By joshua 
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City.
As efforts to promote African cultural values and traditions, a Nigerian-American University, lecturer, Professor Omoh T. Ojior, has set up a standard Bookshop in Benin City, Edo State.
Professor Ojior, is a former Political Science Lecturer at the Moore House College, and the Clark Atlanta University, both in Atlanta Georgia, United States of America.
The Entaprise is an an Ultra Modern Bookshop in the State Capital, Benin.
Prof. Omoh T. Ojior who hails from Ekphei in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State, is also a renowned author with many books to his credit.
He said from his research, the Independent African nations started from the Diaspora, while others thought that colonialism led African nations to their freedom.
Prof. Omoh T. Ojior who now have a standard bookshop in Benin City, described it as a warehouse for books. He said his motivation is because his research effort and focus has been on Africa, Nigeria and Etsako being his home. He further said he has been doing research on these places mentioned.
According to him, “I realised that being in US that the benefits of his knowledge acquired was not being properly utilised for those who needed it the more. And he said his people may not know that the books he was putting together can be of help to them.
“Look at all the topics of my books. They have to do with Africa and my place of origin. For an example, “Africa and Africians in the Diaspora” which is an evaluation of the impact both Africans in Motherland and those of the Diaspora have on each other; “African Names and the Reason for a Name,” Vol. 1 and 2 demonstrate my concerns Africa and its people. Volumn 1 focuses on Etsako peoples’ names while Vol. 2 has to do with names from fifteen ethnic groups in Nigeria. I felt that I should allow the people at home in Nigeria to read my books with the view to helping them to regain themselves back from colonialism.
“That is my motivation. These are the reasons why I wrote these books,” pointing at the books on the elegant shelves.
The Professor decided to come home with the books to set up a bookshop from where they can be circulated to Universities in Nigeria and other institutions of higher learning and the general public in the country.
The University don who hails from Etsako in Edo State, also acknowledged the support of his family and friends who he claim have being his source of motivation to do what he is doing.
“My people abroad including some Americans have been advising that my enterprise is equally needed in Nigeria. And I in particular knew that I could make more impact at home and on my children.
Ojior, noted that with pressure from all his family members he is currently working on a manuscript with the aim of “preserving African proverbs within the community while writing another book in Etsako Language as a means to assist the teaching of the language, at home in Africa and also in USA.
According to Professor Ojior, “These are necessary interventions because if one loses his or her culture, the individual is gone.” “Now, most Nigerian children speak English Language to their parents at home. That is a forbidden thing to do and it is unfair to this great Country.”
“Imagine what could happen when the elders quit the scene. Nigerian Children should be taught in their mother tongues as a necessary requirement because foreign religiond and religionists are destroying the fabric of our culture”, he said.
Prof. Omoh T. Ojior said,he was happy that people were responding to the purchase of the books he has produced.
The Bookshop situated at no.17, Ehaekpen Street, off Ekehuan road in Benin City, Edo State, is filled with various types of books and some peers review journals on African culture and traditions.
Some of his books include, “Africa and Africans in the Diaspora,”
“African Names and the Reason for a Name, ” and
“African Women and Political Development”.
Prof. Omoh T. Ojior while speaking with Nigerian Post, after the commissioning of the bookshop in Benin City, advised Nigerians to ensure that vibrant young aspirants who can redirect the focus of the nation are elected to serve in 2023 to replace the old politicians who have brought untold sufferings to Nigerians through bad governance.
He said that there are intelletuals among the young ones who have not been able to get the chance to participate in the political process simply because they have not been allowed by the older politicians. Adding that over time the older politicians have continue to misdirect the people.
We have rulers not leaders, Prof. Ojior said
Prof. Omoh T. Ojior, a trained journalist said as a media person he cannot see something that is not conducive to the society and keep quiet, hence he quit his civil service job and left for University teachings that began at University of Benin in February of 1983.
He further said that the Centre for Democratic Studies was established as a result of the paper he presented at a seminar of the Nigeria Political Science Association, NPSA. in Lagos, in 1985. The university don said that he left for his Ph.D. programme which began at the University of Mary Land and completed in 2000 at the Clark Atlanta University, in Atlanta, Georgia in United States of America.
“Since then I have been doing numeruos esearch while writing researched articles in learned journals and features/editorials in local and international. With a joint effort, late Professor W. J. Oyaide, Prof. N. H. Achime and Professor Omoh Ojior had published the book “Presidentialism New Recipies for Nigeria’s political System” which part of were contained in one of government commissions of that era.
I was also the founder of the Nigeria Association Alumni of American Universities. Prof. Ojior said that the research for his first book, began in Los Angeles. California, USA 1974 and was completed at UNIBEN in Nigeria 1978, buy was published in Atlanta Georgia in 1996.
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He said the first volume of African Names And The Reason for a Name was published in 2012 and launched in Etsako, as that was one of the ways the community could benefit from the intention of the work.
He disclosed that effort was being made for Etsako Club 81 to launch one of the books “African
Women and Political Development, a case study of Etsako Women in Edo State, Nigeria.” The university don said that as part of his efforts to ensure that African culture continues to exist was his founding of an institute, the Onima Institute for Tradition and Development USA, Inc.
Ask about the market for the books,
he said, ” I have made contact with Uniben and their library has acquired some copies of the books. He said that he also going to reachout to Benson Idahosa University, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, City University of Technology, Auchi and Edo University. Iyamho with some of the books.
End.