CHIEF CHRIS GHOMORAI MEMORIAL LECTURE HOLDS IN PATANI SUNDAY DECEMBER 14

CHIEF CHRIS GHOMORAI TRIBUTE

When on Wednesday December 17, 2008 the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] held its Steering Committee meeting in the serene Uzere Community, far reaching decisions were taken on the Niger Delta by the Committee. In particular, the report of the Technical Committee set up by the government to harmonise all previous reports, memoranda etc in the region was exhaustively discussed.

The truth however, is that prior to this Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] meetings, the de facto standing committee that normally works to ensure successful deliberations had met on several occasions in the secretariat in Benin.

This committee of four had prepared a report to aid discussion and to facilitate the Communiqué usually issued after each meeting – Plenary or Steering. Chief Chris Ghomorai had attended all the brainstorming sessions of the secretariat before the Uzere meeting.

Chief Chris Ghomorai was indeed a pillar in the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] having played a most crucial role in sensitizing and organizing Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta prior to the formation of the body.

This is after his ljaw Ethnic Nationality under the leadership of Prof. Kimse Okoko had decided to bring all the Ethnic Nationalities in the region together to jointly address their common problems. The tour of the entire region for this purpose was undertaken under Chief Ghomorai’s supervision with the result that what in reality was a most difficult assignment was made pleasurable by his decent, competent and amiable disposition. His colleagues who were with him attested to his efficient handling of the assignment.

The success of the venture undertaken under his leadership is attested to by the phenomenal achievements of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] in its less than one year of existence which may not have been the case if the mobilization exercise was not thorough.

Chief Chris Ghomorai’s last public activity was in Uzere where he actively contributed to the success of the Steering Committee meeting of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] and appended his last seal of affirmation on a public document. This was the Communiqué issued at Uzere. He never returned to his Benin residence after the Uzere meeting. The farewell he bade his friends with whom he stayed in Benin in Uzere was his last. In a curious twist of fate, this Uzere meeting Communiqué was deployed to announce and circulate the news of the demise of both Chief Ghomorai and another fallen hero and a member of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND], Ukai (Sir) Fred Essien. Sir Essien the leader of the Ibibio Ethnic Nationality and a friend of Chief Ghomorai had collapsed and died in Lagos on Friday, December 12, 2008 barely a week before the Uzere meeting.

To say that the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] will miss Chief Ghomoral is an understatement. Together with the Chairman, Prof. Kimse Okoko, Ijaw representation in the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND] amounted to the best it can ever be. Furthermore, the personality and knowledge of Chief Ghomorai that helped the secretariat and deliberations in meetings of the Conference will also be missed.