High Chief. Dr. Abel K. Ubeku, LLM, PhD, OFR (February 24, 1936 – March 9, 2014)
By Dr. Francis Akenami.
I write this tribute on behalf of the Isoko people in New York, USA and indeed all Isokos in diaspora. Much of what I know about Dr. Ubeku is through my interactions with him in New York. An hour with him spells courage, charm, determination, frank talk, inspiration and deep knowledge of various Nigerian issues. He was fun to spend time with as he was never short of words and answers to different searching questions. He mingled with the Isoko people in New York freely and would always ask us to check on him whenever we visited Nigeria. True to type, I visited him in Araya and he received me with all the warmth at his disposal.
High Chief as he came to be known and addressed by his admirers as well as foes, was counted amongst men wherever he was; an epitome of tradition and modernity. One-time Presidential candidate and first Nigerian/blackman to be MD/CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC was very well-loved by Isokos in The United States and indeed by the youth of Isoko in Delta State. He visited New York almost every other year and we always spent time with him. He was with us in the biennial Isoko conventions we held in New York, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia, just to mention a few. If you were not used to frank talk and straight shooting you can’t sit with him. He said it as he saw it without much embellishment. High Chief was gifted in words and letters both in English and his native dialect of Isoko. He drove home his points with several Isoko idioms during his conversations.
Dr. A.K. Ubeku no doubt contributed his quota to the growth and development of Nigeria in the areas of industry, management, academics and politics. He authored the 313-page postgraduate text “Personnel management in Nigeria: Principles and Practice”, published by Ethiope Publ. Corp., 1975, by Macmillan, 1984 and digitized in 2011. The book in no small way contributed to post-graduate education in management both in Nigeria and overseas. One of his studies, “Industrial Relations in Developing Countries: The Case of Nigeria” By Abel K. Ubeku was reviewed by Jennifer Seymour Whitaker (an expert in labour relations) in 1984. She had this to say: “In this study of Nigeria's labor relations, the author (a lawyer and industrial policy expert who is also managing director of Guinness/Nigeria) lays out a detailed picture of Nigeria's labor negotiation machinery in the context of Western, Soviet and Third World analogues. As such, he provides a useful reference on a scantily explored subject. However, his analysis of Nigeria's development dilemmas stops on the threshold of "Nigerianization," ignoring the economic record of the past few years, and the increase in non-productive economic activity. Thus his prescription for more state intervention in labor negotiation "in the interest of all in society," assuming as it does an effective governmental grand design and intention, fails to convince.”
You want to hear some frank talk?
I remember someone once asked him, “what can we do to help the people of Isoko back home?” His reply, “I think for now, if you can take care of yourselves here, that will be enough.”
Dr. Ubeku once posited that Isoko was not ripe for industries because we do not have all the key requirements for localization of industries, viz, nearness to raw materials, nearness to markets, availability of power etc. One Isoko businessman who was there, sort of told him he was wrong. This was High Chief Ubeku’s reply: “as a successful supermarket owner, why didn’t you establish a branch of your supermarket in Isoko?”
When I informed High Chief Ubeku I was interested in politics he told me: “my advice is for you to reach the peak of your profession before you dabble into politics. However, if you are interested, come, you can’t sit here in New York, you must come and support others before others can support you!”
He loved Isoko passionately. When our convention in New York was to be filmed for commercial purposes by a popular American actress (and indeed it was) some of us protested that we didn’t want our Isoko icons filmed without their knowledge. The information got to Ubeku, who said, “if filming me is what it takes to move Isoko forward, I am ready.”
Some things to remember:
High Chief Always said “wealth or fame does not percolate from father to children.” According to him, "you must pave your own way.” I believed him. High Chief, your knowledge of French wines and the beautiful words with which you described them was breath-taking. We will always remember the ‘appelleciones.’ One more thing High Chief, that Chachacha dance step you demonstrated in Atlanta Georgia, I was like hmmmmm.
High Chief had many traditional titles. I use this opportunity to extend on behalf of the Isokos in new York, my deep condolences to his family, the people of Araya, the people of Isoko, Deltans and indeed all Nigerians on the departure of this tower of knowledge and achievements, Papa A.K. Ubeku who came full circle.
The Oletu of Aviara, The Awhotu of Iyede, The Adaidagha ke Ebrutu of Calabar. Adieu…….May your soul rest in peace with the Lord!
Photo: A.K. Ubeku/Francis Akenami, New York, July 29, 2001 when I played host to him at my residence!
