By Omafume Amurun
About two years ago, HRM Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso Abe1, JP. OON, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom took three of us on an adventurous and perilous journey across the southern parts of the country, from the wee hours of the day traveling until midnight to achieve a selfless goal; an undertaking some may consider as crazy.
Why should a Monarch embark on such an inconceivable trip to achieve justice for another monarch? As we traveled, particularly during the night along the dangerous East-West road, I looked him straight in the eye but perceived nothing like fear. He was calm as usual, looking majestic, royal and resolute. Our eyes met. Perhaps he discerned some apprehension among us and straight away assured us of journey mercies. That is vintage Abe 1, fair, just, trustworthy, courageous, fearless; a disciplinarian with a compassionate spirit; a man of wisdom and integrity; a high achiever whose motto is, “You must stoop low to conquer”.
That experience and his dramatic ascension to the throne of his ancestors despite earlier oppositions by some who today are among his greatest admirers, is a testimony that he has a higher spiritual guide plotting his paths and protecting him. Younger men who are privileged to work closely with him often marvel at what his driving force is. One actually wonders from where does this tireless octogenarian monarch draws all his strength? It can only be a Higher Source.
We may also add his several battles with some misguided youths in the community who were bent on frustrating his Peaceful Coexistence Agenda. These delinquents, supported by their political godfathers and some individuals holding top offices in government, colluding with a section of the corrupt security agencies, wrote several petitions based on crudely fabricated lies against him. Today, where are those irritants; the enemies of peace and progress in the Uvwie Kingdom? One after the other, most of them have removed themselves from history, while Abe 1, protected by his guardian angel, has continued to achieve one milestone after another.
Although he has indicated that he is now approaching the departure lounge to eternal glory, we all know from his antecedents that Uvwie will continue on the path of achieving glory after glory, as we beseech and pray on his behalf to The Almighty Father for a longer reign in order to fulfill his destiny. Amen.
Long ago, as a successful executive, the thought of being a chief and eventually monarch was far away from his mind. He was once said to have wrongly believed that the chieftaincy institution was a fetish body just like many of us, who have now embraced it today like our forefathers.
Indeed, some are born great, while others struggle to achieve greatness. HRM Sideso has the attributes of being born great. What do you think of a monarch who at his age, led his people on a 10 mile walk along the major road from Effurun to Enerhen Junction, (the boundary town between Warri South LGA and Uvwie LGA) and back to his palatial palace to drive home his desire for peace and wellness of his people. It is completely unprecedented.
Saddened by the elusive peace in Uvwie, he ascended the throne of his forefathers with a determination to change the narratives. Convinced that education and peace are bedrocks of development, he launched the Abe1 Scholarship Scheme. Today about 2000 persons have benefitted from the scheme.
Recently, during the celebration of his 15th anniversary, he stated that he has successfully executed his 5-point agenda which includes building a permanent palace, educating the teeming youths through the provision of scholarships, restructuring of the traditional administrative system, preserving acceptable traditional practices and culture, restoring peace, and building a sense of unity throughout the Kingdom.
Due to rapid urbanization of Uvwie, he created more administrative units popularly called “Etche” to make traditional leaders nearer to the people for rapid resolution of issues. He increased the four administrative units (Etches) from four to nine with the approval of the state government. The current administrative units are, Alegbor, Ogbe, Ekpan, Ugbomro, Erovie, Ugboroke, Ovwori, Oriokpor and Ohorhe. Today, Uvwie is enjoying relative peace and some wonder how he was able to achieve this feat.
One of the thorny issues in the community which still lingers, i.e. the rotation of community liaison officers (CLOs) has often resulted in instability due to interference by some government or political expediencies will soon be cracked with a decisive strike.
On his ascension to the throne, he promised to work with everyone in the community, and many still wonder how he was able to handle the recalcitrant and unbecoming tendencies of some persons without losing his temper.
His citation during last year’s UPU Award says much about his individuality. It started with a quotation by Ronald Reagan, former U.S. President: “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
- EARLY LIFE
Born 80 years ago into the Sideso family of Jakpa quarter, Effurun, Headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area of Uvwie Kingdom of Delta State, His Majesty spent his teenage life outside his ancestral domain, in what used to be known as Ishan Division in the present Edo State. He attended Government School Irrua in the mid 1950s, from there he moved to Ishan Grammar School, Uromi, where he obtained the Secondary School Certificate in 1963.
- FAMILY
This year 2023, His Majesty, husband of one wife, shall be celebrating 55 years of marriage. Both spouses are still veryfond of each other and are looking forward to more blissful years together. The marriage is blessed with three illustrious sons; each with his own family.
His Majesty is a product of a very humble polygamous family. His late mother, a renowned trader, was the younger of the two wives of his late father. He is the youngest of his 14 siblings and the only surviving one.
