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A Jolly Gentle General
Biography Of Charles Bebeye Ndiomu
By Deinbo Briggs
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Deinbo Briggs
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-6908-4
Chapter One
THE GENEALOGY
Paternal Lineage
Charles Bebeye Ndiomu hailed from Gbekibor Quarters of Odoni town in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. One local tradition states that the name Odoni derives from the son of Kulma of Otunwa town in Ogbein clan. He, Odoni, (Kulma's son), migrated first from Otunwa to Sagbagrigha town in Kolokuma Kingdom and later moved to found Odoni in a location called Eweri. This is along the River Nun, north of Kolokuma, located between Odi and the present site of Odoni. Odoni is therefore traced to Orubiri Compound in Otunwa.
Charles' father's native name was Ndiomu and his English name was Glasgow. His grandfather's name was Ekussah, and Ekussah was born by Adokwu. Adokwu gave birth not only to Ekussah but also to Okuoru who gave birth to Okogba and Emeseri. Apart from Ndiomu, Ekussah also gave birth to Omemu (son), who was of the same mother with Ndiomu. Onyumuru was Ekussah's daughter who also was of the same mother with Omemu and Ndiomu. Ekussah also had Orie and Annah (both daughters) who were of a different mother. All the children and descendants of Adokwu essentially constitute Adokwu-Ware Compound in Gbekibor Quarters.
The paternal lineage of Ndiomu Ekussah Adokwu can therefore, be traced to Odoni, the founder of Odoni town as illustrated in the family tree on the next page:
Charles' Father
Chief Glasgow Ndiomu Ekussah was a Prince. The system of becoming the Amananaowei (Paramount King) of Odoni was unique, especially, in the 1920s and 1930s. First of all, an adult male must belong to a Quarter in Odoni and then grow in stature and wealth and become a Chief in that Quarter. It was the oldest amongst the Chiefs that occupied the Amananaowei stool and serve as the King of Odoni. Those who hailed from Odoni were quite conscious of that royalty right from the outset. Charles and his siblings looked up to the time Chief Ndiomu Ekussah would become the Amananowei but unfortunately, he never lived long enough to be the oldest and be installed. He was a blue-blooded gentleman, a Chief, and a leader in the town. For instance, white men who were visitors, like the District or Divisional Officer and others, would call at Chief Ndiomu Ekussah's place as part of their itinerary. Although they would visit the Amananaowei quite alright, yet they would stop-by at Chief Ekussah's, revealing how popular he was at that time. Perhaps, one would argue that "in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is the King". What used to be referred to as a Quarter in Odoni has since 2006 been upgraded to the status of a town with its own Amananaowei. Thus, Gbekibor Quarter is now Gbekibor town, having the 'Oduo' (Amananaowei) of Gbekibor; Opu-Odoni Quarter is now Opu-Odoni town, having "The Oluo" (Amananowei) of Opu-Odoni; while Tamu-Odoni Quarter is now Tamu-Odoni town, having "The Odiagruawari" (Amananaowei) of Tamu-Odoni. Those three towns grouped together form the present Odoni Kingdom with a King known as 'The Abubu' of Odoni Kingdom. He is the Paramount Ruler, and the Amananaoweis comprising Oduo, Oluo and Odiagruawari are under him.
Maternal Lineage
Charles' mother was Miss Metoru Okah, an Isoko lady who married Chief Ndiomu Ekussah. Her baptismal name was Mary. She had a younger brother called Clark, who was of the same parents with her.
Okah, the father of Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu was the son of Efuoge, interpreted in Ijaw language as 'Beseri pere ama' meaning the 'wealthy ones of our time'. Efuoge was the son of Abebe, and Abebe was the son of Urezu who traced his roots to Uzoro, an Isoko town.
The name of Okah's mother was Madam Ochaho, while Metoru mother's name was Atase. Atase's father was Newuka and her mother was Ogbehovie. Charles Ndiomus' maternal lineage can thus be illustrated in a tree diagram as follows:
Charles contended that his mother Mrs. Metoru Mary Ndiomu Ekussah was his heroine. Like many, she came probably before her time. The pitch darkness and pains of those years never for once beclouded her clear vision for herself and her children. The view and hope for light at the end of the tunnel was fueled by her personal relationship with an intense faith in God Almighty. Like a baby clings to the mother, Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah trusted in the Almighty God to the end, and God, in the fullness of His time, delivered miracles to His stead, even after Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu's death. Charles further remarked, quoting the Bible as a true Christian that "God owns and controls the heavens and earth (Psalm 24:1) and can use the mountains that block our chances today to be our stepping-stone to glory tomorrow. Inside the problems, Charles and his siblings faced in their younger days, especially, after their father's death, was their success afterwards. According to Charles, "we must link today's darkness to tomorrow's light through perfect trust and faith in God's unfailing grace and provisions. It was so in the lives of Moses, Daniel, and David and a host of others.
Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah was a housewife, a very good farmer, very industrious lady and she also engaged in petty trading. She was a leader in her own right in the community. Discipline was also her characteristic but in a subtle form compared to Chief Ndiomu Ekussah. She welcomed no insult or discourtesy. Charles recollected that his mother, like his father, was also generous but the main difference between them was that while his father could forego anything owed him, his mother as an astute business woman would not. She would demand whatever was owed her, although she could eventually donate everything as a gift to the same person. With Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah, there was a strict difference between a debt and a gift. She spent her resources taking care of her nieces and nephews, some of whom she sent to school or to town to learn a trade. She had a lot of vision and foresight.
In 1968, Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah translated to eternal glory while she lived with Charles and his nuclear family comprising five children at Benin. Charles was wearing the rank of an Acting Major in Benin in the former Mid-Western State, and was Education Officer and Staff Officer in the 4 Area Command at that time. He said his mum complained of initial dizziness. She was thereafter complaining of aching eyes, poor vision, fatigue, hearing problems and general debility of the body. The doctors in Benin tried their best to save her life but their best was not good enough. She was interred in the vault at Benin after an impressive funeral service. Charles said he thanked God that he was able to give his mother a decent burial.
Charles paid a glowing tribute to his elder sister, Mrs. Cecilia Asamaowei (nee Ndiomu). He said he respected her dearly for her native intelligence, open-mindedness and cheerfulness. She was not educated because the belief in those days was to deny the girl-child western education, and marry her out once she came of age. Though,Cecilia was denied western education but was nevertheless quite alert of mind and very well informed to the end. She indeed, almost took after Mrs. Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah (their mother). Mrs. Cecilia Asamaowei fended for Charles and his younger ones (Sherma Livinus and Anthony Malafagha) in her own small way during their trying moments. Charles stressed that he was happy, he had the opportunity to do the little he could do to demonstrate his affection for Cecilia Asamaowei before she passed away. May the good spirits and loving souls of Madam Metoru Ndiomu Ekussah, and Mrs. Cecilia Asamaowei (nee Ndiomu) continue to rest in perfect peace, Amen, Charles exclaimed.
Let me at this juncture; chip in a personal experience relating to Mrs. Cecilia Asamaowei. In 1986, I was a Junior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State. Charles was our Director-General and the Senior Executive Course (SEC 8) of NIPSS, Kuru, was underway. About the middle of the year, Charles' elder sister, Mrs. Cecilia Asamaowei died, and I was a member of the delegation that represented NIPSS, Kuru, for her funeral. Others on the delegation were Dr. Sam Chime (Leader), and Major Joshua Ojo (Member). It was during the Ramadan Fasting, and so Alhaji Hassan Ahmed II, who was the Secretary to the Board, and Director of Administration (SDA), who would have led the delegation, could not attend. The funeral took place at Odoni, Rivers State, as at then. The NIPSS' delegation drove to Kaiama, and took an outboard engine boat that lasted about an hour on the River Nun to Odoni. River Nun is a major tributary of River Niger. During the boat ride, Dr. Chime was literarily frightened with goose bumps all over his body. He was wondering what would become of him and his ambition should there occur a boat mishap. He never knew how to swim, and even if he had little idea about swimming, he would have been handicapped by his Igbo regalia. Thus, Dr. Chime never allowed myself and Major Ojo to utter a word while the boat ride lasted. The gesticulations from the boat driver and the deck hand were getting on Dr. Chime's nerve fairly frequently and he kept reminding them to keep quiet. Maybe, Dr. Chime prayed many times before we got to Odoni.
We joined the funeral midway at Odoni, and at the end the irrepressible Charles was enormously impressed by our presence. He was enthused about our braving the odds to come all the way from Kuru, Plateau State. Many other dignitaries came from Port Harcourt, Warri, and Benin. The Airmobile Brigade of the Nigeria Army used their helicopter in flying dignitaries from Kaiama to Odoni, amongst them were representatives of the Military Governor of Rivers State, Police Commissioner Fidelis Oyakhilome. I must add that Dr. Sam Chime was quick-witted a she took Lieutenant Femi Adeoye outside for a pep talk. Moments later, Lieutenant Femi Adeoye concluded necessary arrangements, and our return journey was by air via military helicopter to Kaiama town, instead of outboard engine boat. Lieutenant Femi Adeoye was Charles' aide-de-camp (ADC) at the time. He had retired from the Nigerian Army in 2011 on the rank of a Brigadier-General. It was while we were driving back to Port Harcourt from Kaiama that Dr. Chime revealed to us, his apprehension over rivers and seas. He explained that if death came calling on his door, he would prefer to welcome it on land rather than on the river, and not to become food for the fishes.