By Dr. Francis Akenami.
I write this tribute on behalf of the Isoko people in New York, USA and indeed all Isokos in diaspora. Much of what I know about Dr. Ubeku is through my interactions with him in New York. An hour with him spells courage, charm, determination, frank talk, inspiration and deep knowledge of various Nigerian issues. He was fun to spend time with as he was never short of words and answers to different searching questions. He mingled with the Isoko people in New York freely and would always ask us to check on him whenever we visited Nigeria. True to type, I visited him in Araya and he received me with all the warmth at his disposal.
High Chief as he came to be known and addressed by his admirers as well as foes, was counted amongst men wherever he was; an epitome of tradition and modernity. One-time Presidential candidate and first Nigerian/blackman to be MD/CEO of Guinness Nigeria PLC was very well-loved by Isokos in The United States and indeed by the youth of Isoko in Delta State. He visited New York almost every other year and we always spent time with him. He was with us in the biennial Isoko conventions we held in New York, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia, just to mention a few. If you were not used to frank talk and straight shooting you can’t sit with him. He said it as he saw it without much embellishment. High Chief was gifted in words and letters both in English and his native dialect of Isoko. He drove home his points with several Isoko idioms during his conversations.
Dr. A.K. Ubeku no doubt contributed his quota to the growth and development of Nigeria in the areas of industry, management, academics and politics. He authored the 313-page postgraduate text “Personnel management in Nigeria: Principles and Practice”, published by Ethiope Publ. Corp., 1975, by Macmillan, 1984 and digitized in 2011. The book in no small way contributed to post-graduate education in management both in Nigeria and overseas. One of his studies, “Industrial Relations in Developing Countries: The Case of Nigeria” By Abel K. Ubeku was reviewed by Jennifer Seymour Whitaker (an expert in labour relations) in 1984. She had this to say: “In this study of Nigeria's labor relations, the author (a lawyer and industrial policy expert who is also managing director of Guinness/Nigeria) lays out a detailed picture of Nigeria's labor negotiation machinery in the context of Western, Soviet and Third World analogues. As such, he provides a useful reference on a scantily explored subject. However, his analysis of Nigeria's development dilemmas stops on the threshold of "Nigerianization," ignoring the economic record of the past few years, and the increase in non-productive economic activity. Thus his prescription for more state intervention in labor negotiation "in the interest of all in society," assuming as it does an effective governmental grand design and intention, fails to convince.”
You want to hear some frank talk?
I remember someone once asked him, “what can we do to help the people of Isoko back home?” His reply, “I think for now, if you can take care of yourselves here, that will be enough.”
Dr. Ubeku once posited that Isoko was not ripe for industries because we do not have all the key requirements for localization of industries, viz, nearness to raw materials, nearness to markets, availability of power etc. One Isoko businessman who was there, sort of told him he was wrong. This was High Chief Ubeku’s reply: “as a successful supermarket owner, why didn’t you establish a branch of your supermarket in Isoko?”
When I informed High Chief Ubeku I was interested in politics he told me: “my advice is for you to reach the peak of your profession before you dabble into politics. However, if you are interested, come, you can’t sit here in New York, you must come and support others before others can support you!”
He loved Isoko passionately. When our convention in New York was to be filmed for commercial purposes by a popular American actress (and indeed it was) some of us protested that we didn’t want our Isoko icons filmed without their knowledge. The information got to Ubeku, who said, “if filming me is what it takes to move Isoko forward, I am ready.”
Some things to remember:
High Chief Always said “wealth or fame does not percolate from father to children.” According to him, "you must pave your own way.” I believed him. High Chief, your knowledge of French wines and the beautiful words with which you described them was breath-taking. We will always remember the ‘appelleciones.’ One more thing High Chief, that Chachacha dance step you demonstrated in Atlanta Georgia, I was like hmmmmm.
High Chief had many traditional titles. I use this opportunity to extend on behalf of the Isokos in new York, my deep condolences to his family, the people of Araya, the people of Isoko, Deltans and indeed all Nigerians on the departure of this tower of knowledge and achievements, Papa A.K. Ubeku who came full circle.
The Oletu of Aviara, The Awhotu of Iyede, The Adaidagha ke Ebrutu of Calabar. Adieu…….May your soul rest in peace with the Lord!
Photo: A.K. Ubeku/Francis Akenami, New York, July 29, 2001 when I played host to him at my residence!
No comments:
Post a Comment