THE PORTRAIT OF A DESIRED AIM; THE EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL OF HIGH CHIEF DENNIS OTUARO, (PhD.), By Asiayei Enaibo

Berthed by the creek philosophies with a paddle and canoe, fearlessly, the child navigates his ways in the deep creeks, estauries, brooks in their spidery route. Some move into the thick forest to pick bush mangoes for sale just to buy their elementary books, some dive after clam to go to school. Some tap palm fruits even at the school break hours just to sustain themselves with the burning desire to be like those pictures of people in good books as the people of the city. In all these daily sufferings, these disadvantaged ijaw people with no higher institutions located in their environment, are the most happy people on earth and incredibly book brilliant with distinctive educational performances whenever they have encounters with their school mates in the cities.

Cool headed with local intelligence, their exceptional displays in academics break new grounds in any area of studies.

High Chief Dennis Otuaro is a typical enigma in this journal as he turned a virgin forest to a world class view in his desire of education for self advancement, motivated by the mosquitoes, fishes and birds from their heard and unheard voices in the creek during his fishing expedition yes!

A proper education sets people up to grow personally, professionally, culturally and socially. It can awaken joy, curiosity and a deep desire to solve problems and help others for transformation to harmonize the society. Plus, teaching a student can inspire them to pursue leadership roles and positively impact those around them and the society at large.

One of the other many benefits of education is that it can broaden a student’s horizons, helping them understand more about other cultures and corners of the world beyond the school doors to broadening their sense of reasoning, and character reformation as an ideal community for others to copy their existential philosophies in building an ideal world of profoundness.

If I should talk about the disadvantage Ijaw areas with the rich oil in the region without establishment of higher institutions and the war to get a university and the declaration of Tompolo as the wanted man, it could be more than a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

The Portrait of Chief Dennis Otuaro, the fisher boy, a bush mango picker, the mangrove fire wood seller to go to school, attain the peak of education and throw up his cap above the earth onto the heavens and grab the hat again, these alone draw my thoughts to the great lines of Alexander Pope’s Essay on Criticism.

“What the weak head with strongest bias rules,
Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools.
Whatever nature has in worth denied,
she gives in large recruits of needful pride;
For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find
What wants in blood and spirits, swell’d with wind;
Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defence,
And fills up all the mighty void of sense!
If one’s right reason drives that cloud away,
Truth breaks upon us with resistless day;
Trust not yourself, but your defects to know,
Make use of ev’ry friend—and ev’ry foe.

“A little learning is a dang’rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;
Their shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.

Yes Otuaro fears the little learning and hooked himself with the wide range of education to the peak to roll his wheelchair to crane his eyes on willness to listen to both wit and unwittingly voices of people and add his wit to transform others.

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” —Confucius

The coastal communities where Chief Dennis Otuaro came from could not halt his burning desire to attain the peak of education; Otuaro hails from Obotebe community in Burutu Local Government Area, and Okerenkoko community in Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area both in Delta State. Several kilometers away from Warri where our fishing parents can’t afford to pay house rentals for their children to go to school in the city because the Federal Government of Nigeria and the oil multinationals companies knew that if these men and women become aware of the benefits of oil, through education, we will experience a new drama, it will be difficult for us to operate with the divide and rule policies over them again, so let us attitudinallly take school agenda far from them and that will deprive them. Once we write on papers for them, they could not sign but only to thumb print without knowing the content of bargain in the general memorandum of understanding in exploiting the oil from our backyards.

Personal drive, the regional consciousness, futuristic exposition and determination to see things in a brighter perspective because the driving force to close the old gate of discrimination to reality of acceptance through education as the frame work to open a new page of the Niger Delta story as key stakeholders for change from the old narrative of emancipation, Chief Dennis laced his shoes to Education.

The season of self emancipation came, the dream of resources control through self determination become the propelling force for these warriors of Ijaw land for drastic developmental dreams, Leader Tompolo requested that all of you most go to school, it is only education that will give us the lasting victory of our dreams to transform the creeks communities to cities of our country home.

For international politics and developmental practice in his sphere of endeavor to propagate the best policies in the rural, coastal region of the Niger Delta region for capacity development, implementation drive, purpose oriented visions for both long term and short term capacity building. That is Master’s degree international relations, and public Administration.

High Chief Dennis Otuaro is pained to store in his mental archives all these due to the overdue educational deprivation for decades and centuries, now the boldness to be firm and consistent for decision making to increase the educational aura of our people in his semi- old pursues to achieve his long imprisoned desire as a Doctor of Philosophy PhD.

PhD Conferral/ Induction on Comparative Politics And Development Studies, at the pretigious University Of Benin, Benin-City, Edo State. On the 25th November, 2023.

