By Asakpa Ibobo
Three prominent Urhobo personalities were honored with prestigious Service Awards at the Urhobo Historical Society’s (UHS) 13th Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The event, held on July 26-27, 2024, at New York University’s Stern School of Business, culminated in a Gala Night where the awards were presented.
The award recipients were: Very Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Ambrose Abaka Oghenejode, who received the UHS Lifetime Service Award; .Chief (Sir) Simeon Akpovwoghokohwo Ohwofa, awarded the UHS Distinguished Service Award; and Chief (Mrs.) Rebecca Onoriode Efeotor, honored with the David Dafinone and Michael Ibru Business and Professional Award.
Known for his dedication to Urhobo causes, Father Abaka Oghenejode was celebrated as a “clergy man, educator, and community leader who has chosen the path of priesthood to serve humanity.” The UHS praised his efforts in promoting peace and good governance and for offering hope to the downtrodden and vulnerable in society. Recognizing his lifelong commitment, the UHS stated, “We are delighted, glad, and proud to present you with our Lifetime Service Award for your services to the Church and the people of the Urhobo nation.” Father Abaka, who also serves on the Board of Trustees for both the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide and the Urhobo Historical Society Endowment Fund, was previously honored with the ICON OF RELIGION award by the UPU in December 2022.
The UHS highlighted Chief Ohwofa’s significant contributions as a community leader, technocrat, and businessman. They remarked, “The rise of Simeon Ohwofa to prominence in Urhobo affairs is a testimony to the value of using one’s wealth and influence to promote public interest.” As a dedicated member of the Urhobo community, Chief Ohwofa has played a pivotal role as the Nigerian Coordinator of the UHS and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Urhobo Historical Society Endowment Fund. He was also recognized by the UPU in December 2022 with the award of LEGEND OF INDUSTRY, ENTERPRISE, AND THE PROFESSIONS.
Chief Efeotor was honored for her achievements in business and philanthropy with the David Dafinone and Michael Ibru Business and Professional Award. The UHS lauded her as a “philanthropist and Urhobo patriot” who has become a distinguished figure in both Nigeria and the diaspora. They noted, “She stands out among other successful businesswomen as a major contributor to the cause of humanity and the progress of the Urhobo Nation.”
Chief Simeon Ohwofa and Chief (Mrs) Rebecca Efeotor were present at the Conference and Gala Night in New York to receive the awards, but Father Abaka Oghenejide was represented.
UHS’ profiles of the three awardees, highlighting their contributions and achievements in their respective fields, underscoring their significant impact on the Urhobo community and beyond is reproduces below:
ROFILES OF RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS
Rebecca Onoriode Efeotor, Businesswoman, Philanthropist and Patriot. Recipient of the David Dafinone and Michael Ibru Business and Professional Award
Rebecca Onoriode Efeotor, a businesswoman, philanthropist and an Urhobo patriot has emerged in recent time to become an accomplished person both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, in the world of business. She stands out among other successful businesswomen, as a major contributor to the cause of humanity and the progress of the Urhobo Nation in particular. The success of Rebecca in business can be traced to the influence of her father, Chief Michael Okokoro, who operated a timber milling business in Sapele. Sapele had become famous for the timber industry when the United Africa Company (UAC) opened sawmill in the town in 1936 to process local timber. The mill was expanded between 1948 and 1950 to include a plywood unit, making it the largest processing plant of its kind in the world, and the most heavily capitalized business in Nigeria at a time. The UAC subsidiary was renamed the African Timber & Plywood Company (AT&P). When the plant began to wind down its operation in the late 1960s, others like Rebecca’s father, stepped in to set up several mini milling plants along the banks of Benin River in Sapele.
