Tantua lnternational school

HISTORY ABOUT TANTUA INTERNTOINAL SCHOOL
MEET AMASSOMA'S GREATEST MAN OF ALL TIME: HRH Ebikebina Tantua Tainghe II, JP, Amakoromo-owei of Tantua-Ama, Birinanaowei of Okpodu (1929-2014)

I am pretty sure that if you conduct a survey today to ask Ijos and Amassomans, especially the young ones who the greatest Amassoma Man of the 20th and 21st century is, out of ignorance or mischief, you may not hear the name "Chief Ebikebina Tantua". Nonetheless, it is my measured opinion that he is the greatest Amassoma Man of all times. It is with this conviction that I am beaming my spotless spotlight on him on this Throwback Thursday with the hope that this little effort would create awareness about this great man.

Just as I said in my piece about Ernest Ikoli, years back, the labours of our heroes passed is in vain when we don't accord them their proper place in history due to petty political and other considerations.

So without much ado, I present to you a little piece of the life and times of His Royal Highness Ebikebina Tantua, Taingbe II JP, Amakoromo-Owei of Tantua Ama and Birinanaowei of Okpodu, to read and assess for yourselves to see if my claim is justified. Let's go!

Born on 12 June 1929 - 64 years before that day become itched in the consciousness of generations of Nigerians being the date of what was adjudged Nigeria's freest and fairest Presidential Election - in Amassoma, in present day Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the young Ebikebina was the sole surviving son of his parents: Mr. and Mrs. John and Ovuregha Tantua.

He kick-started his educational journey at St Stephen's Primary School Amassoma, which has produced many of Amassoma's elites, between 1943 and 1948. After that he furthered his education in France under the auspices of the Industrial Training Programme in 1950.

Upon graduation, he went into active practice and was employed as an Engineer by Shell Petroleum and Wayne Incorporated as well as Station Services in Ghana where he carved a niche for himself as an Engineer of repute.

After leaving Station, he incorporated his own firm known as Okoro General Engineering Works. It is to his credit that he trained many Amassoma people in Ghana in Engineering. One such trainee was the Late Victor Garr, whom he mentored.

Chief Tantua was a very metropolitan and well travelled man whose education consist of his many journeys across the West African coast and Europe. He was one of those Ijos who left home early in life to explore and possibly exploit the opportunities that the outside world presents. He first left home through the help of his equally late cousin Andrew Sikpi who took him to Ghana. After then like Ajala, the young Tantua moved to Ivory Coast, Senegal and France and later settled in his first African port, Gold Coast (as Ghana was then known) before returning to Nigeria in the 1980s. It would be recalled that the 1980s witnessed the mass expulsion of Ghanaians from Nigeria; under the Shagari administration. Thus there was heavy anti-Nigerian sentiments in that country then. Although he returned in 1982, a year before the Ghana Must Go saga, his business interests in Ghana may have been affected.

Although a late started to education(having started primary school at age 14) and perhaps inspired by that fact, it was in the Education sector that Chief Tantua left his biggest footprints, with the establishment of schools that have stood the test of time.
The first school he established is the Tantua International Nursery and Primary School in Dansoma(sounds like Amassoma right?) Ghana in 1970. This was followed by the Tantua International Nursery, Primary and High School at Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 1987. In line with the saying that charity begins at home, he also set up the Tantua School in Tantua Ama, a town he founded and owned in Bayelsa State, making it the first private school in the area. This school has inspired others to establish other private schools in Amassoma. Before his exit, he pursued and gained approval from the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to establish the first Private University in Bayelsa State, Tantua University, for which he has already acquired and cleared a large expanse of land at Ogobiri in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Chief Tantua lived and died for Education. He was a very active member in the Schools Proprietors Association and actually died in the service of the Association on 9th December 2014.

He also awarded countless scholarships to indigent students.

Despite being denied of his dream to serve as the Ibenanaowei (Clan head) of Ogboin Clan, he was never deterred in his drive to improve the quality of life of his people. Thus, besides education, the late Chief Tantua also supported his people with a Cottage hospital in 2012 to aid affordable healthcare.
Moreso, while Amassoma his hometown was without a market, he established the popular Tantua Market in Tantua Ama.

As a lover and custodian of Ijo culture, even in far away Ghana, Chief Tantua promoted Ijo culture by sponsoring Ijo traditional Wrestling Competitions.

Yet, what inspired this piece today is one of his biggest yet underplayed, under-reported and I dare say most suppressed achievements and contributions to society and the very thing that made me declare him the greatest Amassoma Man of all times is his contribution to the construction of the Amassoma-Tombia road. Unknown to many, Tantua single-handedly undertook the initial clearing and survey works on the Amassoma-Tombia road all from his private purse before the State government led by Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, a native of Amassoma, stepped in to complete it and take all glory with Tantua's name never mentioned.

Lastly, Tantua masterminded the extension of Globacom GSM services to Amassoma. Now I know this may not be a big deal to someone reading this today. But if like me, you lived in Amassoma between 2003-2006 when we used to fix antennas to our phones or walk to the river bank at certain times of the day before we could receive network signals, you would appreciate what that meant.

It is therefore not surprising that his family recognized and conferred on him the title of Taingbe II in 1991; just as his segment of Amassoma elected him Birinanaowei of Okpodubiri.

The late Chief Ebikebina was a Pan-Ijaw nationalist who thought more about the progress of the Ijaw Nation than his clan. That's why he could site his private University in Ogobiri and not force it on Amassoma like many in government have done.

It is against this background that I declare him the Owofini-owei I of Amassoma and the greatest man I know from Amassoma. He was never in government. All he did for his people he did from his private pocket out of his love for his people.

Finally, it must be noted that this piece is not aimed at denigrating or detracting from the achievements of any other Amassoma Man or woman. It is only a celebration of the life of service one who though not the richest, went out of his way to uplift his hometown and people with the little he earned. Now if I cannot freely celebrate such a man in these times when the Ijo nation is in disarray and such men are in very short supply then why did Ayeba bless me with the ability to think and write?

Thanks for your time.

Fortune Alfred

Feel free to reach me via my inbox should you have any inspiring story you want told. But don't ever attempt to exploit me for your private gains though. I already have HRH Nicholas Abo Frank -Opigo in my head.

LIKE MY PAGE, COMMENT AND SHARE