Hon.Chief Charles ALEJE Adoga @ 90:The Visionary Statesman Of Ogoja. By Clay Oko-Offoboche
No simple prose can satisfactorily capture the core essence of a man of the colossal size and persona of Chief Charles Aleje Adoga. A man of uncommon accomplishments, this fine handsome man, always smartly dressed and dashing looking, unassuming and quiet gentleman, Chief Charles Aleje Adoga, was the first known frontline fashion icon in Ogoja. He was a reference point on matters of dress codes and the first to fully accessorize his dressing with a wrist watch, complimented with bracelets, and neck chain to booth. Any time he steps out, you can be sure that he is dressed to match, complete from head to toe, with a keen sense of color. He was and still is an amazing “turn-heads” guy and the cherished prize and pride of every woman’s dream. He is also father to some of the most beautiful young women and handsome men in Ogoja and beyond; the father of two of the best friends in my life.
Preamble:
Let me start with a confession of relative ignorance. I cannot honestly claim to know the man, Chief Charles Aleje Adoga. I have never interviewed him, engaged him in serious discourse on burning social or political issues, nor investigated his philosophy of life; at least not enough to make audacious declarations about him. But I have known Chief Charles Aleje Adoga my entire life, from a discrete remove. What I know of him has been largely gleaned from the public domain; from impressions formed in the course of living within his orbit for most of my teenage and adolescent life; and from filtered analysis of an infinite number of discursive interactions with his children, most of whom I had befriended and still befriend today. At various times I had been boy to Thomas, followed Modey on crazy adventures, comrades in arms with Ifop, party buddies and tag team with Ugan, and brother to Helen, Theresa, Henrieta, Ikorishor, Igogo, Regina, and big uncle to young Ndor Charles Adoga. Today, Ifop comes across as my brother from another mother.
In all the time that I have known Chief Adoga, I only had opportunity to sit briefly with him thrice. The first instance was when I went to him to request for a loan of N300 in 1977 to enable me take up my University admission in Jos. I had promised to repay the loan after graduation and commencement of employment. N300 was a lot of money then. He was silent for a while as he took me in. When he responded, he spoke with touchy sentiments. He said there are many parents praying for a child like me, but those whom God had blessed with one do not see the blessings. He advised me to come back to see him the next morning. He wished to speak with my father before giving an answer to my loan request. I never found out how that meeting went. He never told me.
The second time was in 1981, after graduation. This time, he sent for me. He said, “I sent for you concerning your friend. I know, as children, you only think of yourselves as friends but both of you are related from your maternal side". Then he requested my counsel on measures to take in redirecting my brother's education. It was my turn to be speechless for a while as I processed the question.
First, my respect and adoration for him jumped, soared, and went ballistic. Second, I wanted to reflect and articulate a line of thought on this. I never imagined I will be asked this question. I respectfully gave my humble counsel. And he assured me he will do as suggested. I left him that morning with a new sense and meaning of a good father. A few months later, he executed the plan. I was impressed and overwhelmed by the faith he had in me, the confidence that I had useful advice for him. He totally had me. He became for me, a model father after my own heart. He became in my heart, my surogate father. And he never ceased to be that to me since that day.
The third occasion was in March 2016. I accompanied Victor home to be with his Dad on his 89th birthday. I had been curious and desirous on my part for just another opportunity to sit with him again, in the hope we could revisit our unfinished conversation from 1977. But that didn’t happen. I couldn’t broach the subject until we left.
And just when I thought I had finished writing this piece, I landed another opportunity to sit with him over a keg of okpoma-dry (palmwine) and a bowl of pounded yam, very early in 2017. I had the privilege of spending the New Year with him at his home. And I had the rare and golden opportunity to ask as many questions as I wanted and with pleasure, he provided all the answers.
These are the very important instances of direct personal contact with this great man, of whom I now write. There were of course several other occasions when we bumped into each other, crossed paths or I deliberately approached him to offer the obligatory Papa gbeshi (good morning), Papa obeh (welcome), and moved on after due acknowledgement of my salutations and deference to an elder. These sources are the basis for some of my most profound impressions of the man, Chief Charles Aleje Adoga, Mburra Mfam of Nkim land.
FAMILY AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND:
Chief Charles Aleje Adoga was born an only child to Madam Agnes Ikor Udey in Ishibori. His mother was a Queen dancer in her youth. It was reported that she survived on a single meal of one roast finger of plantain for an entire dance tour duration of three to six months without eating anything else or going to the loo. It was during one of those dance tours that she caught the eyes of a white colonial master, whose interpreter was Udey Thomas Adoga(Snr), father of Chief Charles Aleje Adoga. The whiteman offered to marry the queen dancer for his interpreter on condition that the marriage will be conducted according to Christian rites.
Udey Thomas Adoga had attended Duke Town Primary School, Calabar while serving as boy under the early colonial masters who arrived Ogoja about 1907. A prolific linguist, he spoke English, Yoruba, Hausa fluently along with many local languages, including Bekwara, Yala, Ukelle, Mbube, Boki, and Efik. He became an interpreter to the colonial administrators and engineers negotiating land leases and trading agreements with local peoples from calabar into the hinterland. While madam Agnes Ikor Udey was blessed with only one child, Udey Thomas Adoga had many other children. At the birth of her only child, the Chiefs and elders of Nkim clan prayed over the child and declared that he will live for the community (Mfam). That child was Chief Charles Aleje Adoga. And this is the story of the origins, birth and incredible live of this legend.
There are many firsts attached to his name. That's what made him a pioneering agent for his generation. He was the first Ishibori boy to leave the village to school in a distant land. Between 1934 to 1936, he left home at age seven to attended St. Patricks primary school, Coal Camp, Enugu. Chief Charles Aleje Adoga's trekking history and experience in search of the proverbial golden fleece reminds one of the Trekking Boers of South Africa. He was a great Trekker. He embarked on his first great trek to Yahe in 1934 on his way to Enugu. At the time no modern form of transportation existed between Ogoja and anywhere. From Yahe he found a vehicle to take him to coal camp, Enugu to pursue his Primary education. He was seven years old.
Between 1936 to 1941 he attended St. Mary's Catholic school Port Harcourt, and went on to finish standard three at Holy Trinity School, Port Harcourt. After his academic sojourn outside Ogoja, he returned to enrol in St. Benedict's Primary school, Igoli in 1946, after a brief stint at Kwakwagum, to commence his standard six. His classmates and contemporaries at St. Benedict's were Gregory Adima, Patrick Ogbeche, Equalle, Gabriel Opiepie, A. B. Odey, Senne Aggrey, Peter Aggrey, Mark Ugbut, I. I. Morphy, Augustine Ayim, Joseph Ugan, and G. Ilom amongst others. His trekking experience served him well later when, in 1943 and 1944, he had to trek from Ishibori to Ezekwe as a young boy to visit his mother many times. His itinerary map looked like this: He takes off from Ishibori to Ogboja. Proceeded through Ukpagada, Alladim, Igodor, Ikandang, to Ishi Aya; He moved from here to Ibil, Monkom, Ekwuaro, and arrives Bansara at about noon. He then followed the traders going to local markets, using them as guides and companions. From Bansara he followed a group of traders to Yahe, Ebo and entered Ezekwe at dusk.
Between 1945 and 1946, Chief Charles Aleje Adoga and Chief I. I. Morphy embarked on similar treks from Ogoja to Gboko. The duo followed traders from Ishibori to Okuku, to Alifokpa, Ihuru and arrive Gboko at 7 pm. This was where they first went to cut their political teeth in the 1940s. It was a trek they embarked on frequently as their friendship with J. S. Tarka and Isaac Kpum grew strong. And now it runs in the blood.
The Ishibori adage that blood follows the vein was validated two decades later when Victor Ifop Adoga got me to join him trek to Mary Knoll College despite the existence of taxi services from Igoli to Okuku. Victor and I had our own version of the great trek from St. Ben’s Primary School to Mary Knoll College in late 1969. We undertook the trek to sit for the entrance examination to Mary Knoll. Why we had to trek, still beats my imagination. But I am sure Victor proposed it, and I can now understand why. We had planned to go together. As we set out, we agreed to walk a pole, run the next pole, alternating like that nonstop until we stepped into Mary Knoll. This we executed as planned. We arrived at the college looking and feeling sweaty, dusty, tired and hungry. Thomas Udey Adoga(Jnr.), Victor’s big brother, received and took care of us. He took us to dine in the great Mary Knoll refectory for the first time even before we wrote its entrance examination. And we stayed three nights. He must have put us in a taxi and sent us back to Igoli after the interview. The trek was at best, an adventure at the time. But it may have been a case of blood following the vein. Like father like son.
Chief Charles Aleje Adoga was baptized a Catholic at birth in 1927. As a devout Christian and crusading knight of the Catholic Church, he is now the oldest baptized person in the archdiocese and beyond. He and his dear wife, Elizabith Iyaji Adoga, are also the oldest wedded couple in the archdiocesan zone. His own parents were among the first batch of 28 people baptized after catechism in 1923. They included Ifop Iyeje, Iton Udey, Udey Adoga, Agnes Ikor Udey and Benedict Ikri Ifu, after whom the St. Benedict's Catholic parish mission was named. Chief Charles Aleje Adoga was knighted along with four others at St. Dominic parish in Lagos in 1976, under the Enugu subcouncil of the knight of St. Mulumba. He recommended the knighthood of Dominic Eban, Stephen Abang, Mark Ugbut, Patrick Ekum and Gregory Ndifon thereby laying the groundwork for the establishment of the Ogoja subcouncil of the KSM.
To Be continued...
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