NAME: OBURUKU SUNDAY OGBAJI
REG. NO: 12/MAC/083
“The name Ogoja” is wildly used in Northern Cross River. In the early centuries, Ogoja covered the present Abi, Boki, Ikom, Obubra, Obudu, Obanliku, Yakurr and Yala Local Government Areas.
The present Ogoja Local Government Area consist of five (5) clans which are the Afrike, Bekwarra, Mbube, Kajuk and Nkum. Ogoja is bounded to the north by Benue State, Ikom in the South, Boki and Okundi in the east and Yala in the West. It has an estimated population of about 430,000 and a land mass of about 960,5689 sq. km.
Ogoja has for long remained a potential area of socio-economic development, especially in agriculture where the main products that are mostly produced are yam, cassava, rice, groundnuts, guinea corn, ground beans, sweet potatoes, millet and fruit trees.
The influence of the early missionaries was significantly felt in the area, thus, Christianity is the predominant religion. The area is also endowed with different cultural value and some of them are revived and modernized to emphasize the cultural heritage of the people. Very songs also exist in different areas for different festivals such as the new yam festivals, traditional marriages, birth and burials.
Ogoja is linguistically diverse. The numbers of languages spoken in the area is about six (6) and they distributed through out the five (5) clans. The major languages spoken in the area are Bekwarra, Bakor, Mbe and Nkum.
Ethically, Ogoja is very complex but of the diversity of the area and this enable a considerable amount of communication amongst the ethnic groups.
EDUCATION
The Roman Catholic Mission was the first to penetrate the area through Calabar, the Eastern Headquarters of the Church. Thus, between 1906 and 1930, all the communities in Ogoja Local Government Area has felt the impact of the RCM and the Church of Scotland Missions. There are also notable schools like The Saint Thomas Training College established in 1948, Government Technical College which started as PTC in 1950, Holy Child Secondary School Mount Carmel, Annunciation Secondary School. There are also vocational institutes at Igoli, Adagon and Ogboja and the Women Education Center at Mbube.
The oldest Primary school in the area, Saint Benedict’s was established in 1906 by the Roman Catholic Mission. In recent years, The Federal Government established the Federal School of Arts and Science in 1973. It later metamorphosed into Federal Science College in 1992
There is also a campus of the Cross River University of Technology in Ogoja which was opened in 2002.
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
Ogoja possess enormous potentials for industrialization. It has limestone deposit in Mbube, salt deposit in BBekwarra, Okpoma and Afrike which can be used in the petrochemical industry. Lead and zinc are found in Bansara and lots of clay in Ishibori and Ndok. Ogoja is linked to Benue, Abuja and the Northern part of the country through a good road network.
Union Bank use to be the only commercial bank in the area but modernization have given room for eleven banks to operate in the area.
MARKET
The Ogoja people generally operate a five-day market week. The major markets in the area are found at Ishibori and Ogboja in Ogoja Urban, Odajie, Idum and Ojerim in Mbube, Ogidi, Ukpa and Afrike in Bekwarra and Ndok, Aladim. There is also the the Okpe and Ogoja Ndem markets. Markets such as Ishibori and Ogboja operate daily. Items such as garri, beans, yams, maize and vegetables are all sold here. There are several super markets at Igli and Abakpa as well as several provision stores in all the communities.
RESOURCES
Ogoja is well blessed with highly tropical climate, well marked by wet and dry seasons. The area is also blessed with food crops and very rich trees of different species. The area is also blessed with large quarry rich with by-product which could be used for industrial and commercial activities.
SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT
Ogoja offers a wide range of investments opportunity for both local and foreign investors.
The forest in Mbube and Afrike could be exploited for the development and sourcing of raw materials for industrial use.
The quarry at Mbube, if adequately exploited produced raw materials for road construction, water filtration and glass industries.
An oil palm project could if exploited could produce oil and kernel for edible fats and oil, margarine, candles, cosmetic soaps and detergents. Maize could be used for corn meals, animal feeds, corn flakes and bakeries. Yam could be used for edible powder flour and chips while cassava could be used for high grade industrial starch, alcohol, glue, as well as food items such as chips, flour and garri. Palm wine could be used for baking yeast, alcohol and so on.
Rice could be used for brewing malt and as food item. Groundnut could be exploited for edible oil, industrial and human consumption.
HEALTH
The General Hospital in Ogoja was established in 1915 by the first provincial commissioner, Mr. W. C. Syer for the province of Ogoja with Abakiliki. Services rendered initially were tuberculosis treatment and medical/surgical services.
The hospital later assumed the status of Group Reference Hospital in 1980 with the approval of the Nigerian Medical Council to train house officers.
Today, the hospitals has the following clinics:
1. Dental Clinic
2. Antiretroviral Clinic
3. Eye Clinic
4. Vesico Vaginal Fistula Unit
Laboratories services are also provided.