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Dip Creek Feature

It is for the above, DC sort to know the man, Chief James Jephthah and what drives him on and to get first-hand knowledge of the life of one of Niger Delta’s most respected statesmen. So, DC considered it a privilege to have spent a riveting morning with him. We are more than honoured to tell the fascinating and inspirational story of a man, whose life is ruled on the conviction that, “each man is responsible for the other”. His faith in God and an unquestionable fearlessness to triumph even against the strongest odds is to put simply, “outstanding and
inspirational” . Trying to track down Chief James Jephthah is no easy task, it took almost a month to convince and get him to seat for an interview. But, then, when we chose to have a multi-awards recipient as our cover story personality, I did not expect it to be an easy assignment. For one, the period we requested for the interview with him, he was all set to jet out to Dublin to receive yet another award, the “Albert Schweitzer leadership awards” for his commitments towards youth empowerment, poverty alleviation and provision of educational services to young Nigerians. For that reason, we had to wait patiently for a response. After three weeks of eagerly waiting for a favourable response, I was over myself with joy when I got a call from his media officer that he will be available for an interview with us on Monday the 20th of August, 2012. Finally! He welcomed us into his tastefully furnished Abuja home and I must tell you, talking with him was an interesting and exciting experience.

Dip Creek Magazine Cover

Born on the 12th of July, some 49 years ago, the story of James Jephthah is stranger than fiction to a lot of people. The reason being that, many cannot understand how the charismatic community leader, businessman, philanthropist and Justice of Peace rose to the position he is in life today and has continued to be relevant even after leaving public office.Chief Jephthah attended Nembe National Grammar School, Nembe. As with most young persons, he had big dreams for the future. Growing up in a rural community did not limit him in any ways. From an early age, he was determined to make something of his life and understood the important role education plays in his life goals. He went on to pursue a degree in Economics at the University of Port Harcourt and then a Master’s degree in Financial Economics at the University of Abuja. Though his ‘Resume’ looks good and today he stands as one of Niger Delta’s most respected and success stories, he is not ashamed to tell of his past and how he literally built the success story many relate to from ground zero. How can that be, many will wonder? I did too, because the man whose home I was at, reside in what can only be described as a state-of- the-art home. Sited on a rock top, it has all the elements that classify it as one of Nigeria’s most luxurious homes. Tastefully, furnished in both a Victorian and an Oriental style, it reveals an immaculate family home, with an exquisite pool built specially for the children in the house. The man himself is an epitome of elegance and class but once you look pass the opulence and luxury, you will see a man who has “paid his dues” and understands the principle of handwork meets success. The truth is, his plate has not always been so bountiful and life has not always been perfect. The man who now runs a successful venture called the Octopus Clan Nigeria Limited, cut his teeth by working at the National Library of Nigeria. Even though he had applied and was interviewed for the job of a Clerical officer, he ended up manning the gate of the National Library, cutting the grass in the premises, running errands for other staffers and cleaning the entire environment. ‘After my secondary school, I was eager to find my own part and I needed to be independent rather than going to stand in front of my father and ask for money, I chose to get a job and when I got that job at National Library, there was no job better or greater than it, I was so proud of my job, in fact when you call it “security guard” it sounds even noble, I was a “gate man” or you can say, “gate boy”, but I was happy and proud doing it. From that job, I saved money to support my University education, frankly speaking I will not trade that experience for being a silver spoon kid.
That experience enabled me to have focus in life, patience and I learnt to set goals in life, and it shaped me into the man I became’.
He happily recollects.
Without a doubt, the day of manning gates or communing from Nembe to the city of Port Harcourt during the school holidays to sell sea food, all to make extra money to support his education is now like one of the fairy tale stories told to children. But it is such experiences we learnt that drives Chief Jephthah to so easily and happily reach out to others when they approach him with their needs.

“To whom much is given, much is expected,” he said as he easily made his way to the top of the rock surrounding his house, while I struggled to keep up with him, fit to the bone I must tell you, if you are wondering why I in my 30’S was struggling to keep paste with an almost 50 years old, the secret is, the man wakes up by 3:30am, hits the gym for an hour, dives into the pool and work starts for him. Indeed, Chief James Jephthah is a man living the “Nigeria dream” or should I say, “Fob life”. In 2006, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the then Governor of Bayelsa State entrusted upon him the responsibility to oversee the activities of youths in the state. This was natural due to the fact that he already had a base with youths and was trusted, respected and has proven over time that he understands their plight but for the fact that he has always been a believer of peace, justice and equality, it’s no wonder he easily adopts Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) techniques as a way to settle disputes, whether it’s in his loca(community where he is a highly respected Chief or at the State level.

