By Nkiruka Nnorom

Late Prince L.G.C Asibelua, the Okwa-ukwu of Ase Kingdom in Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, who passed on in July, 2016, will go down in history as one that contributed immensely to the development of Ndokwa kingdom.  Born to the royal family of Ozuem the founder of both Ase Kingdom in Ndokwa East LGA and Aviara Kingdom in Isoko South LGA, Prince Asibelua died at a ripe age of 106 years.

Late Asibelua

Explaining his role in development of the region in an interview in 2008, Prince Asibelua said besides his contribution in infrastructural development of the area, he also coined the name ‘Ndokwa’ when the need arose to keep the region intact and promote peace among the people. 

According to him, the new name was necessitated by the need for the people to discontinue being identified as Aboh indigenes due to the high handedness of the then Obi Oputa ll of Aboh division.

He said: “There was a lot of bickering and acrimony within the native authorities regarding the continued use of the name Aboh division. Their grouse was that Obi Oputa II of Aboh was high handed and overbearing. The Ukwuani native authority was more vocal in the denunciation and as the problem was almost getting out of control, the Resident, Delta Province, Mr. R.J.M Curwen summoned a meeting of all the native authorities at Kwale.   

“I was also in the meeting in my capacity as the (ADO) clerk of all the councils in the division. During the meeting, the atmosphere was over-heated and over-charged and because the Resident was keenly interested in the continued existence and unity of the division due to their homogeneity, he advised members to live and work together.   

“After the meeting, the Resident told me that this was a test for me and one of the main reasons why I was employed, being a son of the soil. He said I should find a solution to the problem. I at once put on my thinking cap and the name came out of the blues. The N stands for Ndoni, DO for Ndoshimili and KWA for Ukwuani, that is Ndokwa and Ndokwa means peace.”

Continuing, he said: “I recommended the name ‘Ndokwa’ through the senior District Officers A.N. Cohen and F.H. Butcher to the Resident, Delta Province. Thereafter, I was asked to take it to the then Minister for Local Government, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in Ibadan. In-between, the civil war broke out. After the war however, when the military were creating states and local governments, the name Ndokwa Local Government surfaced encompassing the three former native authorities.” 

On his role in further developing the area, he said: “Apart from the nomenclature, I was largely instrumental in the transition process from native authority system of government to local government administration. As a matter of fact, four different areas including Aboh division, Edo, Oyo and Ago-Awori were to be used as experiment for the workability of local government administration in Western region, and as was required under the western regional local government law of 1952. I had to make extensive consultations to determine their wishes.

I travelled by river utilizing a marine boat named SW JACK DORE normally sent from Forçados to take me round the Ndoshimili areas and of course I used my car and driver to tour the Ukwuani areas. The reports are still there in Ibadan.  

“A number of earth roads in Ndokwa, especially the Ukwuani areas were opened up like Afor junction through Ugili-Amai to Utagba-Uno, Amai to Obiaruku. Kwale/Ogume/Amai and so many others within a period of three months. In Ndoshimili area for example, we bulldozed, graded and opened up the following earth roads: Ashaka/Ushie/Aradhe. Ashaka/Igbuku/Ibrede, Kwale/Afor/Iselegu/Ossissa, Edherie/Ase. 

It is on record that I opened up the road from Okpai junction to Aboh town, bulldozed and graded it. All these were done with our personal funds voluntarily donated by me and my colleagues at the council. There was no kobo in the council’s treasury then hence we had to tax ourselves.”

Prince L.G.C Asibelua had his early education in Ase Kingdom, Delta State.  He was also exposed educationally in Port Harcourt, Onitsha, and Lagos and in England.
He had most of his working career at UAC of Nigeria Plc where he served in various departments, like Transport, Lighter age, Accounts, Import and Export, Customs Wharf office, Staff Registry and the GM’s office among others.