By: Eben Enasco Kingsley
The Ukhiri Community in Ikpoba-Okha LGA, Edo state which is predominantly occupied by farmers has been explored and transformed logically by His Royal Highness (HRH), Ambassador Barrister Godwin Osayande Ehigie to a mini- industrial city.
Ukhiri is about 12km away from the main hub of the city situated at Benin Abraka road. The community was founded long ago by veteran warrior Aiyobahan whose lineage exist till today.
Having carefully observed with keen interest of Good Governance in our Royal stead, there have been many interpretations to whom a leader is and what particularly they could do in transforming and developing the society. If we take the words of Jack Welch by a grip, we would draw a line correctly that good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to fruition.
To this end, the Enogie of Ukhiri (HRH), Amb.Ehigie Godwin, was born a leader with great disposition of ideas to harness the land of Ukhiri Community to which other neighboring communities have gradually understudy to know how he has done the magic in the throne.
The seventh Enogie of Ukhiri ascended the throne after the reign of his father and since then, he has not done the way of Lot’s wife in the Holy Bible who was asked not to look back and invariably become a status.
The seventh Enogie of Ukhiri, who ascended the throne entirely on hereditary, through his father Solomon Aigbedion has been a role model to all. The peace in Ukhiri could be attributed to the structure and transparency spearheaded by him and the royal consent of HRM Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin, CFR.
As we clearly discovered his administrative strength, he was asked to speak on what he described as open policy factors as Ukhiri begun to witness rapid developmental interest from all works of life, certainly for the peaceful coexistence, and transparency of the Enogine’s to his subjects.
According to him, “There was no magic about the peace in Ukhiri. Let me also let you know that I am a retired Chief Superintendent Officer of the Nigeria Police Force and a lawyer by training. He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail. We have held jealously the Benin system of administration. When you stretch out your hands you find five fingers.
But out of the five fingers they are not the same and you will find that the administrations of the fingers are never the same. You have in the structured organ-ogram of the community, Ayan, Ighile, Odionwere and the Enogies. Whatever we do in the community, are evolved around my subordinates. The managers of each are automatic members of the council. In governance, one of the things that consider that brings disunity is Election.
He further added that, in the community, they don’t do election but appoint individuals with leadership and credible characters. That is the system that has thus brought unity to this community. We consider elections as volatile and expensive. We respect the interest of all jealousy in this community. A situation where a younger person disrespects an older person, we deal with the younger person to instill peace. On the issue of challenges recorded to achieve the development feat in the community, he debunked having any such challenges because he is persistently involved in consultations before actions. So he said anyone who involves in consultations is in tandem with success hence his benchmark.
Enogie’s hallmark has been emphasis on advocacy for rural agro development. He has common interest to bring to bear mechanized faming through the support of the government agencies as the main occupation of the community. Irrespective of his stead, he embarks on faming to lead by example in which he has lured so many of the community principal and notable men and women to farming.
The man in the mirror has transformed Ukhiri to a mini -industrial city with his wealth of administrative skills likened to the football brains of Messi and Christaino Ronaldo of this generation for other communities to emulate through various projects executed in the community such as ultra-modern abattoir, water scheme project and solar electrification project; which was however ascribed to the handwork of EDSOPADEC and other stakeholders.
