Title: Each Man, His Time (The Biography of an Era)

Some years ago, men of the night (red eyed, stern-looking and gun-toting armed robbers) paid Prince Tony Momoh, the Yerima of Auchi, foremost journalist, lawyer, essayist, public intellectual and mentor to hundreds of mentee journalists including this humble writer, a most unholy visit in a most unholy hour of the night and demanded from him […]

Some years ago, men of the night (red eyed, stern-looking and gun-toting armed robbers) paid Prince Tony Momoh, the Yerima of Auchi, foremost journalist, lawyer, essayist, public intellectual and mentor to hundreds of mentee journalists including this humble writer, a most unholy visit in a most unholy hour of the night and demanded from him that he should give them what he had.
Momoh told them that he had nothing but ‘’books and publications’’. This answer, of course, enraged the ungentlemanly thieves who turned violent and discharged some hot metals into the body of the Prince. The answer was not what those unfriendly visitors wanted to hear. They were there for ‘serious business’; they were looking for money, trinkets and other valuables that could translate into immediate liquid cash and not for some ‘’stupid, useless’’ things called books and publications.
But even in that agitated moment, Momoh found the presence of mind to speak the honest truth about himself. He may not be rich in money and other material invaluables, but he has enormous wealth and riches in books and publications. From a writing, researching and public intellectualising career that has spanned over 60 years, Momoh has a huge volume of printed materials to his credit that include pamphlets, open  letters and other educational literature on politics, nation building and spiritual matters.
Each Man, His Time is one of the star outputs in his rich repertoire of creative, political and educational books. It is a biography of his father, Chief Momoh Oshiogbele Idaoh, which he had penned in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of the passing of the late great Otaru of Auchi who reigned from 1919-1944,   departing this sinful world on Thursday, December 7, 1944. The original version had gone out of print. This edition under review now was revised, redesigned and reprinted early this year for representation to the public to keep the memory of this great leader of men alive.
This book is about the immensity of the person and character of Chief Momoh and the reader is not left in any doubt about the subject matter. Momoh the First is the hero of the book. He dominates the 373-paged output. Very few persons share the space with him. Tony Momoh tells the story of his extraordinary father with the passion and enthusiasm of a chronicler who is in love with his subject. It is a moving account of a personality, who though was self- educated, possessed so much knowledge, insight and foresight that he was widely believed to have mystical powers by which means he was able to communicate with invisible, spiritual forces. These supernatural forces used to reveal to him what he must do to achieve the mighty deeds he left behind as leader of Auchi. He relied on their leading.
The book also tells the story of a simple rustic Auchi and how it rose under the able leadership of Momoh the First to become a kingdom respected by other villages and clans with which they started the journey of life almost on the same pedestal.  Auchi began its humble existence as a loose federation, or rather, confederation, of almost autonomous or independent villages of the children of Uchi, a leader and warrior who left Udo in the Benin Kingdom with his followers in the 16th century because of the refusal of the people of Udo to send a leopard skin to the then reigning Oba as tribute, to found what is today known as Auchi. It took the strong personality and leadership abilities of Momoh the First to weld that loose confederation into a strongly knit federation of Uchi children that it is today.
And the story of Momoh the First and Auchi is not told by an indifferent biographer who heard about the deeds of the man and the extra-ordinary rise of his kingdom and was fascinated by them and felt that the two were rich and interesting enough story for it to be told to others. Rather, the story is told by one of Momoh’s ablest sons who has the aptitude for, and the training in how to tell a good story, paying attention to juicy details and tidbits that would make for an interesting read.
The story of Momoh and Auchi is told in five chapters and many parts complete with several pages of photographs to give authenticity to the many accounts rendered in the well -researched book. For me, the most interesting and informative part of Momoh the First’s story is contained in chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the book which runs from page 82 to 292. This is the meaty part that addresses the main theme of the book-Momoh’s rise and passing and Auchi’s rise and sustenance, forged by the wisdom, foresightedness and doggedness of one man of destiny known as Momoh the First.
The book could as well have been titled ‘’Momoh Idaoh: A Man ahead of his Time’’. This is because Momoh the First was a man of his time as well as a man ahead of his time. He was born into an Auchi society that was steeped in the occultic practices and idol-worshipping beliefs of the time. Yet, he was prescient enough at the same time to realise that his little community must discard the worship of many little gods and concentrate on the worship of the only One True God in order for her to move ahead fast. It was this ray of light in him that made him become zealous in the spread of Islam in Auchi with the aid of the Nupe/Hausa/Fulani elements in the Auchi of the time. The most interesting portions of this most interesting parts of the book are the ones which address Momoh’s widely demonstrated mystical powers, his partnership with a certain Nupe cleric called Mallam Momoh and another mystical aide and closest associate known as Jimah Ogah and the painful moments experienced in the Momoh household when some of his young offspring rose rapidly in wealth and riches and died in very painful mysterious circumstances. It also relates the exploits of a certain age-group called Umaireghe, which was the militant wing of Momoh’s socio-political revolution in Auchi. This age grade was believed to have possessed great mystical powers like Momoh their leader. And like Momoh who had the power of teleportation, members of this legendary age-group could appear and disappear at will to places where they were needed to accomplish some tasks, unlimited by time and space!
The book tells us that just as Moses, Minos, Manu and Manes were ordained or sent leaders or law-givers of Ancient Jews, Ancient Crete, Ancient India and Ancient Egypt respectively, Momoh the First was also a sent man for Auchi. He was the torch-bearer or pathfinder of Auchi. He was a man of insight and foresight. He was the vehicle of change sent by the Almighty to bring light to a dark Auchi and its people. And to be able to fulfil his mighty destiny, he was possessed of extra-ordinary wisdom and excellent administrative skills.
At a time of darkness, Momoh advocated the accommodation of strangers in Auchi; he told the people that it is only in such accommodation that Auchi would make progress. Today, Auchi is a cosmopolitan town where Nigerians from all regions co-habit in peace, unity and progress, thanks to Momoh’s foresight.
As an administrator and political leader, Momoh was a team player. No one in Auchi was a passive on-looker in the transformational work he set out to do. His goal was to make Auchi the number one among the peers of villages of Auchi of the time. Everybody–men, women, clerics and laymen, the old and the young – all had a role to play. This is why when there was a fierce competition among several villages as to which one will host the seat of government of the Kukuruku Division, it was Auchi that emerged triumphant. Momoh used spiritual and commonsensical means to sell Auchi to the British administrators of the day as the best place for the capital to be sited in. As a leader, he defined very clearly what he wanted to achieve, and he kept at his goal until he achieved what he wanted.
His code word as a leader was service: service to humanity and service to the Almighty God. He believed so much in service that he was said to have formed the habit of always praying to God that the Momoh offspring shall be distinguished by their remarkable faith in service to any environment or workplace they will find themselves. And since the prayer of the righteous availath much, Momoh’s children are today found in all parts of Nigeria, offering dedicated service to their fatherland. There is one Momoh son that I have known, learnt from, worked with and have served for over 32 years now and that Momoh – Prince Tony Momoh – is known for his dedicated service wherever he is called to duty either as a teacher, journalism practitioner and mentor, political administrator of a national political party, faithful and loyal follower, publisher or advocate.
There is one unaddressed or rather deliberately unanswered question about Momoh the First. It is an aspect of his family life. He is said to have been married to 45 women with whom he sired 267 children. This account of his life did not tell readers how he was able to accomplish this feat. What was the nature of time-table he adopted that made it possible for him to visit his wives and give them the attention needed in order for them to multiply and fill the Auchi earth?  Perhaps, another revised edition of this book will attempt to address this curious issue.