Chapter Two
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT DAYS
Charles was born into a polygamous family on December 20, 1934 at Odoni in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. His parents were Chief Glasgow Ndiomu Ekussah and Mrs. Mary Metoru Ndiomu (nee Okah) of Onogboko, an Isoko town in Indosimili Local Government Area of Delta State. Charles' genealogy in an earlier chapter captured it all. Charles' mother had seven children, all boys except one, and his father had altogether thirteen sons and two daughters.
In his formative years Charles grew up like any other child of his vintage, incubated, nursed and nurtured in the common Izon tradition. It would be improper for us to pretend that Charles had any recollection, however remotely vague of his infancy. However, we have no reason to disbelieve that he fulfilled all the developmental milestones that a child passes through, such as; sitting up, teething, crawling, tottering, footsteps, and all, in due sequence.
In his tender age, he noticed all around him, helpers in the house—mother, sister, house-helps and countless relations. With three elder brothers from his stepmothers, an elder sister from his mother, all ahead of him, he could not have been a major focus of filial attention. He therefore, had exposed himself more frequently than most children to the inevitable hazards of tripping and tumbling over several times a day, endlessly tempting nature and daring gravity. The excitement of firming up his hesitant footsteps more than outweighed the risks of falling and sustaining all manner of home-driven injuries. It must have been a nightmare for his mother to keep him from gobbling up anything within his reach at crawling. Yet, in spite of these acts of seeming recklessness and restlessness, he could not help but feel that he was overprotected by doting parents and relatives. He knew quite early the dread and danger of open fires although fascinated by seeing older ones flip a finger across a candle flame without being scorched.
There was copious evidence of the issue of honesty in the house. His mother's elementary way of testing this in newly-recruited housemaids was ingenious. She would leave a half-penny coin in an inconspicuous corner of the living room and ask the new unsuspecting maid to 'sweep the parlour'. If the coin disappeared thereafter and the maid did not own up to discovering it, mother would let a few days elapse before a repeat of the exercise. This he later learnt was to make doubly sure. If on the second chance another coin disappeared the maid was promptly sent away.
Charles grew up in a polygamous family with its attendant rivalries and competition for the limited resources provided by a struggling and hardworking father with four wives who had to compete for favours from one man. It was no small wonder that this affected Charles' upbringing in various ways.
In 1940, Charles was enrolled into St. Peter's Primary School at Odoni where he spent three years and from where he had an ecclesiastic call. At Odoni, in those days, part of the requirement for enrolment in school was the measurement of the pupil's right hand reaching the left ear over the pupil's head. Those who were stunted in growth, in spite of their matured ages, were denied admission. Charles never had any problem with this requirement because of his size, but many prospective pupils became victims of this harsh rule, or requirement. The pupils were taught in both Ijaw and English languages.
As Charles started primary school, he was fascinated by the prospects of sharing the company of his compeers. He could not quite recollect his first day at school, nor indeed who took him to school. Primary schools were more interesting and teachers of considerable experience took great pains to put pupils through the basics of how things came to be what they were (not merely learning by the rote). This ignited pupil's inquisitive instincts more profoundly than at home where the dread of saying anything wrong inhibited the posing of questions.
He was fascinated by all manner of insects and reptiles until the enthusiasm was truncated by a bizarre experience. This was in the courtyard of the house where planks prepared as rafts and facial boards used in constructing the house were stockpiled. As the sawn wood had been piled up for many months, diverse creatures (centipedes, millipedes and the like) had found refuge in the dark crevices and spaces in between the woodpile. Charles was particularly attracted to one of the crawling creatures and did not know his father was watching from the veranda. He had virtually held it in his hand but the loud yell from nowhere made him drop it spontaneously. It was in fact, a scorpion, but he was totally innocent of the grave danger to which he had been exposed. If an elder had not been around, he probably would not have lived to tell the story.
In late 1943, two Roman Catholic Fathers, Reverend Father Millet, resident in Oguta (Imo State), and Archbishop Heary, resident in Onitsha (Anambra State), while doing a tour of the Roman Catholic Diocese, made a stopover at Odoni. Chief Ekussah (Charles' father) who played host to these two Reverend Fathers spoke with them and struck a bargain with Rev. Fr. Millet who agreed to take over the upbringing of Charles, if Charles would accept to serve as 'mission boy'. Chief Ekussah who had a soft spot for African Traditional religion, also developed softer spot for Christian religion, which in fact later transcended Chief Ekussah's fetish ideas. It therefore, never came as a surprise to his household, when he decided on Charles' imbibing the Roman Catholic faith at a tender age, and if possible to become a Catholic Priest later in life. Chief Ekussah was very pleased with the good bargain he had struck with the Reverend Fathers. He was killing two birds with one stone—reducing the number of mouths he had to feed in his polygamous family and at the same time, fulfilling an obligation of training one of his sons to become a Reverend Father.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A Jolly Gentle General by Deinbo Briggs Copyright © 2012 by Deinbo Briggs. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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