Title: Okotie-Eboh: In time and space in our history.
Edited:Prof. Akinjide Osuntokun
Year of Publication: 2016
Number of Pages: 409
Reviewer: Nurudeen Badejo

The chapter one of this book aptly titled A Short Panoramic View of Nigeria’s Political Evolution is a deep historical development of Nigeria from when cities were conquered by the rampaging British forces, the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Nigeria, the administration of Nigeria during the colonial era, rallying for independence, eventual independent with the high hope of a bright future (which unfortunately was dashed or mis-managed), the crisis of political consolidation and the legendary military intervention in our politics culminating in our present democratic practice. The author, an eminent historian and professor emeritus in this chapter dwelt extensively on the historical development of Nigeria that should give everyone a re-think if really our dear country would achieve the aims and aspirations of its founding fathers. Lack of political tolerance, improper management of opposing views, deployment of state’s facilities for political purposes, greed, avarice and corruption are some of the issues highlighted bedevilling the development of Nigeria. Hopefully, we will get it right in the present dispensation with a new government.

The life and times of Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, CMG, M.P, is the thrust of chapter 3. Born on July 18th, 1912 in Bateren, present day Warri North Local Government, Delta State. He grew up with his mother, an Urhobo woman from Orogun. This made him bilingual in both Urhobo and Itsekiri languages. Popularly referred to as Omimi Ejo, Okotie-Eboh, voluble and ebullient was a self-taught man who after his primary school education, taught in his Alma Mater (Sapele Baptist Primary School) thereafter he joined Bata Shoe Company as an accounting clerk where he built a career culminating in becoming the first Nigerian manager of this company. After being sent for further training in Prague in Czechoslovakia in 1947 and obtaining a Diploma in Business Administration and Chiropody. As expected, he left Bata Shoe Company to set-up chains of companies; Afro-Nigerian Export and Import Company involved in timber and rubber business, Omimishoe factory (arguably the most popular among his companies), Omimi Plastics factory and other strings of schools set-up in Sapele, e.g. Sapele Boy’s Academy, Zik College of Commerce and Sapele Academy Secondary School. These schools were founded together with his wife, Victoria, whom he married in 1942.

Clearly, he had become wealthy and extremely popular in Warri division, it was at this time that he joined the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) under the leadership of Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe. He won election into the Western House in 1951, but by 1954 he had become a member of the Federal Parliament in Lagos and one of the prominent leaders of NCNC. He was thereafter elected party treasurer largely because he was a man of means. He was subsequently nominated as the Minster of Labour and Social Welfare in January 1955, where he formalised labour relations with Spanish authorities in Equatorial Guinea where a large number of Nigerians were working as labourers.And because of his raising national profile he became the Minister of Finance in 1957.

As Nigeria’s longest serving Minister of Finance till date (he was Minister of Finance from 1957-1966, a period of 10 years), his achievements and financial acumen are well documented for the first time in our national history in this book. Chiefly among these are the establishment of Central Bank of Nigeria and the mint company, the inauguration of the first national currency, the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, creation of the first Nigerian investment and development bank in the 1950’s and 1960’s, putting in place financial institutions such as the customs department to be part of the finance ministry, the securities commission and an efficient tax regime (He introduced pay as you earn tax system in Nigeria). After establishing these institutions, he won many friends for Nigeria using his long standing business contacts in Europe and America, many international institutions including World Bank, The Commonwealth, International Labour Organization and others which became critical partners of Nigeria in national planning for economic and social development. They all offered their services to Nigeria. With a tremendous capacity for hard work, he is a practical man with firm believe in Nigeria playing an important role in the international community.

His larger than life image coupled with flamboyance created much attractions and perhaps enmity for him from those who accused him of flaunting affluence. His influence in the creation of mid-west state from the existing western region is a story of concern, political bickering and manovering particularly concerning the interest of his Itshekiri people. His influence in the NCNC was so pervading that he could get almost anything he wanted from federal government. In spite of his Itshekiri background he grew up in Sapele, and had all his investments in Sapele. Okotie-Eboh’s impact in many areas of national endeavour was monumental. He was a remarkable contributor to nation building before his unfortunate assassination in 1966.

As an Ijebu man, Professor Itsejuwa Sagay, SAN, in an edited version of his lecture on The Itshekiri People in chapter 2 of this book, confirmed my age-long held belief that there is an element of Ijebu affinity with Itshekiri. My family grew in Lagos with an itshekiri family as our neighbour, my concern and suspicion about their language till date is that there is connection between Ijebus and the Itshekiris. In the edited version of the lecture by Sagay, an eminent Itshekiri son traced the history of modern Itshekiri from the late fifteen century when the people adopted Prince Ginuwa from Benin Kingdom as their monarch, though they have lived independently in different communities before coalesced into a