that we really called attention of government to, and luckily, we’ve seen also the concurrence of our own state government, prepared for the imortalization of King Jaja”.