from jamesibechi.wordpress.com, why Prof Ode Ojowu wanted UBA Bank sited in his village Ohuhu Owo

If you know a little about Professor Ode Ojowu, the current Pro Chancellor of Benue State University, Makurdi, you will not deny but agree with us that the quickest feeling a mention of his name evokes is that he’s a man of high erudition. This is doubtless. Read more after the cut 

He’s a high-class professor of repute, urbane and never wants to be mistaken for a politician. He’s never known to be one, of course. In fact, he had made it clear during the performance of his mother’s funeral rites, at Ega Okileme, his matrilineal home that, “am ro lupe ka”, meaning he is not a politician.

Yet, whether he’s a politician or not, the Unijos retired erudite scholar from Ohuhu in Oju LGA of Benue State has been one of the most beneficiaries of politics. He was Olusegun Obasanjo’s Chief Economic Adviser and Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission.

Those plum national positions of his have not and cannot obliterate his track record at the state level. He’s a one-time state commissioner and had served in other capacities in the time past.

It will be recalled that when the United Bank for Africa (UBA) was to be sited at Oju metropolitan town, he was alleged to be opposed to the location and used his position to influence the siting of the bank at Ohuhu instead.

For many, Ohuhu was regarded as bush compared to the main township area of the council and was drab for commercial activities. Secondly, the site of Ohuhu caused untold hardship for the defunct ATC/COE, Oju lecturers and other salaried workers in the area, who had to struggle through the bushy, non-motorable Ohuhu road to get to the bank all the time to access their salaries. The bank workers themselves were neither comfortable with the bushy terrain.

It was also alleged that the highly esteemed professor of Economics, still in the corridor of power, also domineered when the first grading of the Oju-Cross River road was to commence. He was said to have directed the federal contractors handling the project to skip Onyike/Ihiejwo, Ikachi, Ibilla Ilache, Ogbodo, and one other village, but to begin the grading of the road from his home town of Ohuhu.

Though information reaching this website is sketchy, Professor Ojowu, who by now must be nearing his retirement from public life, was recently said to be caught in a dysfunctional service to his Igede and or Zone C people, in a manner he handled the filling of a top vacant position in Benue State University. A plum position believed should go to his people even if through his influence as board chairman of the varsity, went the other way because the professor wanted it so.

Whether the allegations are founded or they are not, jamesibechi.wordpress.combelieves in hearing from the horse’s mouth and will refrain from lending voice to rumor. Very soon, the professor will interface with us and our readers will read from him on diverse issues.