Warri Boys Social and Welfare Society is the official name but it is also known as Warri Boys Association. What informed the decision of the formation of this Association?
The association was founded by a group of persons that have stayed in Warri, they are not necessarily Warri indigenes. In fact, in Warri, we do not have indigenes. We only know people by name, so there is this bond, that you were in Warri; either you did your primary or secondary school or you have worked or lived in Warri. We have a unity of bond, a unique English-speaking language and lifestyle peculiarity. You’re aware that we are the customary owners of the Pidgin English language worldwide.
Today, due to neglect by successive governments – both at the Federal and State level, Warri has now become a shadow of itself. Warri which used to be home to all and sundry has become a desert town worsened by decaying infrastructure, and total neglect by the State and the Federal government in the sharing of developmental projects. Infrastructure is at its worst level in the area.
The economy worsened due to the exit of the oil majors and their attendant service companies, the collapse of the Delta Steel company, the Warri refinery and petrochemical plant and many such others that hitherto provided employment and contracts offers that created economic prosperity to the area in the good old days. The once-booming Warri seaport is now a shadow of itself! As you know, every port needs to be dredged periodically.
As of today, we have an unfeeling government that tells us that our ports cannot receive certain kinds of vessels because of the shallow waters. The Lagos ports are dredged constantly. The level of attention the ports in Lagos are enjoying, should also the accorded to the Warri ports. We have the new port, we have the old port, and they should also be dredged. A booming seaport has a multiplier effect on the economy of the environment—the money velocity increases. For example, If Ocean-going cargo vessels begin to berth in Warri again, we would have several people who would be ship Chandlers. Those ship chandlers will buy products that are in the Warri environment, and will also employ hands. It’s a whole value chain. Right now, our people are jobless, and some of them are being forced to think of ways of living that are not in consonance with the Warri culture which is known for industry and hard work. These are some of the issues that worried the founding fathers. So, let’s have a body that can begin to raise consciousness, and bring to the fore, issues that Warri have suffered over time so that both Federal and State governments will factor our concerns in their planning effort. Warri should be Nigeria’s energy corridor, just like Texas is to the US. Warri has paid its dues, but in return, she has been shortchanged by the authorities who only take but do not give back. They must have to give back. So, that is the origin of the Warri Boys Association officially known as the Warri Boys Social and Welfare Society.
When was this Society founded?
The society was founded in 2006. The idea kicked off during a casual conversation between two prominent Warri boys, namely Dede Mabiaku, a well-known Afrobeat musician/artist and a Pilot named Captain Austin Anianu. This incident took place at a lounge in Oregon, Ikeja, popularly referred to as Roli’s Spot which was at that period, a popular hang-out for boys that grew up or have lived in Warri. The formation of the association was actually an idea whose time was up, as some other prominent Warri boys living in Lagos also nurtured the same idea. These include the likes of the Late George Eboakoke, Gbemi Arueyingho, Tony Edo, Victor Hans, Weyinmi Ekperigin and others. This group of friends met and held an inaugural members meeting and concretized the association – “Warri Boys Association”. Meanwhile, the boys from the Sapele axis already had theirs named “Sapele Boma Boys” which had prominent Sapele boys like Sam Amuka Pemu and others. Actually, the existence of the Sapele Boma Boys gave rise to the idea formation of The Warri Boys Association whose objective amongst others is to bring together boys that grew up or have lived and gained great values from Warri. The association has several objectives some of which are outlined below:
- To build a platform for Warri Boys to engage in rebuilding, and improving on the Warri image of yesteryears which is basically oneness, peace and unity.
- To create an opportunity for Warri Boys to Bond /Socialize together in Lagos with developmental thoughts towards Warri in mind.
- To build a formidable Unit to stand by each Warri Boy in Lagos at that time To plan development support projects for Warri from time to time.
- To build together a team of Great Warri Boys (Waffarians) to Influence State/Federal Governments to refocus on developing and Improving Infrastructure in Warri.
- To re-build the Old Warri Culture of Being Your Brother’s Keeper.
- To build a respectable Warri Representational Mouthpiece of Value for the harnessing and uplifting of the Great Potentials and Values of Warri.
The WBA held meetings regularly at Roli spot, facilitated by the late George Eboakoke. George would arrive Roli’s spot early in his car, with large speakers and other equipment, set up the place ahead of the meeting. He would also be the last to leave after meetings, to discouple the equipment and demobilize. We miss him greatly to this day. In some instances, Dede Mabiaku would request for meetings to be held at his residence and would thrill the audience with sounds of heavy highlife and Afrobeat music. At meetings, attendees were feted with drinks and quality delta cuisine amid jokes and deliberations. Banga and Owo soup was usually served.
