NOW HEAR THIS – TRUE PERSONIFICATION OF LEADERSHIP.

GOVERNOR FUBARA, IMMORTALISE PROFESSOR EKPEBU

CHIGACHI EKE

Introduction

Professor Lawrence Baraebibai Ekpebu never talked about his Harvard-educated first wife, Rose Wanjiko Lawrence Ekpebu (Nee Gichocki). She was Kenyan and they met as students in America, married and relocated to Nigeria. In June 2017, I raised the matter with my Principal.

“Can I ask a personal question, sir?” getting his nod I proceeded, “It’s about your first wife, Rose. Was she killed during the civil war? You’ve told me nothing about her.”

“She died of breast cancer.”

“Didn’t you detect early she had it?”

“We detected she had cancer early enough but Rose refused to go for treatment. She did not want to abandon her students at the Holy Rosary Girls Secondary School, Port Harcourt, where she was the principal. Soldiers from the Bori Camp Army Barracks were abducting her girls at night. They came with military trucks and those captured were never seen again as the soldiers kept them as wives. To stop that from continuing, she kept vigil at night and fought off the invaders. The period immediately after the war was very unsafe for any girl. Even people’s wives were carried away by Hausa soldiers notorious for killing those that argued with them.”

“I see.”

“Rose threatened to report them to her husband who was Commander Spiff’s commissioner if they touch any of her students. Night after night they descended on the school after getting drunk and shooting in the air but Rose fought them off. By the time she finally agreed to seek for treatment the cancer had spread and I had no money to fly her abroad.”

“You were the Commissioner for Finance.”

“Yes. But my salary wasn’t much. I eventually took a loan to get her to the US for treatment. Her doctors asked me to choose between terminating her pregnancy and saving her life or keeping it and risking all,” wiping tears from his eyes. “The pregnancy had to go but she still died. My young children lost their lovely mother.”

I wanted to leave but the great man encouraged me to stay. We already agreed I should write his biography. The Sunday afternoon wore on. I saw an opportunity and asked my second question.

“Why is no road or institution named after you? You had ample opportunity naming monuments after yourself but you did not. You were among Rivers First Eleven that built old Rivers State from scratch but you have not been recognised. We have the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Center, Harold Dappa-Biriye House, Obi Wali Road, Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, Ignatius Ajuru University but no Lawrence Ekpebu University.”

“Commander Spiff and his commissioners took the decision not to immortalise themselves,” he explained. “If what we did was right for our people, then those coming after us would surely recognise and honour us. You don’t recognize yourself. Unfortunately, the politicians of today do not even want to know our contribution to what they are. They name roads after themselves and their cronies who did next to nothing for Rivers people.”

Who was Professor Ekpebu

Born 2nd May 1935 to Chief Naupa BO Ekpebu and Mary Geku of Okoloba town in the Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of today’s Bayelsa State. Ekpebu made history at 25 as the first African to successfully graduate from Harvard University in 1960. While pursuing his undergraduate studies, he repeatedly wrote the school authorities pleading for more African students to be admitted. Finally in 1960, as he was about writing his final examinations, the authorities told him they had conceded to his request.

He was asked to return to Nigeria after graduation and set up a scholarship on behalf of the university for Nigerian students to study in Harvard. Ekpebu thanked them but explained he had no intention of returning to Nigeria without a Doctorate. Yale, Princeton and Columbia Universities had already offered him places. He then suggested getting a competent Nigerian to establish the scholarship and the Admission Office gave him two weeks to do that. Abandoning his examination preparation, he began the frantic search for a patriot to handle this golden opportunity. That was how he located S.O. Awokoya and presented him to Harvard just in time to beat the deadline.

Awokoya established the Nigerian-American Scholarship Programme (NASP), African Scholarship Programme of American Universities (ASPAU), African Graduate Fellowship Programme (AFGRAD) and Advanced Training for Leadership and Skills (ATLAS). Some 250 American universities and 53 African countries joined the programmes benefiting 4000 African scholars. Funded by the participating universities and USAID, the scholarships were supervised by the African-American Institute, AAI.

With the scholarship issue settled, Ekpebu returned to his studies and graduated that 1960 summer with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours). In 1962, he completed his Master’s in Public Administration from Princeton University and went back to Harvard for another MA and Doctorate in 1965. He returned home with Rose that same year to educate young Nigerians.

Ekpebu’s Contribution to Building Rivers

One, he was the only commissioner that served the full seven-year tenure of the Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff pioneer government following the creation of Rivers State by General Yakubu Gowon on 27th May 1967. For five years he was Commissioner for Finance and two years as joint Commissioner for Ministry of Economic Development and Reconstruction; and Ministry of Information. His deep mind positively influenced policies that placed Rivers ahead of other states. General Gowon declared Rivers cabinet the overall best in Nigeria.

