Story! Story!!
This is a story of a young boy who moved from being a slave to a merchant prince and a founder of a place called Opobo City-state, an area that is now the Rivers State of Nigeria.
THE STORY OF KING JAJA OF OPOBO
King Jaja was born in 1821, in Umaduruoha, Amaigo, in Igbo land. He was the 3rd son of his parents. At age twelve, he was captured by his father's enemies and sold into slavery. His first master took him to Bonny land and gave him the name Jubo Jubogha. This name was later shortened to Jaja by the British.
As time passed, Jaja was sold to Chief Alali, the head of the Opubo Annan Pepple Royal House.
As young as he was, Jaja had great entrepreneurial skills. He became known as one of the smartest businessmen in the City-state. When the head of the Annan Pepple House died, there was no one at that time who wanted to fill his seat, this was because the House had incurred some debt and were owing the British a lot of money. Fearlessly, Jaja took up this responsibility as the head and in two years, he paid off all the debts. Under his leadership, the Annan House gained strong dominance in the palm oil trade. However, Jaja and his people also earned a few enemies who were jealous of their strength and dominance. One of such enemies was the Manilla Pepple House led by Oko Jumbo. Despite their several attempts to start a fight, Jaja took extra measures to maintain peace. However, a fire outbreak which greatly affected the Annan Pepple House gave Oko Jumbo the opportunity to strike. This incident forced Jaja to break away and establish the Opobo City-state in 1869.
The Opobo City-state retained most of the socio-political and cultural institutions of Bonny. While recognizing the value of Western education and literacy, Jaja rejected christianity but established a secular school where he employed an African-American to run it.
For 18 years, Jaja ruled the independent Opobo City-state with firmness and remarkable authority. The Opobo City- state exercised monopoly over palm oil trade and the British people were made to pay taxes and trade duties to king Jaja. This balanced relationship between the British and king Jaja was short-lived as the British officials, with time became more defiant to indigenous authorities and British traders began trading with hinterland palm oil producers.
In 1884, during the Berlin Conference, the European powers declared Opobo as British territory and the British soon moved to claim it. Believing strongly in his own authority, Jaja refused to stop taxing the British traders.
Pretending to have a peace talk,Henry Hamilton Johnston, a British vice consul, invited Jaja to a negotiation in 1887.
At first, Jaja turned down the invitation because he was suspicious of the motive but when he was assured of a safe return home by Johnston, he eventually honoured the invitation. Unknown to King Jaja, this was the last time he would set foot in Opobo. When he got there, Johnston confronted him with two difficult options: to be deported from Opobo or have the whole land completely destroyed. In order to protect his people, King Jaja chose to be deported to Accra, Ghana. On his arrival, he was immediately arrested, tried and declared guilty of actions "harmful" to British interest. He was later deported to the West Indies at St. Vincent Island.Still carrying himself in his kingly dignity, Jaja wrote several appeals to Britain to allow him return home to his people and throne. After several declined appeals, he was finally allowed to return in 1891.
Sadly, King Jaja never got to arrive in his homeland. He died on the Island of Tenerife, allegedly poisoned with a cup of tea. He was buried on the Canary Islands but the strong protest of his people led to his body being dug up and then taken home to be reburied. The people of Opobo mourned for two years and put up a ceremony to celebrate him as a deity.
MORAL LESSONS.
Not everyone in the world celebrates greatness. Tread carefully.
Be fearless when fighting for what is right.
Be prepared for any opportunity, it can come when you least expect it.
Never hide your credible abilities, it speaks volumes about you when the need arises.
Allow your gift to create a room for you in the table of wealth.
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