Probably, on taking a cue from her entrepreneurial father, Rebecca ventured into business, starting with the operation of a small grocery store in London in the United Kingdom (UK). She later sold the business and moved to work for an insurance company from where she resigned after twelve years of employment. Having acquired some management experience from her former employer, Rebecca decided to establish her own company, Supreme Care Services Limited in 1988. The company provides health-care services for the elderly and disabled in the UK. It also operates an accredited training program for nurses, medical suppliers, physicians, and other health-care professionals for the National Health System (NHS) in the United Kingdom. additionally, Rebecca has established a subsidiary health care company, Supreme Homes, to extend health care to people in nursing homes, that has expanded to include eight home units.
Rebecca Efeotor has also expanded her business into areas outside the health-care industry. The Supreme Homes Limited has included in its services the development and management of real estate along with a healthy portfolio of properties of its own in the UK. Another subsidiary, the Supreme Care International Forms has also been opened in 2012 at her hometown of Sapele in Nigeria. The new unit is engaged in various farming-activities ranging from poultry, piggery, fish farming, rearing of goats and snails to the production of feeds for animal and fish. The company has also acquired two large expanses of land to rear the Urhobo-indigenous breed of the cow, erhuen. The venture is certainly to help the erhuen from the fate of other indigenous animal species in Urhoboland that have gone extinct.
Another amazing aspect of Rebecca Efeotor’s life is that unlike other Urhobo successful businesswomen, she is home grown and had gone through primary and secondary schools in Urhoboland. Rebecca attended Omarin Primary School, Sapele, and Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ughelli. Perhaps with such a solid Urhobo home training background, Rebecca seemed equipped enough to have been able to pursue further education through Federal Government Girls College, Benin City, in Nigeria, University of London and Imperial College in the UK, and Boston University, Boston in the United States. Her academic achievements vary from degrees in Geology, through Finance to Business Administration.
With all her accomplishments in Business and Education, Rebecca does not appear to have forgotten her roots. She is an active member of many Urhobo organizations in Nigeria and the UK, including Erhuvwu Ladies Association, Evuarherhe Social Club of Nigeria, Eruke Urhobo Ladies Club, and the Delta Unique Sisters, to name a few. Besides being a mother and grandmother to many in her family, Rebecca is involved in the lives of many other children whom she grants academic scholarships to enable them to attend school, or sponsor their care in several orphanage homes in Nigeria.
You, Rebecca Onoriode Efeotor, a woman of remarkable achievements and an exceptional role model for all young Urhobo women who aspire to become business leaders. After years of engaging in business that offers employment for many Urhobo people both in Nigeria and the UK, you have decided to expand into new lines of business including efforts to save Urhobo indigenous animal species from going extinct. The Urhobo Historical Society is delighted to recognize your many adventures and acts of philanthropy, to present to you, the David Dafinone & Michale Ibru Business and Professional Award for your esteem contributions to the cause of humanity, and the progress of the Urhobo Nation.
Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Abaka Oghenejode, Clergyman, Community Leader, and Patriot. Recipient of the UHS Life-Time Service Award
Abaka Oghenejode is a clergy man, an educator and a community leader who has chosen the path of priesthood to serve humanity. As an advocate for peace and good governance, he continues to offer hope to many, including the downtrodden and the vulnerable in society. Abaka’s attachment to the Church began very early in his life. His parents – Ambrose and Mary Oghenejode were strict Catholics, who ran a home in which one could be denied food for failing to attend daily mass or church service on Sundays. Besides, Abaka grew up among relatives in Uvwie who were also deeply committed to the Catholic faith, including Father B, M. Ogaga, an uncle. Another set of relatives, the Ogbeni family is also known to have produced a Reverend Father and a Reverend Sister. Reverend Abaka Oghenejode himself also has an older immediate sister, Reverend Sister Maria Nazarine Ofome Oghenejode who recently celebrated her 44th year of Sisterhood to the glory of God.
