The Untold Story About Oloibiri Oil Museum: The Strategic Role Of The Pioneer First Lady Of Old Rivers State And The Need To Immortalize Mrs. Ethel Diette-Spiff Now

WISDOM ONIEKPAR IKULI 

The Ijaw Nation gained prominence from the 12th century with the arrival of Portuguese explorers and adventurers.

However, it became more prominent during the legitimate trade era to the colonial era because of the abundant human and natural resources in Ijaw land.

Even though the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates affected the prominence of the Ijaw Nation, especially due to her balkanization, it remained an outstanding tribe during the pre-colonial and post-colonial era.

During the acknowledged epochs, the greatest challenge of Ijaws was that of lack of political identity and perhaps legitimacy. The above resulted in several nonviolent agitations that were organized and led by High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye and other elites.

The excellent and very brilliant presentations by High Chief Dappa-Biriye during the London Conferences and the subsequent quest by General Yakubu Jack Gowon, Nigeria’s second Head of State to stop Biafra’s secession led to the creation of Rivers State on 27th May, 1967.

Thereafter, a young 26years old Naval officer, Navy Commander Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff served was appointed as Military Governor and he was fortunate to serve from May 1967 until July 1975 when the Yakubu Gowon regime was toppled in a bloodless coup.

On January, 1970, the young, brilliant and very vibrant military governor of Rivers State formally wedded a beautiful and highly productive young lady, Miss Ethel Aina Potts-Johnson. Olusegun Obasanjo who later became Nigeria’s 4th Military Head of State and Civilian President, respectively, was the Best Man to Alfred Diette-Spiff during the historic marriage.

I took time to lay basic intellectual foundation to sew all historical facts together so that we can collectively connect the above to our unsung heroine.

Even though Her Excellency, Mrs. Ethel Diette-Spiff who was the First Lady of Old Rivers State from 1970 till the end of General Gowon is originally from Brass Local Government Area, she developed unimaginable love and attachment to Ogbia Kingdom precisely Emakalakala Community where the grandmother of her husband now King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff come from.

That attachment has made her instruct her children and entire family to bury her at Emakalakala when she finally goes to meet her ancestors.

Moving forward, the need to develop Oloibiri-Otabagi which is the Cradle of crude oil and gas wealth in the whole of West Africa, made her to conceptualize the ‘NATIONAL OIL, GAS & RENEWAL ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, OGBIA-OLOIBIRI.

Sadly, several attempts have been made to erase or downplay her strategic, significant, and symbolic role regarding the Oloibiri-Otabagi Oil and Gas Museum and Institute.

Her historic efforts started when she was the First Lady. She later prioritized it when she was appointed as Chairperson of the Rivers State Tourism Board by the Chief (Sen.) Dr. Melford ObieneOkilo administration.

After designing the template for the museum and research centre, she presented it to His Excellency, Dr. Alex O. Ekweme (GCON) the then Vice President of Nigeria who launched the Oil and Gas Museum in 1980.

Through her resilience and strong commitment to the actualization of this very important project, she persuaded Chief (Sen.) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo, the Governor to invite President Alhaji Aliyu Shehu Shagari to lay the foundation for the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum in 1983. It is quite unfortunate that that administration was later toppled that same year.

But despite the change of government, she never gave up the struggle for the building of the strategic Oloibiri-Otabagi Oil and Gas Museum and Institute.

Successive administrations tried to actualize it to no avail until the present Renwed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that has released funds to Julius Berger Plc for the realization of this very important project.

Even in her 80s, the passion of Her Excellency for the building, growth and development of the Ijaw Nation and the area where crude oil and gas were first discovered in commercial quantities and quality have not died down.

She is presently pushing for the building of a Refinery at Emakalakala Community as a way of promoting the economy of the cradle of crude oil and gas activities in Nigeria.

It is her daily wish that unimaginable injustices that the Nigerian state and Shell have done against that area are redressed through the provision of adequate social amenities.

As I conclude this piece, I humbly appeal to the federal government particularly the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, Nigerian Content Development and Development Board (NCDMB), PTDF and other partners in the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum and Institute, Bayelsa State Government and others to immortalize the immeasurable sacrifices of this great woman of substance that has made unimaginable sacrifices.

–Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli