Osima Ginah, lawyer, technocrat, and administrator, who served both former governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike, has come under searchlight pointed by a profilist, writer, political commentator, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
The searchlight seems to be strategic at a time the two pollical camps in Rivers State led by Amaechi and Wike seem to be adjusting to look for who next becomes governor of the state either in 2027 or 2031.
The polarization in the state is now so fierce that any man that is mentioned would attract either ovation from one camp or hostile shout from the other. This has made most persons to hide to avoid attacks.
Each time Ginah is mentioned, there seems to be caution because the man, according to his biographer, appears to be accepted in both camps due to his no-nonsense approach to official assignment where the man is said to carry out action even against those that appointed him.
His background as someone who never had hope of going to school but fought his way first through the life of a fisherboy and motor conductor before reading law to emerge a dogged fighter in wigs.
Each place Ginah schooled, he made marks that stood him out as a fighter for the ordinary people and defender of what is right. He did not mind taking the bullet. Often, rules have been changed, fees have been slashed, and courses have been waived because of his fights.
When he joined political party struggle, he was known as a fighter in the courts who squared up with senior advocates of Nigeria (SANs). He also showed brutal honesty in managing funds set out for cases, something that is said to expose most lawyers due to mismanagement.
When his ways attracted appointment as commissioner during the Amaechi time, he was the only one found fit to handle a new ministry for Urban Development at a time the state wanted to restore the image and integrity of the Gaden City. Demolition was required in such a way that looking at faces would not work. Ginah accepted the offer and went and demolished the building where his governor’s wife operated from. This sent string signals as he marked buildings of his fellow commissioners and hell broke loose. At last, it was out in the open that with Ginah, there can be n sacred cows, and the right thing must be done.
Another remarkable thing was that when Amaechi fell out with Wike and Wike took over as governor under very hostile condition, Ginah still made it to the Wike cabinet without losing face in Amaechi camps. It was agreed that competence and character were so important that one can work in the home of his enemies because he alone could deliver.
So, anytime Ginah’s name is mentioned, it sells like fast food in the circles of the creek boys that knew him as their brother fisherboy, on the streets by boys who knew him as their fellow motorboy, in schools as a students’ union activist of non-corruptible calbre, in the professions as a hard driver, in administrative circles as a due process exponent, and in political circles as the trusted ally with multiple godfathers and trustees.
Now, Eze, a known Amaechi advocate and one trained under the tutelage of the former vice president, Abubakar Atiku, took time out to dig into the life of the barrister, Ginah. The book is to mark Ginah’s 60th birthday which fell on January 1, 2025.
Eze, whose birthday also fell on same January 1, said he chose to dwell on more forceful personality who seems to command the stars of the firmament than to dwell on his.
He said: “The fact remains that my relationship with this man of the moment goes beyond blood relationship that have spanned over eight years when we team up to see how we can sustain and improve democracy in Nigeria particularly in Rivers State.”
According to Eze, there has been a barrage of activities in Rivers State, particularly, Angulama community in Asari-Toru local government area of Rivers State, since December 2024, in commemoration of the birth Ginah, a renowned lawyer and rare breed politician from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, who he said would be joining the class of diamonds on January 1, 2025, marking his 60th birthday.
In a statement made available to the media, Eze, the erstwhile national publicity secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and now chieftain of the APC said four great events including a 3-day power-packed crusade held in Angulama were part of activities lined up for the epochal anniversary.
He said: “The crusade was followed by a football tournament amongst the various communities of the central group with Minama clinching the trophy after trashing Omektariama three zero at the finals. Angulama came third after a 3-Nil defeat over Krakrama which came a distant 4th.
“On 1st January, 2025, the very day of the anniversary, an empowerment program targeted at cushioning the effect of the harsh economic reality of the times and improving the livelihoods of families, will hold in Angulama at the instance of the celebrant in his characteristic penchant for philanthropy. This empowerment program will be preceded by a thanksgiving service as a mark of appreciation to God for bringing Osima this far.
“January 4, 2025 will see Osima visiting orphanages and old people’s homes where he would be meeting and celebrating with children and senior citizens; and on January 5, 2025, the historical book on Osima, which chronicles his journey and trajectory would be unveiled.”
To give a little glimpse of the contents of the historical book, Eze unmasked a portion of the literary piece in an excerpt which beams light on the subject “Osima Ginah’s Strides in Development”
Eze said Ginah falls in the category of people painted by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a seasoned philosopher. “He has through his developmental agenda touched many lives in his community and society at large.
“Ginah, knowing the importance of empowerment programme in a community, chose not to do away with it. He has indulged in Human Capacity Building (HCB) which is one of the numerous ways of empowerment, and has through this, helped many people, especially the youths who are not privileged to engage in any meaningful activity for the sake of surviving the current economic harsh weather. He aims at making a number of the youths in Angulama, in the Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, contribute positively to productive economic activities, which will in turn, enhance their living standard.
Helper 1967, stipulated that “Capacity building is like an industrial processing, which converts basic ores and raw materials into useful tools through moulding, tempering, shaping and sharpening them for some ultimate purpose”. This belief, however, shows that the character and potentials of human beings will remain inactive like other factors of production, if not trained. They will only become agents of production and economic activities when they are developed through education and training.
To achieve this objective, the then Urban Development Commissioner instituted a scholarship scheme in his Local Government and dedicated his monthly salary to the education of some children and youths of Asari-Toru local government origin at the primary, post-primary and tertiary levels. It was equally gathered that Barr. Ginah did not stop there. In a bid to encourage other youths in the area, he took the burden of paying the WAEC and GCE fees of those that were interested in writing those examinations. The good gesture was also extended to his Alma mater, Kalabari National College (KNC).
That gesture encouraged people to a great extent as those who would not have sat for any of the examinations declared their interests and explored the opportunity to sit for the examination that may lead to their pre-eminence in society in the nearest future.
While commenting on this noble development, Barr. Ginah said: “I decided that I would pay the West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) fees for every person in my community who was ready to write the examination. In one of the years, I paid for 50 persons and for 55 persons in my alma mater, Kalabari National College, Buguma. I believe that it will be a stepping stone for those who want to go a higher education. I also assisted those of my people in various higher institutions by paying their school fees. I did this so that my community and Kalabari Kingdom at large will have more people of my type and those that will be greater than me.”
Continuing, Ginah averred that he wanted to take the opportunity to carry out both infrastructure and human development in Anguluma, stressing that he laid emphasis on human capacity because of its importance in society, as no one would rise to a higher position without being educated. In his words, I see it as an opportunity to develop my community, to develop human capacity and for infrastructural development of my community. I have started because I always tell my people that if they killed one man, they have killed a Commissioner, because the standard in my community, for me, is that everybody is a Commissioner and I come from that community. There is still the opportunity that someone else can be a Commissioner. Since we have achieved that height of Commissioner, I encouraged people who are in the community to start learning because I know that the only thing that can help them to achieve that is when they go to school. Your curriculum vitae will determine what you will be. Those that are occupying important positions now passed through a process that qualified them for the positions. ”
In furtherance, peace, they say, is one of the essential ingredients of development in any society. Any community that lacks peace will invariably lack development. So, for effective development to take place in any community, there must be absolute peace. This could be seen as the reason why Barr. Osima Ginah sponsored a peace rally at Augulama community, which helped to restore peace and conducive atmosphere for developmental projects in the community that was rocked by crisis. It will also be noted that apart from sponsoring the peace rally, Barr. Ginah was instrumental to the resolution of the crisis that erupted as a result of who occupies the position of the King and Chiefs in the Community.
The author revealed an aspect of Ginah’s life that many never knew; his secret of success? It is a woman called Elijalba Ginah (his wife), the woman who saw tomorrow and knew everything that would happen in the life of the young man that seemed to have no future. She knew the role she was to play to make it happen but only if both of them married each other. That part of the story seems to be a thriller of its own that may force many to rush to the book.
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