Ora Factor

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Ora community has been since approximately five hundred years, and has virtually kept the idea of six neighborhood settlements with individual autonomy in view of their geographical closeness; they always had matters of common interest. They met, Planned and executed projects as they felt desirable; they also had instances of falling apart in the interest of Local feelings.

This situation virtually persists promoting an obvious factor which has always been a slowing-down ‘agency’ as far as Ora ONENESS goes. These practically five centuries, the factor had posed an enduring concern It deserves to be “killed” but it seems to have found a formidable place in our body, blood and bones, not withstanding positive expectations associated with or ingrained in ongoing education or ceaseless enlightenment.

Part of this great factor standing on the way of Ora desired ONENESS is the historical separateness of the ‘Units’ settlements, making for jealously guarded individualism. Ora  of today is made up of six Units, each locally striving to achieve developments on the basis of its seeming sufficiency unto itself. People still have a problem describing the Units, whether they are towns or villages.

This writer uses Units.

What has Ora got as a  result ? Republicanism of some sort with, among others,

1. Six administrations under six heads and myopic patriotic outlook;

2. Six unit (or individual) approaches to local or Unit problems.

3. Six locally cherished cultures, gods or idols and ways of life

4. Six militant guards and six social classifications at Unit level

5. Six carefully guarded Unit territorial boundaries:

6. Six inherent mind-set of each Unit and so six different degrees of loyalty to matters of common interest to all Ora.

Another aspect of the factor is adherence to dialectal variation in words and accent as well as the problem of settling down to indigenous literary works. There has always being the issue whether or not Ora language should for literary works be based on either of the two supposed versions as upheld by some indigenes, or a careful blend of both leaving the question of accent to the speakers and the spoken. For over four decades, the writer has left and taught that word differences in the over town deference between the two versions be regarded as synonyms, e.g. Akho and Akhue for tomorrow, this issue still remains because sucking to the visions as spoken has delayed or is greatly discouraging effects at literary development.

Yet one other aspect of the factor which over the years has pervaded the entire generality of Ora is a kind of pride or conceitedness. This hardly considers due regard to other persons and things, views, performances and achievements, questions galore and or assertions indefensible This attitude invariably reflects the general misconstruing of Okpame’s alias name Uguan for a much later Ora word uguan (a mere coincidence), both meaning two different things in their respective places of usage. This attitude makes the acceptance of change(s) from the familiar very slow or difficult and so a delay in achieving desired fast development. This attitude ¡s also responsible for why we hardly say thanks beyond the day the good is done. It is now either too late or considered unnecessary to borrow the Yoruba practice - which makes thanks be said days, weeks months or long after the good is done. and which serves as a socially binding behaviour.

It was Dr. J.E.K Aggrey of former Gold Coast now Ghana who said that comparison is odious. but some types of comparison might not be entirely inappropriate if the circumstances calling for such are considered similar. For instance, in 1956, the town lyin in Ekiti land was ‘born’. Today it is over 50 year old. It was the result of a few years resolve by four separate Units (lbedoyin, Iro, Okelawe and Oketoro) separated by forests and bushes, hills and valleys, over many years. On the suggestion of one man, accepted by like minds, ‘pushed’ by the strong-willed patriotic members of the people, the entire people moved en mass from their four very fertile separate locations to one quite different, broad and level land. Why? They preferred a compactness of living together for Oneness which would generate common understanding and corresponding faster and greater developments and achievements. They acted together, promptly and trustingly, and have today become a leading town with lots of amenities in their new home-land.

Ora becoming a large nuclear town or city was aborted early in the last century because of the factor under discussion. As our saying goes: the fish is pulling in water while the crab is pulling towards the shore The six main Unlits of Ora still remain distinctly so today each struggling. Obviously more slowly and with greater strains to achieve parallel developments—markets. Churches or places of worship, meeting e.g. hall; schools, medical. postal and banking facilities, etc.

Notwithstanding the powerful grip of this Ora factor, some informed, concerned and progress . Minded indigenes began to come together from the six Units to think Ora, behave Ora and answer Ora, a kind of belonging to Ora oneness more than to the Units shell The awareness of pulling ideas and resources together to project in bolder perspective the ONENESS of Ora began to broaden by leaps and bounds. Thus Ora Progress Union (O.P.U.) made Ora have a Post Office and the General Hospital among others; the Anglican Church agency made Ora have Maternity and the Holy Trinity Grammar School (HTGS) among others for the entire Ivbiosakon Division; (all these before 1950), Eme people through her Eme Progress Union assisted by the Roman Catholic Mission established St. Mary’s Girls’ Grammar School in 1967 and Oraekpen Development Association (ODA) made Ora have the First Bank Plc Ltd and a Large Social Centre Complex also among others. These are as a result of the labours which our potently will continue to enjoy and to sustain and for allowing them to be in vain. Besides, efforts are also being made, though very gradually to invade and eliminate the intervening hushes from one Unit to the other(s) and to replace them with various facilities and amenities to further strengthen the oneness of Ora No wonder, a few years ago. our vehicle plate letters MNO was enthusiastically read by Ora progressive indigenes as Manmain N’Ora

The greatest of the changes then was the establishment of Ojeship system since l977 It is considered the greatest in contemporary development because the previous uncomfortable leadership by six (equal) heads in Ora land been replaced by one administrative leader.His Royal Highness, The Oje of Ora, the Clan Head and Prescribed Authority over Oraland For details, see our Constitutional approach to the institution and Installation of the Oje of Ora, 1987.

As an aside, Nigeria becoming a Republic in 1963, “the supreme power (in the country) is vested, according to the Chamber’s Dictionary, in the people and their elected representatives” and not on a monarch whose role as custodian of customs and traditions is unaffected.

There was thus since 1977 a leadership of Traditional Chiefs and elders under a Traditional Ruler in Ora as in other places in Nigeria. Be that as it may, the ‘embers’ of Ora factor always show up in some Ora people’s utterances and actions. A total discernment of inclination to these is ordinarily impossible in the community but a deliberate down-play of it is overdue in Ora to allow for peace and unity, to allow Ora resources to be maximally used for the good of Ora citizenry or, in short, to allow for a quick. Successful and enviable development in Ora

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