Besides family influence, Abaka’s ultimate decision to join the clergy, was due to his education, virtually all in Catholic institutions. Abaka began his education at the Convent School now known as Ojojo Primary School and moved on to Roman Catholic School renamed Cavengenia Primary School in honour of an early Italian priest, Reverend Father Cavengenia, who came to expand the Catholic mission in Nigeria. In these early years, Abaka who was a mass server, told his father of his desire to become a priest. Thereafter he got enrolled in secondary school at the Holy Martyrs of Uganda Seminary. He thereafter proceeded to Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan where he studied Philosophy and Theology. He also attended the University of Ibadan for a diploma in in Religious Studies, after which he returned to the Major Seminary to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in theology. He also attended Urbana University, Rome for a Bachelor of Divinity, and later the Holy Cross University, also in Rome for a Master’s degree in Theology and a doctorate (Ph.D) in Moral Theology. The dissertation: “Ecclesial Response to Conflict Management in the Niger Delta in the Light of the Social Teachings of the Church” reflects a philosophical and moral approach to the resolution of the long-running militancy in the Niger Delta.
One cannot help but be impressed that Reverend Father Abaka’s services to the Church have so far, all been in Urhoboland. This record of service to Urhobo people, stands him in good stead as one among few who are dedicated to the welfare of Urhobo people. After his ordination as a priest in November of 1987, Father Abaka was appointed a parish priest of the Warri Catholic Diocese and served in various other capacities and in different areas of Urhobo. He began his ministry at Saint Anthony Catholic Church, Ugborikoko, Effurun (1988-1990) and thereafter served two terms as the Bishop’s Secretary (1990-1995) and (1996-1997). He returned to being a parish priest at several Catholic Churches including Saints Peter and Paul; Saint Jude, GRA, Effurun; and Our Lady of the Rosary, Ebrumede. He also served as the Chaplain, Saint John the Baptist Catholic Chaplaincy, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, and Principal of Good Shepherd, Oyede. Abaka was the Chairman of the Christian Pilgrims Board, Delta State of Nigeria, and a former member of the Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos.
Additionally, Abaka seeks to leverage his position as a priest to move beyond the pulpit and the pew to serve humanity. To this end, he has established the Abaka Medical Foundation that provides free medical services, including emergency care and the use of ambulance to transport patients from rural communities to hospitals for proper medical treatment. He is also a member of the District 409 of the Rotary International Club, Effurun, and as a priest, he is fully committed to the club’s motto: Service above self. The Club was founded in 1905 with the goal of serving humanity through its ability to bring business and professional leaders together in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help to build goodwill and peace in the world.
Abaka’s patriotic disposition and propensity for service seems to have drawn from a deep appreciation of the work of Christian missionaries who began arriving in Nigeria in the nineteenth century. The missionaries were not just concerned about evangelization, they acted as social workers to establish peace initiatives, institute education, create health-care system and other ways of life that benefited the people. The use of education for example, provided knowledge that moved the people from an ignorant past to the present state of enlightenment. With this understanding of the role of education in society, Abaka along with Professor Omafume Onoge and HRM Dr. Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, Ovie of Uvwie, and a few others were motivated to lobby the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE). He eventually accepted to serve the University as the Director of the Office of Public Relations, a position that allowed him to launder the image of the institution, using the best international standard of practice and policies.
Furthermore, Abaka as a priest seems fully aware of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council that calls, among other things, for a dialogue between Catholicism and the teachings and practices of different cultures in the world. Monseigneur Anthony Erhueh had applied the teachings in his book, Vatican II Image of God in Man (Rome: Urban University Press, 1987) to explain his understanding of Urhobo religious beliefs and practices. Reverend Father Abaka seems to have gone further to apply the same set of teachings in efforts to appreciate Urhobo culture in the promise of the Second Vatican Council. Seeing no contradiction to his faith, Father Abaka with permission of his Bishop has graciously accepted two versions of an Urhobo traditional title, the OGBERHOVWO (prayer warrior), one from the Urhobo subculture of Uvwie and the other from Okpe; both units being his paternal and maternal primordial sub-cultural identities respectively. He continues to articulate Urhobo interests through involvement in the affairs of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) as well as those of Urhobo Historical Society where he sits on the Society’s Board of Trustees.
