13/01/2022
OGHARA UNITY CARNIVAL (CHIEF JAMES IBORI DAY) 2021.
The ups and downs and the enemies within.
We, the organizers want to sincerely thank our good people of Oghara and others that came from far and near. You guys came through unprecedentedly and sat back even in the midst of their plots to scuttle the event.
The event was a great success in many ways. We saw our fathers like chief Ako, chief Amukpo, chief Orioru and other notable figures like Hon. Obeh, Hon. Meretin, Mr. Edeki and his friends from US, chief Andrew Atumah and friends and so many others, enjoyed themselves that night.
The state of the art stage, lightings, DJ equipments and the first time we got almost a thousand chairs, excluding the ones provided for rent with our arrangement and rented by late comers, were signs of success. Only Michael Atikpakpa got us 500 chairs and 50 tables on our account. Kojo and other rental outfits were there also to provide seats. Though, seats became not enough because of the unimaginable crowd, people equally enjoyed themselves. We hope for a day we will have enough funds to take care of 30% of the crowd in terms of seating arrangements. It will be practically impossible to do that for the tens of thousands of people that attend Oghara Unity Carnival, yearly, except we relocate the venue to Oghara stadium.
The performances were wow, even while they were mostly locals (See some video clips below). MC Low Waist, MC A1, MC Powell, Hurricane, Blackee and those entertaining dancers. Hype men A1, Low Waist and Omor, got the temple high while Hurricane, Biggest Tanker and Shuun Bebe nailed it. The crowd managed to cope with the dead lyrics from Specdo and the insulting attitude from MC Ajasco, who ironically cried for the crucification of his career with his ambiguous utterances and hitting of the stage with the DJ's mic. The people were crying of seeing MC Ajasco, Nadia, Specdo and other stupid faces every year with no new vibes, only him confirmed it on stage by saying why didn't the organizers brought Akpororo and Davido, instead of them. You see how people could be so foolish. The platform has giving you the opportunity to excel but you chose to remain stagnant, so what is the organizers' business?
I really do not blame them. They barely go out of Oghara for big stages. We give them platforms annually, still they are insolent. People called me after the event that they will stone Ajasco and all of them that tried to sabotage the event with their utterances to death if they ever see them on that stage again. I told them not to worry. Somebody even threw Beer bottle on stage which almost destroyed the DJ's equipment because of the recurring faces of our local acts. But instead of these local acts to be grateful for us patronizing them, they do otherwise. But when we start neglecting them for outsiders, they should also bear it. One of the essence of the event is to showcase our talents, but they are now giving us problems. Nobody can discourage me from making my people happy in the yuletide through my shows, especially Oghara Unity Carnival (Chief James Ibori Day), not even my evil former co-organizer.
They tried to sabotage the event but they couldn't. Not because i am strong, but because their intents were evil and God didn't allow it. The forces were many and I foresaw them. I hate dragging names in the mud. But at the same time, i will never allow an idiot to keep spoiling my hard earned name. God bless Late Hon. Elliot Ofa, the man who changed the narratives and exonerated me when he joined the planning committee of Miss Ethiope-West and subsequently Oghara Unity Carnival, before he passed. When Elliot took charge of the treasury of Miss Ethiope-West, the evil one breakaway. Today am glad I don't claim champion in the confines of Oghara. I run shows outside the local government and mingle with the likes of Santiago Roberts (CEO of Mr. Universe & Miss Tourism Nigeria, Lagos), Mr. Pereye Okorowanta (MD of Miss VIP Nigeria, Bayelsa), Blue Bone (MD, Miss Finest Face Nigeria, Benin), Ryan (Miss Niger Delta, Port Harcourt) and there is virtually no pageantry organizers in Edo/Delta, I don't know. I have numerous awards as pageantry icon in Delta State. When someone is more than you, respect him and stop trying to defame him, so that you can be blessed. Lest, you will remain where you are. I will not forget Late Elliot's words in a hurry. He said and I quote "Ovie, Jones dey try for una o. Dis period wey i hold money for d event so, I dey even dey spend my own money to make d event work. So na all these Jones dey pass thru since?"
