Ndele Stands Still For Okparaolu, Others @ 80

It was a delightful moment at Rundele Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State a fortnight ago as the community hosted thousands of people from all walks of life to honour Chief Wofuru Okparaolu and three others of his kinsmen as they celebrated the Ota Ukwu, the traditional rite of passage to adulthood in the community.
The community rolled out the traditional wrestling drums and the people trooped out in their numbers in their different colourful attires, dancing to ancient and revered traditional wrestling beats and music.
It was also an opportunity for members of the pen profession to celebrate a living legend, pioneer Chairman of the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The Tide Newspapers, Chief Wofuru Okparaolu who clocked 80 years on earth.
The event was put together by the Rundele Community for the Africa Age Group, whose members clocked 80 years and held at Mgbuolua Civic Centre, Ndele.
The Ota Ukwu (Grand wrestling) ceremony is a traditional rite of passage to Adulthood for men in Ndele and signifies the retirement of recipients from active service in the community.
The Chairman, Ogbako Mgbuolua, Rundele, Clement Kpaniku, while presenting the recipients, noted that members of the Africa Age Group were 26 in number at inception but had only four surviving to the age of 80 and above. He listed the many achievements of the age group, headed by Okparaolu, to include restoring peace to the community in the early 1970s and providing leadership and guidance to the people.
According to him, the ceremony is termed a final stage of life, and any man who performs it is fit to be called a real man in every ramification.
Ndele is an ancient community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, about one hour drive from Port Harcourt along the East-West Road on the way to Bayelsa State.
Although it was a market day, women abandoned their usual transactions of buying and selling to witness the event which holds every two years.
Women, wives, children and grandchildren, in-laws and relatives filed out in different forms to celebrate their fathers, uncles and grandfathers for sustaining them till date.
The crowd danced to the rhythm of the music coming from the wooden drums, naira notes were flying in appreciation, while the youths and able-bodied men with well developed biceps displayed their bodies in a fascinating manner and to the admiration of onlookers.
Some young girls wore various attires to showcase their beauty, while daughters of the land who were married outside the community came with their husbands and children to cheer their fathers and uncles.
Apart from the community and visitors who came from different areas to witness the occasion, the Chairman-elect of Emohua Local Government Council, Hon. Chidi Lolyd, was also present and took time to observe the culture of the people of Ndele.
Among journalists who attended the occasion were the General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The Tide Newspaper, Chief Ernest Chinwo; the Chairman of Iwhuruohna Journalists Forum (IJF), Elder Mike Iwezor, Chairman of Rivers State Council of NUJ, Comrade Stanley Job Stanley, among others.
Those honoured filed out one after the other heralded by cannon shots, and they had to dance round the crowd; greeting from one point to another and then danced to the rhythm of the drum and dropped a bottle of gin before the drummers in appreciation.
Chief Wofuru Okparaolu, as King of the Age grade, was the last to appear and made a grand entrance, having led the Age Grade to date. It was a joyous celebration both for the four living legends and their relatives.
Like Okonkwo, in Things Fall apart and Isiburu Ekperi (the cat) in Isiburu by Elechi Amadi, he danced to the rhythm of the music, being guided by his children due to his age.
It was fun even as they came out one after the other to wrestle younger ones. Gifts of various types were presented to the celebrants.
Wrestling is a sporting event done by youths in their prime to show dominance and establish supremacy amongst the young men. It is a sporting event carried out by youths of the same age grade. But in the case of “Ota Ukwu”, the men who had reached the age of 80 years were brought to the wrestling ground to challenge the younger ones in a novelty contest. It was a fun-filled ceremony as the younger ones allowed their fathers defeat them to the admiration of on-lookers.
The wrestling at very close quarters witnessed able-bodied men running round the play ground with bells in their hands ringing to the rhythm of the beats. People watched happily and with excitement. No one could hear any bones crack. It was too funny to see who was doing what to whom. The only grim spectacle before the people was the four men trying to complete the ritual to greet the overcrowded arena. As you know, age and speed are no longer on their side, but they gave good account of themselves, looking healthy and sporty.
Children whose fathers had died but are of the same age grade were not left out as they were seen carrying their fathers’ pictures, dancing around in memory, remembrance of their fathers in solidarity. It was a show of solidarity to the living legends.
Okparaolu is one of the few living legends in the Journalism profession in Rivers State today, a true Rivers man and a good role model to the younger generation of journalists in the state.
Born on 7th of May, 1941, Okparaolu studied Journalism in Ghana and Cardiff, United Kingdom. He was a Thompson Foundation scholar and a fellow of the Royal Arts Society of the United Kingdom.
The octogenarian journalist was one time Lagos City Editor of the then Nigerian Tide and rose to become the Editor of the Sunday Tide and subsequently Editor of the daily newspaper. He was also a member of the Board of Directors, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation. He is an author with two books to his credit: ‘Practice of Journalism’ and ‘Rundele Law’.
He is popularly known in the early 80s with his column, ‘ Sunday Sunday Troubles”.
Chief Okparaolu was a fine and courageous journalist who upheld the tenets of the journalism profession. Over the years, he has demonstrated true patriotism and commitment to the growth and unity of Rivers State.
He has also shown commitment to all that concerns NUJ and has been a reliable pillar and library for the younger generation of journalists.
The Council in solidarity led by the Chairman, Stanley Job Stanley presented gifts and felicitated with Chief Okparaolu on the momentous occasion of his birthday and passage to adulthood.
Stanley, who was delighted, expressed joy that Chief Okparaolu was being celebrated while alive and prayed God to grant the octogenarian journalist long life in good health in service to God and humanity.
The General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Chief Ernest Chinwo, also felt delighted and expressed joy that one of their own was among those being celebrated by his people.
He congratulated Okparaolu on the attainment of age 80 and wished him well in his future endeavours.
He said the veteran journalist remains a source of inspiration to journalists, especially in Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, adding that that was why The Tide Newspapers still maintains its leading role among newspapers in the South-South and South-East of the nation.
He said today, “Chief Okparaolu has become a library for the younger generation of journalists, and urged him not to feel weak soon.
Also, Mike Iwezor, the Chairman of IJF, commended the NUJ and RSNC for recognising Okparaolu.
In response, the pioneer Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Rivers State Council and the Chairman of the African Age Group of Ndele, Chief Hon. Wofuru Ogazile Okparaolu, expressed joy that he was being honoured by the profession he left over 30 years ago.
Okparaolu noted that the peace enjoyed by the people of Ndele presently was made possible by the Africa Age Group, explaining that they gathered the community and built a civic centre (Mgbuolua Civil Centre) where the villagers gathered and met for the growth and development of the community as far back as 1973.
He noted that the initiative brought unity among the people and development of the community.
He said they had been able to play their part for the development of the community, adding that it is left for the younger generations to continue from where they have stopped.
Okparaolu said the Africa Age Group of Ndele was able to involve everybody in the development of the community, and urged the people to look beyond mediocrity and contribute their quota.
While appreciating the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the management of The Rivers State Newspaper Corporation’s kind gestures, he prayed that God should give them strength to pilot the affairs of the union and the corporation.

By: Ernest Chinwo & Ike Wigodo