In 2007, the late president Musa Yar’Adua created the Committee for Conflict and Peace Resolution to find lasting solution to the festering Niger Delta crisis and Chief James was one of those charged with the responsibility to see that peace and calm return to the region by helping to deal with his own state’s issues. To say the appointment of Chief James Jephthah wasn’t a mistake is to say the obvious. As he did not sleep but set off to resolve the burning issues such as hostage taking, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft and general unrest by engaging the use of dialogue. In truth, it takes only a man close to the grass roots to achieve such in a short period of time, as he immediately set off to launch various empowerment and enlightenment programmes but the breaking point was in 2009 when he was able to convince 32 militants to drop their arms, sit and talk about the issues that angered them in a bid to finding lasting solution to the insurgency against government. With that achievement, he established himself as a brand and was tagged as the “Peace maker or Swamp Giant”. How did he do it? ‘I simply launched an approachable mechanism, one which offered Human Capacity development. Once people are productively engage, whether it’s via educational programme, vocational skills, jobs or specialised training programmes to micro-credit schemes, they have less time for many other issues because they are earning a living from what they are doing. Two, I gave relevance to their agitations. What does that mean? Looking at the issues from the very basic or let me say, going down to the fundamentals, we must remember that it all started with anger and People feeling irrelevant and abandoned despite their God given natural resources that should be a source of blessing to them. People were angered by an uneven distribution of the wealth generated from the region. Instead, pollution, exploitation, lack of infrastructures was the case in the region. This brought forth a revolt by the people with the youths seemingly hijacking the struggle and demanding for what is rightly theirs and at a point it went out of control. Yes, even the best of intentions can turn bad, so you make them understand you feel their pains and though, they are right, the way and manner they were going about it was what I perceived as not right. You must put a human face to it and it was simply what I did while as Chairman of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Bayelsa State.

Interestingly, the former Bayelsa State Peace and Conflict Resolution Chairman hasn’t let go of the principles with which he ran the agency. A position he held still early 2012. With his name on record as one who helped bring an end to militant activities in Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region and gave face to the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, he has continued in ensuring peace and development from a private capacity and as UN-PO LAC National President, Nigeria. He has not shown signs of slowing down on his effects. No wonder he has continued to receive laurels and recognition from far and wide. For his genuine desire to ensuring peace and prosperity among Bayelsans and his unrelenting effort to promote it no matter the cost. The Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas in the United State, decorated him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, L.H.D, but the pinnacle of the appreciation for his effort was on the 22nd of April 2010, when his name was announced among some of the World’s distinguished personalities from different walks of life as a recipient of the highly prestigious “Statue of Liberty-Eliss Island foundation, Medal of Honour Award”. He was honoured among the likes of Peter Peterson, founder and Chairman of Blackstone Group and former, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Andrea Jung, she is the CEO of one of the World’s most popular skin care products, “Avon”. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the General Electrical Company and also “Apple Computer”. Renowned singer Bruce Springsteen, whose career has spanned over thirty years, the lists is a lengthy one but among who include the United State of America’s respected and recognized personalities that has done their part in the restoration and preservation of peace and liberty. And for the first time in over thirty-seven year’s history of the awards, an individual from the African continent was honoured with his highly prestigious award in the person of Chief James Jephthah. With that, you can find his name in the American Congressional record, which also gives him the right to attend congress sitting in the United States.
The Eliss-Island foundation was established in 1982 by the then President Ronald Reagan to preserve what the status of liberty represents. As years went by, the foundation then set out to honour some individuals whose bravery has led to the preservation of equality, liberty and right of justice to all and that is what Chief James Jephthah has spend most of his years promoting, not just in his local community but to all man-kind. He is the first and only African to receive the Awards.
As we made our way down the rock, I could not help but pondered if the respect, admiration and recognition he has received from the international community hit base, with that I meant, why weren’t we back home applauding and appreciating him as loud as the International community? This is because, I personal got to know of the Eliss Island Medal Award from a friend in Spain, who congratulated me of my country man being recognized for ensuring peace in my country. I was surprised that such an important and very relevant award was being decorated on one of our own was not heralded all over the country, I quickly goggled him and how proud I was when I learnt he was not just a Bayelsan but from my own community, Nembe. Why then was not our media agog with this great and pleasant news? I threw the question to him and like the diplomat that he is, he answered by saying. ‘It’s not for me to reel out my achievements and successes. I do not do what I do to be praised for it. Whatever I do, it’s with the notion that I have children and I am not just the head of my home but my community also. Therefore, I must take responsibility for my actions, good or bad and I dearly want it to be good, safe and peaceful’. Those have been his grounding principles and they have guarded his every day existence. Chief James is not a man who hasn’t fought battles and has critics question his actions, even with his heart of gold. Though, I had heard many testifying to it. The man who single-handedly provided water and electricity for the Katampe 1 and 2 communities
in the Mpape Abuja, simply because he resides there and provided support for over 250 widows in Gombe State, not to mention scholarships and trust fund of 25,000 dollars annually to aid brilliant Nigeria students in the Huston-Tillotson University through the “James Jephthah Foundation”, still he has some critics?
His benevolence extends to supporting the works in the house of God, He believes through the churches, the gospel of peace, love for one another, will reach a wider audience and he has been doing that for years, with a good number of Churches receiving funds to help them service that purpose and carry out the work of God for the good of humanity. I asked him if his good deeds were toward laying the foundation for a blissful political career. With calmness and no anger in his voice, he begged to differ. ‘I do not have any intentions to seek elected political office unless I am called upon to offer my services, he stated staunchly. The problem we seem to have in this Country is not having the willingness to be of service as citizens, groups, individuals and even public office holders, we can be relevant from our own little corner, in our own small ways. If I offer my neighbor food and you offer yours, no Nigerian will cry of being hungry. Therefore, it hurts me when people misread my true nature to help against having an ulterior motive. But I have come to understand and it has been proven that what I do have its high and low points’.
A member of the Association of professional negotiators and mediators of Nigeria, I could understand why this man exhumes and radiates. A man at peace with himself and all, his thoughtful nature shines through and still you cannot miss the character of a man who cannot be taken for granted. As I prepared to round off my interview, I could not but bring up the issue of “Boko Haram”. With a man like Chief James Jephthah whose knowledge on such matters is extensively broad, as sensitive as it may be, he instantly grew cold and sad.

