In Orioke Iwamimo: A Prophesy Fulfilled

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=140781
In Orioke Iwamimo: A Prophesy Fulfilled
04.13.2009

Juliana Taiwo witnessed the recent 2009 joint operations exercise codenamed Ologun Meta by the Defence Headquarters. The exercise brought to fruition the prophesy on Orioke Iwamimo, Ilaje, a beachfront facing the Atlantic Ocean in Ondo State

The people of Orioke Iwamimo, a beach front community in Ilaje area of Ondo State, were disappointed that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua did not as much as wave at them when he came to witness the 2009 Joint Operations Exercise (JOPEX), codenamed Ologun Meta (Yoruba word for three warriors).
The community founded in 1950 by late Oba Alafia Wilson Ikudeibu had never played host to an important dignity as the president of the country before. The closest it got was when gubernatorial candidates came to ask for their votes with unfulfilled promises.
In fact, the immediate past governor, Olusegun Agagu had promised to make the much needed difference, but this time around the people were not prepared to be taken for a ride. The immediate past Oba, had warned him that if he did not fulfilled his promises he was not go to finish his tenure in office, so the first prophesy was fulfilled as he was kicked out by the courts last month.
The 2009 JOPEX did not happen without resistance from the people of the community who said they were tired of being used and dumped. THISDAY findings revealed that at some point, the Oba’s palace was almost burnt down but for the intervention of the military personnel in the area for granting access to the military to carry out the exercise. Their full cooperation was only gotten after they were told that Mr. President will be visiting. That was enough to ginger the youths who assisted the military prepare the area for the exercise as well as play host to Mr. President.
So it was understandable to see the people turn out in their Sunday best, composed special songs to welcome President Yar’Adua as well as prepare a special gift for their august visitor. But they never got the chance to do that. The closest they got was when their Oba, His Royal Highness Jabez Alebiosu Ikudeibu, Oba Alafia II, had a handshake with Yar’Adua that was not even recorded in pictures nor videos as the overzealous security men ensured that the handshake did not happen.
Though the people were disappointed, Oba Ikudeibu, took consolation in the fact that the prophesy by the late Oba (his father) that his reign will witnessed the visit of Nigeria’s President and he will even have the privileged of a hand shake did come to pass.
The community (about 40 minute drive from Okitipupa and a further 15-minute boat ride along swampy mangrove creeks), lacks everything necessary to make life comfortable. They lack water, road and medical facility. Their only primary school founded in 1955 (housing 400 pupils) and a secondary school founded in 1977 (housing about a thousand students from within and neighbouring communities) is anything but conducive and are lacking in teachers, books and equipment.
This highly religious community (which forbids their women from wearing jewelleries and trousers in other to avoid a repeat of what the children of Israel did in the Bible when Moses left them to go seek the face of God and they used their jewelleries to mould a golden calf), have had to loose several of their indigenes as a result of seeking medical attention outside the community.

The people of Orioke Iwamimo rely on traditional (use of herbs) or spiritual means (prayers) to heal their sick, but in a situation where both methods fail, they take their sick to Igbokodo or Okitipupa. But many a times, on their way they encounter water hyacinth which prevents them from moving further and the result has been harvest of deaths.

The people’s main occupation is fishing and their women engage in mats weaving in addition to fishing, which they sell in Igbokodo and environs.
In a chat with THISDAY just before the commencement of the official opening, the Oba Ikudeibu described the 2009 JOPEX as a blessing in disguise. He said before now they were used to promise and fail leadership. “We are very happy that Mr. President is visiting our community. This is the first time in the history of this community that we will be having such an august visitor. We have outlined our problems in a letter to the President. JOPEX 2009 is a blessing because normally such exercise is supposed to expose a community with legions of problem. We expect torrents of developments to follow from both the state and federal government after this visit. Already the military has promised us a borehole which we are eagerly awaiting.

His Royal Highness Jabez Alebiosu Ikudeibu Oba Alafia II the traditional ruler of Ori Oke Iwa Mimo

“During the reign of my predecessor, the former governor, Olusegun Agagu, as was normal with politicians had come to this community to campaign and promised a lot of things that he was going to do for us. But our late Oba had warned him then because we were tired of the empty promises, that if he did not fulfil any of those promises, he was not going to complete his tenure. He said that prophecy was fulfilled. “So when Governor Olusegun Mimiko also visited us, we prayed for him and he has promised to fulfil his promises. We hope he does not renege because it will be disastrous. We have also pleaded that the new road going to Alokoda should be extended to our community because we lack road as well as clean water. We hope the bridge from Bakindeji going to Ayitoro and Ararumi will be extended to us. Our people travel to Igbokoda in canoes and boats to get drinking water and this is not fair on us because we are also Nigerians,” he said.
For Akinbilajo Abiye an SS1 science student of Community Secondary School, Oreoke Iwamimo, she was oblivious of the happenings in her community. Her greatest pain is her inability to carry out the practical aspect of her studies. “We are just managing to learn in this environment and we will be glad if the situation will change with the visit of the President,” she said.
As part of its social responsibility, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike ordered free medical services (an exercise the community as well as neighbouring ones took full advantage of. The Defence Headquarters also plans to sink a borehole in the community. Though the borehole was not completed as planned before the end of the exercise, findings revealed it was due to the cost which was way above what was budgeted.