I am not boasting, if I retire from Oghara Unity Carnival today, the next organizers will appreciate me. Because, my bosses like Hon. Solomon Golley and Chief (Barr.) Emma Uduaghan (Alema of Warri kingdom), including Mr. Dere Otubu and some well meaning Oghara sons and daughters (names in appreciation list) whom I am personally close to, have been so instrumental to the successes of the event in previous years.
The forces that tried to disrupt the Carnival were purely political and my enemy within keyed into it. I have living witnesses in the persons of Martin Smooth and Mudi Igho. Two of them with me and my evil former partner made a committee of four for the 2021 Carnival. In the second meeting I convened as the Chairman, we proposed doing T-shirts to flag up the event with our national leader, Chief Ibori. Right there in the meeting Mr. Ovie Erhiyamremu suggested that Chief James Ibori's name be removed from the event. But he was alone and was objected by the other two, before I lend my voice to support them. I never knew he was working for some political actors, sons of no bodies, who want to measure shoulders with our lovely and amiable chief James Onanefe Ibori, the Eni of Oghara kingdom, the Lion of Nigeria politics, the Odidigboigbo of Africa. The man who took Oghara from the political slavery of Urhobo politics and made Oghara the political Mecca of Delta politics. God knows, if I had understood his evil plans, I would have personally bursted his eyes with my fist.
When I read comments from Oghara Voice's post regarding the outcome of the event, I almost killed the event. But I realised that most of the comments were from kids and non indigenes. Instead of them blaming those who wanted to sabotage the event, they were complaining of not seeing Wizkid and Davido in the event as if to bring these guys to the event is a child's play. The evil people wanted to use the personal rift between Omendo and Otos to disrupt the event. The rift was never premeditated because it started in my presence and thank God it was contained.
They couldn't sabotage the show physically, so they all went to Oghara Voice's account to make silly comments. Even the enemy within, who was my co-organizer planned to disrupt the event because he is not from Oghara. An Oghara son will never do that. Him and his pay master plotted the evil and it flopped. We have a lot of non indigenes who have contributed positively to the community and we are proud of them. They wanted to discourage me to discontinue the Carnival. If I killed the event, my people will miss it dearly and the name of Chief James Ibori whom I vow to immortalize in my own little entertainment way will be affected. The man has done a lot for the kingdom to be celebrated. Not even one self acclaimed educated illiterate can kill this dream.
When we painted the entrance of Oghara and all the roundabouts with Ibori's banners in 2016, at the verge of his return from UK; TVC, AIT, Aljazeera and CNN captured our banners to tell the world how Ibori's people loved him. Anytime we placed Chief Ibori's bill boards at the Benin/Warri express road fly over before the event, annually, I hear good comments of the love for him by his people from outsiders. Every year i stand on the podium, i see tens of thousands of spectators at the Carnival. All these gives me joy. Who is Ovie Erhiyamremu from Okpara Inland that has been paid to kill the joy of Oghara people? For the love of God, I and Hon. Obeh, aborted the arrest that was to be made the next morning when a comedian who performed at the event confessed that Ovie's boys who made silly statements on stage accused him of not making similar statements according to their plans to disorganize the Carnival. Let Ovie and his pay master beware of Oghara matter, if not, it will kill them. No body should play politics with Oghara social life.
I have invested my time, energy and resources on the event. Those who I owe till date because of money we borrowed since 2015 are still alive. Mrs. Emma Agoba, the boutique owner opposite Ecobank is one. But yet, the evil Ovie will be spoiling my name that i eat Carnival's money. I have paid Carnival debt with my land to Mrs. Agoba after the Local government could not fulfill her pledge that led us to borrowing 800k in 2014 because of economic recession. We are still owing her part of the money DESOPADEC directed us to borrow to host the event in 2015 and they only managed to release 1 million. I am still paying the balance principal and interest till date to Mrs. Agoba. But the idiot will keep telling people that I eats money. I beefed Nelly Erubasa for years when I heard what he said about me eating Carnival's money, until the innocent guy explained to me that it was my partner that gave them that impression. As a leader, I forgave Ovie, because there is an adage that says 'whoever that is blackmailing you is not up to you'.
