July 12, (THEWILL) – The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, the Benanaowel of Ekpetiama Kingdom, Agada the IV, on Tuesday, launched two books: ‘Once A Soldier’ and ‘The African Voice’.
The event, which took place at the DSP Alamieseigha, Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, attracted the creme de la creme from all walks of life.
Speaking at the prestigious event, the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, commended the monarch for authoring two books that inspire the belief that one’s background is not an impediment to success.
Diri, who praised the author’s forthrightness, doggedness and brilliance in putting the piece of literary works together, averred that the resort to violence and criminality by youths in airing their grievances negatively is no longer fashionable but rather, the genuine articulation of the challenges confronting the people.
Represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, he said despite the unpalatable environment where the Ekpetiama monarch was raised, he was able to rise above and put his name on the literary map.
He reiterated the commitment of the Prosperity Government to prioritise education, adding that in order to actualise this, the government has been able to secure accreditation for the State’s Niger Delta University, Amassoma and is working to ensure that other higher institutions in the State receive full accreditation.
He said, “If you don’t educate any mind, that mind remains crude, rude and unamendable, and so, education is a major issue that we have made as part of the skill of the Prosperity Administration.
“We want to educate our people so we would have more of the Dakolos, more of the referenced Gabriel Okara and even our late literal icon, the king poet, who we had; we were here about two weeks ago to immortalise, and I am talking about king Otobotekere, who has also written quite a lot, all from that Ekpetiama enclave.
“The question is, what is there in that Ekpetiama that is bringing out all this writing? We need to have that as an interrogation.”
Speaking as Chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Godknows Igali, described Kingdom Dakolo as a natural ruler, who represents the past and the 21st Century, presiding over one of the oldest clans in Ijaw Ethnic Nationality, adding that His Majesty’s writings reflect on the identity of the Ijaw people.
Igali noted that the Ekpetiama monarch, like Gabriel Okara, tried to put together the intricate issues confronting the Ijaw people, saying that he was able to bring to the fore the history and personality of the people of the Niger Delta.
The author of the two books and the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom noted that he wrote the books to bring to the fore the unfair treatment, inequality, and injustices suffered by the people of the Niger Delta region, which need to be articulated and aggregated to the awareness of authorities because the issues of the region were still unknown and deserve intellectual discourse to attract attention.
He said, “‘Once a Soldier’ and ‘African Voice’ are two books that chronicled and encapsulate my early childhood experience of how I was born and bred in the Niger Delta; an opportunity to lend my voice to the ranging intellectual discourse on marginalisation and injustices meted out to the Niger Delta region. Despite its contributions to the nation’s economy, the area is still wallowing in penury, abject poverty, underdevelopment, neglect and suffering.”
The monarch, who is a retired soldier and prolific scholar, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, a Postgraduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering PHDCHE, a Post Graduate Diploma in Education; and a Master of Arts degree in Terrorism, International Crime, and Global Security.