Chief Dennis Otuaro is an integral part of the self realization movement of Niger Delta freedom emancipation, from the era of Adaka Boro, to the era of Late Ken Saro Wiwa and witness, the era of High Chief Dr. Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo to witness the Warri 1999 Crisis, witness oil war, deprivation, subjugation, Chief became a cardinal point of conflicts stabilizer to create awareness campaign on peaceful coexistence of the Niger Delta people through the Presidential Amnesty Program to facilitate oneness and strategic developmental roadmap to community and state government for international best practices of peace building orientation.

Yes, the words of the late Nelson Mandela reads thus:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Yes, two complete Masters’ degrees and the review to move forward, let us look at the educational Journal of High Chief Dennis Otuaro, PhD and his professional endeavors in the journey of life.

A political communicator with extensive history of collaborating with a wide array of stakeholder groups on substantial public issues, including negotiating, mediating with parties hostile to issues, as well as peace building in the Niger Delta region. Currently, a Principal Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Owelle Global Resources and other firms. Attained PhD in Comparative Politics and Development Studies at the University of Benin, Nigeria. Passionately looking forward to extending excellent skills, knowledge and experience to provide more distinctive political, social and economical solutions in Nigeria. An awesome team player, trustworthy, self-motivated and reliable individual with traditional knowledge on culture and religion. Can adapt and work effectively in diverse environments. Possesses excellent research, communication, political, business, social, analytical, strategic, public service and management skills on conflict stabilization and a great mobilizer.

Aworowo Global Resources Graphic
Chief Executive Officer
Aworowo Global Resources, Jan. 2006, Delta State, Nigeria.

• Efficient execution of programmes and projects, as well as the provision of support for its subsidiary companies and projects across Nigeria.
• Successfully negotiated political climate to secure support from division and outside stakeholders to ensure successful execution.
• Cultivated relations with leaders at all levels to develop and maintain support for effective system implementation.
• Successfully initiated corporate strategy and implementation.
• People…Show more
  Delta State Government
  Delta State Government
  7 years 11 months.

Member of Delta State Waterways Security Council, Sept. 2007 – Jul 2015
Delta State, Nigeria.

Chairman of Subcommittee on Security Waterways Security Council
Sept. 2007 – Jun 2015,
Delta State, Nigeria.

Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC)
Graphics Chief Protocol to the Chairman, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC),
Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC)
Jun 2007 – Nov 2010, 3 years, 6 months.
Delta State, Nigeria.

• Supported the Chairman of DESOPADEC in his day to day operations of the commission.
• Assisted in the improvement of infrastructure in the crude oil producing areas in Delta State.
• Assisted in significant reduction of insecurity-related incidences in the areas by providing employments to the indigenes of the areas.

Member of Presidential Committee on Environment of the Niger Delta
Mar 2004 – Jul 2005,
Abuja, Nigeria.

Member of Presidential Council on Socio-Economic Development of Coastal States of the Niger Delta
Nov. 2003 – Dec 2004,
Abuja, Nigeria.

Education:
University of Benin,
Doctor of Philosophy – PhD. Comparative Politics and Development Studies,
2016 – 2020.

University of Benin, Graphic University of Benin, Master’s degree, Public Administration
2008 – 2009.

University of Benin Graphic University of Benin, Master’s degree, International Relations
2007 – 2008.

Delta State University, Graphic Delta State University, Bachelor’s degree, Political Science Education, Second Class Honours, 2001 – 2005.

Honors & Awards
Professional Certificate in Leadership Challenge in the Contemporary Workplace
PROT Consulting,
Feb 2014.

Chieftaincy Title Conferment: Ibe-Uyadonwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri south west, Delta State, Nigeria,
Jan. 2008,
National Youth Service Certificate:
National Youth Service Corp.

Organizations:
The Alternative to Dispute Resolution in Africa (ADR-Africa)
Fellow, Aug. 2009 – Present;
National Union of Izon-Ibe (Ijaw) Students (NUIS), World Wide;
National President
Jun 2003 – Aug 2004
National Union of Izon-Ibe (Ijaw) Students (NUIS); Secretary General
Mar. 2002 – May 2003;
Institute of Public Management
Fellow Chartered
Nigerian Political Science Association;
Member, United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Member.

This journal is beyond perception but reality of the desire of great Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro as he sets up a new legacy and tapestries as he quietly put his Ph.D. in his pocket. That is why, as the Talking Drum of the Niger Delta region, to congratulate him and the entire Bilazigha community in Obotebe and Okerenkoko community in Gbaramatu Kingdom. A route worthy of emulation to wait for the numerous opportunities in the Niger Delta region and a pacesetter, a goal getter, a philanthropist, vision in leadership and a new ladder for others to climb. In love I share these thoughts to celebrate your victory in this new book of success.

Asiayei Enaibo
The Talking Drum
Writes from Gbaramatuvoice
(Bobougbene Community)