African statesman, Kwame Nkrumah is reputed with a big picture for a Great Africa. At a conference in Accra, Ghana, he reportedly said: “I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me.” Implying this philosophical statement, the average Anihima did believe that he was not Anihima because he was born in Ihima but because Ihima was born in him. Flushed with this belief, Ihima people were extremely-together hence they were able to make things hum in various ways.
They opened up access roads, built culverts, and maintained them through communal efforts. They fought and defeated external aggressors. They created an enviable image for themselves in the eye of people of other districts in Ebiraland. In educational development, they led other parts of Ebiraland. They were not only quick to embrace western education; they built primary and secondary schools. Far back in the 1960s Ihima alone had five primary schools when Okene that was next to Ihima had not more than three. Courtesy of community cum missionary efforts.
It would be recalled that the first Military officer of Ebira extraction, Late Colonel Jimoh Omananyi was a native of Ihima. Rear Admiral Hamzat Sani, the first Naval General ever produced Ebiraland is also from Ihima. The first auto-mechanic in Okene, Adai Haruna; first carpenter also in Okene, Adai Ochesuru Okene; and the first organized building materials merchant in Okene, Adai Audu Ovivi were all from Ihima.
Recall that in Ebiraland, tailoring used to be an uninteresting skill as it was believed that it was not enough to eke out a living being a tailor owing to poor patronage untill Alhaji Adubi Abdulmalik from Ihima changed the tide. He went to Kano in 1967/68 to acquire advanced skills on embroidery and eventually became the first Ebira man to acquire the machine hence he is reputed as the father of modern tailoring in Ebiralnd. Impressed by his creativity, the late Ohinoyi of Ebiraland tried to persuade him to relocate from Ihima to Okene but he politely turned down the royal invitation as he preferred to remain in Ihima. In the transport sector, Ihima people started and yet dominate commercial transport business.
When John Holt was leaving Nigeria and the multinational wanted to sell off its property in Okene, it was pretty difficult to see Anebira who could afford to buy the choice property. An Ibadan-based successful international merchant, Adai Salami Ode from Ihima had to be invited to buy it. And he did. The records are there.
In small but brazen groups, Ihima people traversed other lands near and far up to Ilorin, Oyo, Ibadan, Ektiland, Lagos and even Ghana in search of legitimate sources of livelihood. My own grandfather, Abdulmalik Umedinoh Ajigarrah lived and died in Ilorin where my father (Alhaji Adubi) and some of his older siblings were born and bred. They relocated back home in the mid-1920s following their father’s death.
At youth level, and to be specific, Ihima Students’ Union (ISU), it was a story of progressive exploration and knack for development. ISU was, indeed, a very big family closely knitted with love and discipline. During holidays, the Union would organize Extension programme where students in Forms Four and Five were tutored by those in the Tertiary Institutions free. And during the Third Term holiday, Summer Classes were also organized for all students in Forms One-Three so as to keep them gainfully busy while on long vacation.
In addition to these, senior students habitually mentor their junior counterparts who looked up to them as role models. In the month of December every year, ISU would organize Picnic and end of the year party after which General election would be held to usher in, new executive committee.
From the above, it is unarguable to say that Ihima people are gifted with foresight. They are adventurous and unimaginably courageous. They would turn the tick forest in the western region (Yorubaland) in to large peasant farm fields, their blacksmith made hoes and cutlasses. They would bravely live in their no-wall thatched roof huts with their wives and children without any iota of fear of being devoured by beasts and dangerous reptiles.
Armed with blacksmith-produced traps, their bows and arrows, they would rather hunt for the wild animals such as tiger, antelope and hyena among others for supper. From artisanship to enterprise and education as well as military, they were the pathfinders before the wild fire of the unfortunate crisis.
Another factor that made Ihima great was their broadmindedness towards other people who are not natives. Ihima people were exceptionally accommodating. It was a community of integration flushed by love, care and industry. The Blacksmiths who were resident in Ihima were made to feel at home. Several people from other districts in Ebiraland were accorded maximum respect and they were given deep sense of belonging.
They grew in prosperity and in turn, contributed immensely to the socio-economic and political development of the community. Adai Solomon Oniwon from Okengwe; Alhaji Musa Eyinabi from Eika; Alhaji Opotu from Obangede; and Alhaji Bello Adavatu from Ovehira are just few among the great and very successful assimilated Anihima whose contributions could not be overemphasized. Ihima story was a narrative of unity, progress and remarkable growth with excellent footprint until the ill wind came and blew off the glory. Now, it is time to reclaim our lost glory. And the key to unlock the garden of peace, love and harmony is dialogue.
– Abdulkarim Omuya Adubi Abdulmalik, an Abuja-based Journalist and Media Consultant
