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By Ese Adagbra

The life and legacy of Honourable Sylvanus Silas Enivwenieye Omaruaye has remained one of the edifying narratives of the Gbaregolor Community and indeed Delta State such that after 33 years of his death, both the old and the young residents of the sleepy town of Gbaregolor still consider him as an ageless hero whose developmental and socio-cultural achievements resonates till date.

Indeed, it has been hinted that the Gbaregolor Community is still waiting for another selfless leader that will match the huge efforts of Honorable Omaruaye. This piece attempts a succinct brief of this Man – Honorable Sylvanus Omaruaye, who lived for such a short time (51 years) but was able to leave an indelible mark, despite his humble beginning and the constraints of those times, that made him an enigma to so many.

Honorable Sylvanus Omaruaye, was born to Chief Matthew Omaruaye Masogie who hailed from Ikise quarters of Gbaregolor in Ewu Urhobo Clan, Ughelli South local Government Area, while His mother, Madam Toro Omaruaye Masogie was from Diobri Quarter also of Gbaregolor Ewu Clan, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. Chief Omaruaye Masogie, His father, was limited in formal education but was adventurous and bold enough to embrace the Christian religion of the Anglican Communion early in life and through his early friendship with Bishop Agori Iwe, he was propelled to initiate the building of schools in his locality. His father also made sure his children sought educational pursuits.

The young Sylvanus started school at Miss Ade Private School in Gbaregholor and thereafter CMS Primary School Gbaregolor. He thereafter moved at an early age from his father’s tutelage to live with Bishop Agori Iwe in Ughelli, where he started school at St. Luke’s Primary School, Ughelli in 1947. According to Professor Erivwo, his classmate, the school was initially located at Otovwodo-Ughelli but was relocated to Ovwodanwarien-Ughelli where the CMS had its headquarters at the time. Some of his other classmates were Helen Agori-Iwe (now Mrs. Odeghe), Johnson Batare, Godwin Amianu, Samuel Amamedare and Benjamin Moughareh, amongst others. He completed his primary school in 1954 and went to Modern School at Ewu and Teachers Training College to obtain T.C. 2. After Teachers Training College, he started his teaching career in Gbaregholor, coincidentally, in the same school that his father had earlier established with the assistance of Bishop Agori Iwe. It is known that Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye, as a teacher, was a stickler for time and intense disciplinarian. He was responsible for preparing primary school pupils for their final Common Entrance Examinations.

According to Mr. Benjamin Ephrunuara, who was his pupil, “Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye was not just a teacher but a disciplinarian who combined his teaching with grooming the pupils in sports”. From Gbaregholor, he was transferred to Warri to teach at Mowoe Primary school and later to St. Peter’s Primary School now called Torufa Primary school where he became the headmaster. In 1972, Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye resigned from his teaching appointment. Whilst the reason for his resignation was unknown, it was thought that his restlessness, energy and ambition to progress was sufficient justification for that decision.

Following his movement out of his allocated school quarters, the next phase of his life was to commence in a house provided by his wife’s father on Aboh road, Warri and that marked a transition to his first stint in the private world of business as he gained employment with Chief Ogboko Edewor, as the Manager of the infamous River Valley Hotel, Warri, almost immediately. In this position, he was exposed to the dynamics of entrepreneurship and business. He performed creditably and developed a robust relationship with his boss, the late Chief Ogboko Edewor, due to his amiable persona and enviable track record as a dedicated, honest and resilient employee to which many attest to till date.

Having served exceptionally at River Valley Hotel, he resigned after some years and moved on to set up his own company – Omars Royal Company Limited in 1974. His first known involvement in business was in the area of transportation. He bought lorries of his own and hired some. Apart from transporting goods for various clients on spot hire, Omars Royal Company became the main transporter of Dresser Macobar, the largest chemical supplier to the oil industry and in the Niger Delta. Omars Royal handled all Dresser Macobar transportation needs by ferrying chemicals from the Ports to various locations. Omars Royal also got a contract with the Nigeria Postal Services to carry mails and parcels from Warri to hinterland post offices, which he executed with his fleet of Peugeot pick up vehicles. Omars Royal’s commercial activities at that time could have passed for today’s modern logistics company.