Two, sacrificing a flourishing teaching job at the University of Ibadan and family comfort, Ekpebu relocated to the war-torn Rivers in 1968. A small military plane deposited him at the Aerodrome after a bumpy flight. There was no electricity, water or logistic in Port Harcourt. He negotiated roads with deep craters and decomposing corpses to reach his forlorn lodge in today’s Delta Hotels where he worked with a kerosene lantern. But he stayed and served his people.

Three, Ekpebu conceived the Rivers Automatic Scholarship Scheme, modelled after the Harvard-owned ASPAU, for Rivers students who gained admission into tertiary institutions at home and abroad.

Four, he played a big role establishing the Rivers State College of Science and Technology; and College of Education that metamorphosised into today’s Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. When the Federal Government placed embargo on state universities, Ekpebu pulled strings and Professor Adebayo Adedeji, the two met in Harvard, approved the establishment of the Universities of Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri and Ilorin in one day.

Five, with cessation of hostilities he drew heavily from his Princeton training to give Rivers a definite form. He established Rivers treasury, sub-treasuries, internal revenue boards and retrained the workforce to serve Rivers people better.

Six, after the war no bank agreed to return to Port Harcourt not minding his entreaties. As a last resort, Ekpebu established the Rivers-owned Pan African Bank, PAB; modelling it after Chase Manhattan Bank where he did his Princeton internship. The PAB funded the PABOD Group of Companies consisting of the PABOD Breweries, PABOD Stores, Rivbank Finance and Rivbank Insurance. This conglomerate formed the nucleus of Rivers economy.

Seven, when the Indigenisation Programme began Rivers people were too poor to participate. Ekpebu intervened using state funds to buy assets before turning such properties over to indigenes as a way of launching them into corporate Nigeria. Metaloplastica and Nigerian Engineering Works were among assets so acquired.

Eight, in terms of agriculture, Commander Spiff secured a generous loan from the World Bank to establish Risonpalm, one of the biggest oil palm plantations in Africa. Ekpebu played a big role in securing the loan. Robert MacNamara, President of World Bank, automatically approved it on learning Ekpebu was a Harvard product. Risonpalm created permanent employment for thousands of Rivers people.

Nine, Ekpebu initially conceived the East-West Road as Trunk-B as a way of opening up Rivers for commercial farming. The 1959 World Bank Report stated the Niger Delta had the capacity to feed Africa with paddy rice. To shift the humongous project to the Federal Government, he simply upgraded it to Trunk-A by bringing on board the South Eastern and Midwestern States (see Ekpebu’s “Prof. Adebayo Adedeji (1930-2018)).

Ten, as a professional diver, Commander Spiff conceived the Onne Ports Complex but sent Ekpebu to negotiate its approval and building with the Federal Government (see Ekpebu’s “Apapa Gridlock as a Metaphor”). This project was captured in Commander Spiff’s post-war Rivers Five-Year Development Plan.

And eleven, the native son also played leading role in the building of Rivers State Secretariat Complex. He was tasked by his governor to design and negotiate the building of the project with competent contractors; which he accomplished on record time. Ekpebu’s versatile mind conceived a futuristic hub serving the state’s administrative needs unencumbered by space.

Conclusion

The great scholar transited on 2nd January 2022. On the first anniversary of his transition, I called on former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to recognise him (see “Governor Wike, Immortalise Ambassador Ekpebu”). My passionate plea was unheeded. This is my second attempt calling for justice for our Founding Father who risked all for Rivers people.

As evident in the Introduction, Ekpebu’s lovely wife, Rose, also sacrificed her very life protecting young Rivers girls at the Holy Rosary Girls Secondary School from internal violence. Any society with a tinge of conscience will not waste time renaming that institution after her. It is commendable that the school has a house named after her but that is grossly inadequate. Someday, perhaps, remembering her heroism, Rivers people will properly honour Rose. That envisaged day could be now: Professor Ngozi Nma Odu, present Rivers State Deputy Governor, was Rose’s Head Girl and one of her favourite students. Is there a culture where good deeds are not appreciated? All eyes are on Her Excellency.

But I am here to inform His Excellency Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State that Rivers people would like him to immortalise Professor Ekpebu. His Excellency should kindly consider renaming any of these roads and institutions after him: The Rivers State University, Rivers State Secretariat Complex, Forces Avenue in Old GRA and NTA Road. May 2nd, his birthday, could also be declared a public holiday and gazetted as Professor Lawrence Baraebibai Ekpebu Day.

Eke, Email: [email protected], phone: 081 3515 9313; writes from Port Harcourt.

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