You, the Very Revered Father Ambrose Abaka Oghenejode, Jnr. a clergyman and a patriot, has chosen the path of priesthood to serve humanity. You are greatly admired and loved for your dedication to service, personification of the Catholic faith, and steadfast commitment to improve the life of others. The Urhobo Historical Society is delighted, glad and proud to present to you its Life-Time Service Award for your services to the Church and the people of the Urhobo nation.
Simeon Akpovwoghokohwo Ohwofa Businessman, Community Leader and Patriot, Recipient of the UHS Distinguished Service Award
The rise of Simeon Ohwofa to prominence in Urhobo affairs is a testimony to the value of using one’s wealth and influence to promote public interest. Ohwofa belongs to an emerging generation of Urhobo entrepreneurs who are committed not only to improving the welfare of their native communities but also working to take care of pan-Urhobo issues.
Ohwofa like some others must have understood the desperate need for businessmen, imbibed with a strong sense of civic responsibility to create wealth to help pull Urhobo out of its various challenges.
Feeling the urge for bigger capacity to find solutions, he quit his salaried job for private business to create wealth and time for Urhobo affairs. He resigned in June of 1995 from Roche Nigeria Limited where he was the Department Head of the Feed Industries (Vitamin Division). He has since then set up a chain of companies including the O. M. Simons Nigeria limited, and Nutivitas Limited, both of which provide services in the area of animal nutrition. In recent time, he has expanded his business portfolio to include interests in Food services, (which engage in quick service restaurants, corporate canteens and outdoor catering services); Oil and Gas, and Banking, including sitting on the Board of Directors of DavoDani Microfinance Bank that had acquired MFB Incorporated in 2008.
Ohwofa’s ability to create successful business seems not only due to work experience acquired at Roche but also much to do with his education and professional credentials. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Biochemistry and Nutrition, from the University of Ibadan, a Master of Business (MBA) from the University of Benin, a diploma in Marketing, Institute of Marketing, London, and an OMP Certificate from the Lagos Business School. Ohwofa’s professional credentials are many and varied: He is the President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science and the Chairman of its Governing Board. He also serves as the Vice-President of Junior Chambers (Jaycees), Acting President of the Nigerian Society of Animal Auctioneers (NSAP), Trustee of Feed Industries Practitioners of Nigeria (FIFAN), and a former member of the Implementation Committee of the Federal Government Alternative Feed Formation. He is a Fellow of the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), and the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (FNIAS).
As a true patriot, Simeon Ohwofa has been able to leverage his position and influence in business to help tackle several issues of interest to Urhobo people. For example, he has created the OROGINE OHWOFA FOUNDATION that has awarded academic scholarships to over 75 deserving youths of his native Uwheru community to enable them to study at both the secondary school and the university levels. As an active member of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), he sits on the UPU Council of Representatives, and the UPU Committee that regulates the affairs of Urhobo College, Effurun. He has also served as the President of Urhobo Social Club, an organization of entrepreneurs of Urhobo indigenes in Lagos, Nigeria. In more recent time, in his appreciation of the need to record and document Urhobo history and culture, he has accepted to serve as the Secretary of the Trustees of the Urhobo Historical Society as well as its National Coordinator in Nigeria.
You, Simeon Akpovwoghokohwo Ohwofa, a multifaceted businessman, stands recognized as a successful businessman among others in Nigeria. As a community leader, you have generously provided academic scholarships for many of the youths of your native Uwheru, many of whom would otherwise have no access to post-primary education. As a patriot, you continue to offer your time and services for the cause of the Urhobo Nation. The Urhobo Historical Society is pleased to have you back to its conference, and glad and proud to present to you, the Distinguished Service Award for multiple contributions made towards the progress of Urhobo Nation.