These are boys that have lived in Warri, benefited from Warri ideology and philosophy, and believe that Warri deserves its fair share of its infrastructural resources in the national equation.
It may interest you to know that comedy is part and parcel of our lifestyle. We make creative jokes out of nothing and everything. We used to call it “wording” in the good old days. Have you observed that the mention of Warri is a recurring decibel in Nigerian stand-up comedies? Even in acting, ” We don dey act our own movies tey tey before black and white TV even show ! “. It’s therefore not surprising that boys from Warri axis are doing so well in comedies and Nollywood. We are proud and willing to give back to society our time, talents, and network to influence policy decisions both at the State and Federal level such that Warri can get what it deserves so that those who are in the Warri environment can feel and benefit from us too. It’s symbiotic.
Since you became President of the association, what has been your major challenge?
We shall be unveiling a five-year strategic plan for the association. This would ensure the continuity of the vision and mission of the association across future executives. Our strategic blueprint will be so clear and encompassing that no future Exco will want to depart from the laid-out plan. It will be a path to prosperity, a path to a new Warri, a path to a developed Warri, a path to prosperity of members, and a path to the betterment of our kind that is back home. Insecurity has worsened the issue of unemployment. Our graduate youths now drive Okada and Keke to make a living and this is unacceptable because our people are known to be scholars. Those who did not have the opportunity to go to school when we were growing up acquired their skills while working on their jobs. Currently, there are no good roads, the new roads you see were built by Niger Delta Development Commission, NNDC and some by former Governor, James Ibori.
I became president on September 11, 2022. The election was held at the Lagos Country Club of which some of us, including my humble self, are members. It was a tight three-horse race, but the majority of the members needed a change and shift in the narrative in the affairs of the Association. Hence, I was chosen. I have also assured them that the confidence they have placed in me, is not misplaced and that we would be sharing our strategic plans for the association in a short while. The first thing we would do is to make sure the association itself has enough publicity and that is ongoing. We would be more visible to the Nigerian Public and to stakeholders that have an interest in the Warri project.
The level of poverty in Warri is really mind-blowing, how do you hope to tackle this?
Gainful employment has reduced drastically in Warri. However, the average human being just has to survive. When we were growing up, people could acquire skills from our Parents. Most parents were doing good. But today, Parents are struggling to survive. Poverty has even affected the psyche of most parents such that even though they are aware that that child is living on the fast lane they are helpless in response because they have lost the moral fibre to put such a child in check or on the right track.
We would not stop. The State Government the Okowa government needs to partner with us and do more than it is doing currently. The pace of development in Warri is too slow. The number of young ladies you see hawking their bodies for cash has increased because poverty has gone to take a seat in Warri. God forbid. We will come out of it.
Does the association have any political lining?
We are a non-partisan group but we are politically conscious, knowing that politics dictates what happens to us as a people. You need the political will to set Warri in a good position. Apart from the former governor, James Ibori, who tried, the other government has had no interest. Recently, we saw a token effort by the Okowa-led Executive to fix the Effurun-Sapele road, and this has lasted for almost 3 years. Entering Warri from the Effurun roundabout takes a few hours due to the poor infrastructure and maintenance. The road, although is a Federal road, it is used more by Deltas than any other citizen. What is wrong if Delta State takes up that road, Fix it and then sends a bill to the federal government for a refund?
What would you want to be remembered for after your tenure as President?
After my tenure, I wish to be remembered for being a President that helped to reset the association on a path of sustainable prosperity for its members and also for the sustainable development of Warri. This time around, we are not talking about that narrowly defined Warri, of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, but a Warri that will include the adjoining towns that have become part of Warri metropolis today. Warri urban should have a huge resource budgeted for it by the State government and the federal government must ensure that the ports are working.
After the sale of the Delta Steel Company, what has changed? Shell did not depart with its oil reserves. What’s the update? if another entity has acquired these assets and doing a similar thing like Shell, why are we not feeling their impact? What is their Corporate Social Responsibility budget for supporting the government in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, and for our people to be gainfully employed such that the average youth can attain a prosperous life in the Warri environment?
Matthew Ogagavworia is a Chartered Accountant with an interest in forensic accounting, assurance, tax and management consultancy he is the managing partner at Matog Consulting. Â
Source: Vanguard
