“A pillar of service and sacrifice at 95, Chief Moses Akpoyoware – Onoyivwinta has consistently proved himself as a devoted leader of his people; strengthening strategic coordination and cooperation among them. He has worked comprehensively under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, honesty and respect for communalism. Incubated in integrity and discipline, the educated Otota is known for his organizational and cerebral ability; and he is inseparable from the virtues of courage, positive leadership and altruism. As an irreconcilable opponent of double talk or speak in resolving conflicts, within the community, he has distanced himself from narrow selfish interpretations of communal issues, refusing to back away from truth, honesty and justice, which has qualified him as a community leader per excellence”.
Come Saturday, March 15th, 2025, one of the illustrious sons of Ovu – Oviore kingdom will be celebrated by his children, members of the community and well wishers. That is to say correctly that the Ovu – Oviore community will be aglow and agog with excitements.
But, when Moses Onagharakpote Akpoyoware was born on March 4th, 1930, into the large, enigmatic and legendary Onoyivwinta family of Ovu, in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Isiokolo, Delta State, nobody knew he would one day rise to the exalted traditional cum community office of Otota (Prime – Minister).
Extremely fortunate to have a visionary father in Pa Eruesitotor Akpoyoware, who was a very wealthy textile merchant, the young Moses had a very robust and interesting upbringing in Ovu in pre – colonial Nigeria in the 1930s.
Pa Eruesitotor eventually but unknowingly played a significant role in preparing Moses for the Ototaship of Ovu – Oviore in those days, when he indefatigably ensured that his loving first son was awarded traditional beads (signifying a leader amongst his peers).
Unknowingly for the young Moses, that traditional beads were going to be strong criteria for selection of the traditional premiership of the community, when the position became vacant several years later.
Pa Eruesitotor sent the young Moses to school; where he began his primary education at Isiokolo Primary School in 1936. After doing one year at Isiokolo, his father enrolled him at a more prestigious Warri Government School, where he finished his primary education.
The future Otota proceeded to the renowned St. Patrick’s College, Asaba, where the tree of his natural intelligence blossomed without limits. At Asaba, Moses was privileged to be taught by white tutors during British colonialism, and he cleverly and industriously discovered a very keen interest in English literature at an early stage.
Having passed out successful with distinctions at St. Patrick’s College, Moses became intoxicated with the administrative wizardry of the late sage: Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a development that dragged him to the then Western Nigeria Civil Service (WNCS) in 1951, where he was gainfully employed at the Department of Post & Telecommunications (P & T), at Ibadan.
It is imperative to state that Moses Akpoyoware had earlier worked briefly with the High Court of Justice, also in Ibadan in 1950. For 35 years, the future Otota served the nation meritoriously and retired gloriously in 1986, at Benin City.
No doubt Moses Akpoyoware’s intellectual capacity, forthrightness and known oratorical prowess contributed splendidly to his emergence as the Otota (Prime – Minister) of his community, when he was pulled out of retirement to serve his people in 2010.
Today, fifteen years later he has proved magnificently beyond reasonable doubt that he is indeed a leader per excellence. A pillar of service and sacrifice at 95, Chief Moses Akpoyoware – Onoyivwinta has consistently proved himself as a devoted leader of his people, strengthening strategic coordination and cooperation among them. He has worked comprehensively under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, honesty and respect for communalism. Incubated in integrity and discipline, the educated Otota is known for his organizational and cerebral ability; and he is inseparable from the virtues of courage, positive leadership and altruism. As an irreconcilable opponent of double talk or speak in resolving conflicts, within the community, he has distanced himself from narrow selfish interpretations of communal issues, refusing to back away from truth, honesty and justice, which has qualified him as a community leader per excellence.
It is abundantly clear that as the leader of his community, he has consciously applied and
attached great importance to the policy of win – win strategy; a testament to prodigious resilience in the face of obvious challenges.
Because he has robustly defended and led his people with passion; hypersensitive to traditional values cum justice; stimulated and stabilized his domain, Chief Moses Akpoyoware has made himself a temple of honour, respect and praise.
My father, the Otota is an icon of inestimable dimension; he is collosally disciplined, a teethtotaller, neither drink nor smoke; very neat and clean always. Currently, he reads without glasses. The man is imbued with extraordinary intelligence; he is a tireless communicator; this Otota is truthful, simple going, peace loving and absolutely considerable; an undisputable asset to the good people of Ovu – Oviore kingdom.
Even as wrinkles etch deeper into the skin of the Otota, I am really proud to be one of the children of a man whose versatile exposure, exceptional oratorial skills, wide ranging interests in English literature and socio – developmental issues, have put him in a class of his own.
Nowinta Igbotako, is a serial author, international conflict resolution expert, media/research consultant @ Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre (NGGRC).