‘I tell you, if the president is not the man he is, this country will be at war. But, it is not going to happen, he says’. Why? I asked. ‘If there is anyone who values and appreciates peace and dialogue, it is Mr. President, so I speak with the assurance that it’s only a phase in our country’s history’. With that response I had to call it a day.

It was indeed an honour to have had the privilege to get a man like Chief James Jephthah spare us his time. The once small town boy from Nembe, has grown to being the man many depend on for their livelihood. International bodies hope to have him help spread the gospel of peace and enforce the need for dialogue in solving is agreements. As he continues to grow Octopus Clan Limited, which is already a household name in the Oilfield Services, Fabrication and installation of Pipe lines, Flow lines, well head platforms, Hook up arms, Production manifold Repairs and sectional replacement of vandalized and corroded lines Construction and in the forefront of offering a highly essential service, which is “community consultancy”, a service greatly needed in this country where oil play an important role in the economy of the Nation and the host community in dear need to being relevant, he seem to use every tool necessary to be a vocal spokesman for peace, social development and empowerment, especially in a country where self-centeredness is the order of the day.

Chief James Jephthah is a man many know his name, but may not recognize him if he stands before them in person, simply because he has chosen not to walk with all the accolades he has so genuinely gotten. Many are beneficiaries of his benevolences and yet he asks nothing from them in return. With no form of pride in him, only gratitude to God Almighty for the opportunities he has been given to serve and thanks to those who engaged him to service, especially President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who found him worthy to have entrusted him with the responsibility he did and the people of his community, for considering him ever worthy to represent them as their leader. Waiting to be invested as a Knight of Malta with the approval of Pope Benedict XVL, he pledges to continue his service to man-kind and work towards building a more peaceful and stable society. “As long as people resort to peace, progress is certain. I will continue to ensure dialogue as the solution and will forever condemn violence”.
With a host of other awards lined up for him later in the year, one in October and another in November, the “Sarduana of Katampe 1”, will continue to be recognized for his immense contributions to the socio-economic development of the society he lives in. I am not in doubt that we will continue to hear of this man who isn’t slowing down in the role he plays so comfortably as philanthropist, leader, businessman and an advocate of Peace and Justice.

As humans, we are molded by the people we meet and experiences we encounter along the way. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Chief James Jephthah has used his life experiences and resources to shape countless number of persons to achieve their lifetime’s dreams and aspirations, even if it pleases him that his efforts heel positive results rather than praise.