With the expansion of his business S.S.E Omaruaye, invested in the purchase of the present site of the business from an Ekpan family, and that gave birth to a building business, which has expanded, grown and still operates till today, with more sophisticated production lines like interlocking tiles.

Omars Royal Block making industry also boasts of being one of the most premium companies for those products in Delta State till date. Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye, who had shown his love for farming, also started his sugar cane plantation project at this time in Gbaregholor. His desire was to carry the sugar cane planting business to a national level and was determined to make Gbaregholor and its environs the sugarcane basket of Nigeria.

In this, he invested time, money and energy; little wonder that with his busy schedule as a business man shuttling between his home town and various business locations, he had to fend for a whole lot of extended family members, spreading his earnings across numerous households.

As his transportation, farming and block moulding businesses grew, S.S.E. Omaruaye expanded into the area of the supply of marine parts, which is not unusual in view of his riverine upbringing. Again, he was into the marine business because he used boats that he acquired to ferry his products of sugarcane and wood from the hinterland of Gbaregholor to markets in Warri.

From his humble background as first a teacher and then successful business man, Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye commanded such great respect from his peers and people of his community because of his huge efforts in capacity development of the children and youth; his many charity works within the Gbarigholor community; and his huge contribution to the development of the now defunct Bendel State and it became natural for him to dabble into politics within the state, having laid the socio-economic foundation required to commence such a career.

It was therefore not surprising that S.S.E. Omaruaye was persuaded to run for councillor in Ughelli Local Government, which he did and won. He was made the Supervisory Councilor for Education in the Ughelli Local Government Council. In this position, he influenced several projects towards his constituency. He constructed a jetty for his people which was named “Sylvanus Waterside”. He dug several wells for water for Gbaregholor and other Communities up to Aravwarien. The road leading to Okuama was also influenced and built by S.S.E. Omaruaye at this period.

It is worthy to note that he represented Ewu Ward 2, which comprised many towns apart from Gbaregholor, such as Okuama, Aravwarien and others. In 1979, he contested and won the election to the Bendel State House of Assembly Representing Ughelli Local Government Area under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) fully sponsored and supported by Ewu Progressive Union. At this time Alhaji Shehu Shagari was President of Nigeria and Ambrose Alli was Governor of Bendel State. Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye had a larger constituency as the House of Assembly Member representing Ughelli Local Government Area than being the Councilor in charge of Ewu Ward 2 and therefore, had greater responsibilities. Accounts from his colleagues at the Bendel State House of Assembly confirm that Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye exhibited confidence and brilliance in his presentations and debates on the floor of the House. He was known to be very articulate with precision as his watch word. Hon. Isaac Jemide representing Warri Local Government Area, served with him.

Some of his constant visitors at the House of Assembly Quarters in Benin were Late Louis Ijoma, Barrister Peter Ogbeni from Sapele, Late Sir (Chief) Igho E. Orhiunu, Chief, Major Patrick Egone rtd amongst see and his love for Urhobo-land was not only huge but infectious and impacted the depth of all his relationships and interfaces as he was known to always project the interest of the Urhobo kingdom all the time.

In his lifetime, late Hon. S.S.E. Omaruaye, was a skillful footballer, a government-barged referee, a devout Christian, a father of many children, a husband, educationist, an industrialist, philanthropist, consummate politician, bridge-builder and finally an ardent Urhobo nationalist.

Hon. Sylvanus S.E Omaruaye died on the 29th of September, 1989 from an automobile accident along Ughelli-Warri road exactly 32 years ago but his legacies live on. From a little village boy, he grew like an acorn to a mighty oak tree and was successful in his chosen areas of interest and did live a fulfilled life. He left behind a wife and several children.

*Adagbra, a journalist, lives in Asaba, Delta State