the communitys generating set powered by diesal

But the CDS, it was gathered is insisting the borehole must be sunk no matter the cost in other to maintain the integrity of the military in keeping its promises to locals where they carry out similar exercises. According to Commodore Jeremiah Onibiji, the Consultant and chief physician, a team of doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, public health consultants were engaged in the free medical services. The medical services included health talks by the public health consultants, taking of blood pressure, diagnosis carried out by doctors as well as administration of the right medication. Food supplements as well as mosquito nets were also distributed to families, especially pregnant mothers. “We got the mandate of the CDS to give complete health service, distribute mosquito nets which is one of the preventive measures,” he said.
The 2009 JOPEX reached its climax after months of operations (including the sensitisation of the residents of Okitipupa, Igbokoda, Orioke Iwamimo and environs to avoid panic at that the movement of the equipment and personnel may cause. It also involved beach landing operations, harbour defence, riverine operations and insertion of troops, advance quick attack, deliberate attack phase and internal security operations (ISOs).
A brigade of the Nigerian Army, three mother naval cat class-warships – NNS Kyanwa, NNS Obula and NNS Nwamba – and six squadrons of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft participated in the exercise. Dike in a welcome remark, explained that the conduct of the joint exercise was born out of “the desire to exercise our troops in a tri-service setting.”
He noted that the preliminary stages had already tested the ability of the services to jointly mobilise troops to their various concentration areas located in Ibadan, Lagos, Benin and Okitipupa.
He stressed that the whole exercise was to “essentially serve as a platform for us to test our intelligence gathering abilities, check the interoperability of our communication facilities as well as testing our command and control capability. At the end of the whole exercise, the lessons learnt will be used in improving our operational procedures in current and future operations.”
He also said the exercise was meant to create a synergy by bringing out the best in the various areas of specialisation of the services. He stressed that carrying out realistic training was to reassure the President that he has a very capable Armed Forces that is ready to defend the country, in any kind of terrain, whether by land, sea or air.
According to the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Col. Chris Jemitola, the 2009 JOPEX was based on the scenario of a militant group in an oil producing area taking over an island and declaring their independence, over resource control agitation. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the supposed Namibia country then tasked the Chief of Defence Staff to flush out the militants from their positions and take back the island.
As the CDS was concluding his welcome address, the simulation of naval and combat aircraft bombardments boomed all around the beachfront, signalling the start of assault on enemy positions.
At its anchor on the Atlantic Ocean, the three naval mother warships – NNS Kyanwu, NNS Obula and NNS Nwamba, in addition to acting as amphibious troops, softened the beach front enemy positions. The Nigerian Navy gun boats then ferried own troops into the area. This is as about six squadrons of the Nigerian Air Force helicopters provided close air support, with simulations of aerial bombardments. A Brigade of the Nigerian Army provided the infantry troops who had stayed for three days aboard the three naval cat-class warships after the 15-hour journey from Lagos, for the beach landing exercise.
The booming sounds of explosions continued as President Yar’Adua and other top guests went into the JOPEX headquarters operational tent for operational briefing before coming out to take his seat with the other dignitaries, watching the full exercise with the aid of binoculars. Small arms fires were heard in the enemy positions as they tried to resist the advance and insertions of troops. Up in the air, the aircraft continued to give close air support operations.
The assault troops, brought in by naval assault ships, landed at the beach front, taking positions. This is as resistance continued from the enemy positions. Waves of amphibious forces continued to beach land, to support earlier troops. Two NAF MI-35 helicopter gunships landed by the enemy positions, inserting Special Forces troops. Following the successful insertions, the Special Forces joined the amphibious forces in routing the enemy troops from own positions, forcing them to withdraw. And with the island successfully captured and held by the Infantry troops, the administrative elements were given support as the amphibious gunships maintained patrol in the waters.
President Yar’Adua at the end of the opening ceremony pledged his administration’s readiness to prioritise the welfare and well-being of military officers and men, as well as effective support towards the ongoing efforts at modernising and repositioning the Armed Forces for enhanced performance. He said given the realities of modern warfare, the matter of effective coordination among the services cannot be over-emphasised.
The President, who commended the leadership of the Armed Forces for resuscitating the exercise which last took place in 2004, said “the potency of the synergy that emerges from this kind of cooperative exercise is unquantifiable. I therefore urge you to ensure that this joint exercise becomes a regular feature in the training cycle of the Armed Forces.”
According Yar’Adua, “the ever changing nature of the security challenges that confront us in today’s knowledge and technology-driven world requires that the military must not only be prepared at all times, but must also be abreast of technological advancements and the political variables across the world.”
The President stated that “Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to international obligations to the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States has placed burden and responsibility on the Armed Forces.”
The exercise was witnessed by Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko; Minister of Interior, Maj-Gen Godwin Abbe (rtd); Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Ademola Seriki; Service Chiefs-Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Army); Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim (Navy) and Air Marshal Oluseyin Petinrin (Air Force) and principal staff of Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force Headquarters.

Chief Consultant of the free medical services by Defence Headquarters