Naturally, he went through all the usual complications associated with polygamous homes and came out emotionally and mentally equipped to face the challenges of life. His present affluence notwithstanding, he recalls that he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was always at the farm after school with his siblings, helping their father who was a great farmer.
- WORK EXPERIENCE
His words, “When I graduated from secondary school, I had five jobs waiting for me. It was difficult making the right choice. My uncle in the Customs Service wanted me to join the service but my inclination was towards the army and police. My mother promised to commit suicide if I joined the army.” “I opted for police service, went for the interview and passed but the Commissioner of Police advised me to go back to school. I later joined The MINT and moved ahead from there.”
He was engaged by Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), popularly known as THE MINT, in August, 1965, as a trainee bank note printer and rose through the ranks under expatriate supervisors, until he attained management status. At THE MINT, he served variously as Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Director of Currency, Production Director, and General Manager Corporate Services.
He was THE MINT’s management representative in the National Joint Consultative Committee on Labour from 1976 to 1983. He was also the pioneer management representative at the first African Banknote Printers Association in 1991. He was concurrently chairman of THE MINT’S committees for printing ballot papers, Apprenticeship Scheme, Housing Loan Scheme and HealthCare. Till 1994, he was a member of both the Abuja (NSPMC) Factory Technical Committee and Paper Mill Committee. Sequel to his professional aptitude and overwhelming track record, it was no surprise that he won the revered NSPMC award in 1980.
- OVERSEAS TRAININGS
His Royal Majesty is a product of Thomas De La Rue and Royal Mint, United Kingdom, a first-rate money printing establishment. As a distinguished manager at THE MINT, he was elected to attend several topnotch management courses abroad, and by 1971, he was rated among Nigeria’s accomplished MINT operatives. Attesting to his proficiency and eminence, he represented Nigeria at Intercontinental Conferences on security in collaboration with Interpol in Europe and Japan, between 1986 and 1993. In 1995, His Majesty voluntarily pulled out of THE MINT, having put in 30 years of productive work in the organization. He will always be remembered at THE MINT for his legacy of resourcefulness, transparency and loyalty.
- ACCOLADES
In appreciation of his multifarious contributions to the advancement of humanity, His Majesty has been honoured with numerous classic awards, including the prestigious National Award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), conferred on him by Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration on 22nd July, 2010. He won the Abuja RAMP Safety Award in 2009. There withal, the Uvwie Kinsmen, through HRM Eruohwo II, the then Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom gave him the title, Urhorhomu r’Uvwie (The Good Blessing Of Uvwie Kingdom) in 2001. Similarly, in 2006, his alma mater celebrated him as the Most Distinguished Alumnus and in the ensuing year he was given the highly esteemed Uvwie Merit Award, for his unflagging philanthropy and commitment to the development of the kingdom. The Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) awarded him a Doctor of Philosophy degree (honoris causa) during their 10th year anniversary in the year 2017.
- NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Beyond the confines of his community, on 13 th August, 2008, His Majesty emerged the Programme Chairman of the National Development Summit of Traditional Rulers; Nigeria’s most dominant non-political forum of traditional rulers, inaugurated by late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, to foster national cohesion, peace and progress. The Summit is attended yearly in Abuja by scores of delegates from virtually all the states of the federation. To date, he is the Chairman, Governing Council of the Summit. The summit is co-hosted by National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Traditional Rulers Development and Welfare Initiative, (TRDWI), and Center for Traditional Rulers Advancement, (CTRA), as facilitator.
- LEADERSHIP PROWESS
His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel Ekemejewa Sideso, Abe I, JP, OON, the Ovie Of Uvwie Kingdom, is a great leader who recognizes that people have diverse gifts and talents and adopts significant philosophies that help to harness those potentials toward the common goal. In his kingdom, he has brought to the fore his immense managerial skills garnered in his many years in government service and management training abroad, to propel and fulfill community dreams. He runs an inclusive traditional administration, making the best use of the best brains in specific tasks, including planning, decision-making and problem-solving. Perhaps nothing has endeared him more to his people than his natural willingness to welcome superior ideas at all times.
Lately, he created more sub-clans known as Etches, to bring administration closer to the citizens.
- ROYAL GLAMOUR
When he shows up at occasions in his distinctive regal gait, adorning his full royal regalia, he is always irresistibly eye-catching, resplendent and exquisite, cheered to the hilt by his ever-thrilled loyalists and admirers. He is naturally good-looking, grandiose and indeed, a man of the people, well-loved and venerated by both the lower and upper echelons of the society. Ovie is acknowledged as a fervid adventurer and an uncommon repository of wisdom and experience. He is incontrovertibly a distinguished royal father, with lovable peculiarities and enviable garlands of leadership in diverse spheres of human endeavor. In fact, there has been a sustained euphoria in his kingdom since his enthronement on 18th February, 2008.