Many of the contributors are my bosses, personal friends and my friends' friends. Then, late Elliot's friends. He will never give us his friends to contribute, because of his personal show, but he wants money from other sources to be shared when event has not been concluded. Even little money that will be made from Table sales at the event (if any) were always shared equally, while i bore the preliminary expenses alone. That has been one of his bad habits that I have been managing. He wants to eat but doesn't want to invest.
Ordinary to print T-shirts before the event flag up this year, he refused to contribute but wanted to use the rest three peoples' money to print his own by giving us over blown budget, which we rejected. At the end he refused printing the T-shirt and before the event, even 3 days to the event he promised to meet me up the next day, but he didn't, after I put calls through to him. He even went telling Martin Smooth that chief Ibori gave me and Mudi millions on the day we took photograph with Ibori, when there was nothing of such. He refused following us to Ibori's place when I called him that Chief Ibori is inviting us. He told me he was in a Church service and cannot go, not knowing he doesn't want his pay master to see him, but want to eat Ibori's money.
Oghara Unity Carnival (Chief James Ibori Day) 2021, has come and gone. I want to thank chief James Ibori for his concern and identifying with the event. Some people said why can't him give you ordinary 5 million naira to host the event. But funny enough, with the kind of people he has made in Oghara alone, that should not be a problem. He doesn't need to be disturbed at all for money to celebrate him, a man who has done a lot for this kingdom. In spite of these, he still sent his support for the event, even if the funds does not allow us to get major Nigerian musical and comedy artistes.
I want to specially thank the Alema of Warri kingdom, Mr. Dere Otubu, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, Hon. Solomon Golley, and other contributors like
Kelly Eferianor Keldor (Keldor), Hon. George Orogun, Hon. Nelson Owoso, Chief Andrew Atumah, Chief Jeff Obarisi Ajueshi, Hon. (Chief) Precious Ajaino, Hon. Austin Atomre, Solo Chapel Oturu, Mr. Emma Ogunje, Hon. Philo Ededey, Chief John Edoka, Comr. Favour Esedey, Rukevwe Asigboro, Elisha Onodavwero, Blessing Ofuafo, Wilson Agent, Omendo Godspower, Peter Ajomata, Chief Vincent Atumah, Dcn. Sunny Ajamufua, Efetobor Movoria, Chief Charles Abutoh, Chief Frank Aduku and others I cannot remember at the moment.
The mamagement of Delta State polyrhythmic, Otefe, Oghara; Presco and Kimatrai Nigeria Limieted, we appreciate your contributions.
No matter how small your contributions are, we thank you specially.
For the little rancour that erupted that night, I want to sincerely apologize and say sorry to all those present. For the up grade of the Carnival, we invite any one capable of bringing in innovative ideas to join the organizers this year. Nobody is perfect and it is lack of funds that limit any event being showcased at optimum capacity. Sometimes, I don't blame our politicians sometimes because I know they don't have. But those that have refused to contribute. We all know the highest political office holder in the community who can single handedly bring any big musical or comedy Artiste to the event, but because of wickedness and stinginess, will never do it. Now, instead of our people calling these kind of people to order because we voted them in, they will be venting their anger of not seeing Davido on the organizers. See how Mosogar politicians cooperate and make theirs stress free. Only G1 use to bring big artistes to Okirighwre Carnival. Does he ever needed crowd to do that? Only Hon. Ebosa brought 2Face, Timaya, Patoranking and many other artistes to Oboghoro riverine community Carnival on the 24th of December. Is he not a human being?
Make una change oooooo.
Visit Oghara Unity Carnival official page for details of contributions
God bless the good people of Oghara.
God bless Chief James Ibori.
God bless Uku Oghara na me, the Ovie of Oghara kingdom.
