User:ItoroIkono/sandbox

Today, the name Robert Brooks may not ring any bell to most people in Uyo; except for “Brooks Street” named after him in the 1950s, nothing else remains to remind us of Robert Bernard Brooks, the Briton who established Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, as a British Colonial consulate in 1902.

Consul Brooks, as he was called by the locals, was a native of Mistley, Essex County in South–East England. He was the third son of Mr. William Brooks of Mistley. He was reputed to have been a great sailor of small craft and had won several races even before he was 12 years old. He was also credited to have traveled round the world five times before he was 21 in the old sailing ships of the past.

Robert Brooks is said to have settled in the Bahamas where he had planted sisal hemp-- Agave sisalana (an economic plant native to the West Indies & South Eastern USA) until the late 19th Century when his plantation was burnt out; he then joined the British colonial service and subsequently came to Nigeria.

Records of Robert Brooks’ activities when he first came to Old Calabar are scarce. However, it is believed he spent several years (some sources say 20 years) in the British colonial office in Nigeria.

Robert Brooks had once been described as someone who “….took great interest in the lives and customs of the natives in the various countries where he had lived…” It must have been that interest which propelled him to seek to explore the hinterland (the area that is today, Akwa Ibom State ) of the then old Calabar colony.

How Robert Brooks Came to Uyo
Uyo the heart land of the Ibibio nation had remained unexplored by the British colonialist for a long time, even after they had settled in old Calabar, and had established some colonial administrative control over Opobo and Eket at about 1895. Perhaps the fear of the then unknown, jungle of the hinterland, infested with wild animals and insects; and the risk of attacks from hostile forest communities, resisting cultural invasion from the West, may have discouraged the exploration of Uyo for that long. Furthermore, the absence of direct inland water ways, through the Calabar creeks, which would have facilitated access to the interior, must have also been a contributory factor. Robert Brooks was therefore compelled by these circumstances, to look for an influential native to partner with in his bid to explore the hinterland. That was how he eventually met Obong Nsentip Ekown Udo Ntung.

Obong Nsentip Ekown Udo Ntung Ide Oyoro Inyang Akpan Utono Ikono Akpan Anyang Nsit (1820-1925)
Obong Nsentip Ekown Udo Ntung of Ikot Mbon Ikono was a fiery and charismatic ruler of Ikono Ibom clan (Obong Ikono) in Uyo, and also a businessman, who frequented Old Opobo and Old Calabar (through the creeks) in those days, to sell palm oil, kernel, African spices, carvings and works of arts, etc. He is said to have had business dealings with Ette Okpokpo in Ikot Abasi (the venerable and powerful old businessman, whose name was corrupted to Opobo by the Europeans, but popularly called Ette (father) by the local people; and who, according to legend, is said to have been the founder of Ette community near Ikot Abasi) whose deity is Etefia.His enterprise also took Obong Nsentip to Bonny Island, where he conducted palm oil business with King Jaja of Opobo (1821 – 1891) who was popularly called Oyoyo, by the locals,but adulterated to Jaja, by the British. Obong Nsentip according to his family source, had also been a business ally of the influential chief Ibekwe (an Ibo man), who lived in a village close to Ette Okpokpo, and served as the business representative of King Jaja in the mainland of Old Opobo. Obong Nsentip Ekown was among the first traditional rulers from Uyo area to have met the British colonialists in old Calabar. It is said that his first visit to Calabar was facilitated by his relations who lived in the village of Nnung Ikono Obio, in Uruan (a village said to have been founded by Nkanta Udo Ntung, his grand uncle, who migrated from Ikot Mbon Ikono, Uyo and settled there, in the 17th century). At Calabar, he met and developed friendly ties with a lot of influential personalities like Abasi Orok, Edet Ekeng, Ita Abasi, Okon Etim Ewa of Ewa Nsa House, Henshaw Town, etc, who became his business associates; and who had close connection to the colonial government then. Through these personalities, Obong Nsentip was introduced to Robert Brooks.

Obong Nsentip Ekown Brought Robert Brooks to Uyo in 1901
Obong Nsentip Ekown, already exposed to Europeans, through his trips to Opobo/Bonny Island, became an ally of Robert Brooks and brought him to Uyo in 1901. Mr. Brooks lived in Ikot Mbon Ikono, Uyo on the parcel of land that is still called Ndon-Mbakara-Nsentip today, meaning; “Nsentip’s Whiteman’s estate”. This parcel of land is situated at the border between the villages of Ikot Mbon Ikono and Ukpom Abak. On page 32 of his book titled OLD CALABAR, published in 1935, M.D.W.Jeffreys described that trip to Uyo thus, “the expedition under Major Trenchard went down towards Itu as far as the Iyeri river and then swung round westwards through the present Uyo district which had not then come into existence, and went on to ‘Ukpum’ Annang near the present Abak, where Mr Brooks was left as a District Commissioner....After leaving Mr. Brooks at Ukpum, the patrol went on to Inen and camped there...” It is said that Obong Nsentip decided to locate the white people at the border with Ukpom Abak, because traditional medicine men in Ikot Mbon Ikono, were apprehensive of the presence of white people within the heart of their village. White people were viewed  with suspicion by the natives; medicine men feared the strange white people may harbour twins (seen as abomination) in their midst; such abominable presence could, offend the gods and destroy the efficacy of their juju. With the help of Obong Nsentip, Robert Brooks surveyed the Uyo Area. Due to the sickening presence of jiggers in the Ukpom-Ikot Mbon Ikono border, he re-located to Aka. Later Consul Brooks finally chose the location, in Uyo village, where the present state government house, Hilltop Mansion is sited. This location was considered as nearer to water source than Aka; and there he erected his prefabricated House. Because, Nsentip Ekown, was well known in Uyo village (i.e. Akpayak, Atai Essien Uyo and Ikot Afia), it was easy to assist the white colonialists acquire the needed land to set up their initial administrative structures.

Then in 1902 Robert Brooks recommended Obong Nsentip Ekown to be crowned the first warrant ruler of Uyo by king Edward (VII) of England - that was why he was always referred to, by the people, as “Obong Mbakara,” (The ruler, recognized by the Whiteman).

Establishment of a British Colonial Consulate in Uyo
Later, that same year, 1902, Robert Bernard Brooks signed a treaty of friendship protection of the people of Uyo, under the British crown, with Obong Nsentip Ekown; and Obong Udo Eduok, thus establishing British colonial rule in the hinter land of the Ibibio nation. With the signing of that instrument in 1902, the status of Uyo thereby changed, metamorphosing from the small Offot village to a new geo-political entity – extending far beyond the borders of the present day Uyo Local Government Area, to encompass what is today Uyo senatorial district. Robert B. Brooks thus became the first District Commissioner (D.C.) of Uyo.

He extended his administration to other places like Abak, Ikot Abasi, Ukanafun, Inen, Ikot Okoro, Etim Ekpo, etc - establishing Native Authorities (N..A) and County Councils with the help of traditional rulers and the use of some military force. Where there were no influential traditional rulers he appointed leaders to represent the people in his government. The traditional rulers were also empowered to collect taxes, to assist in the establishment of government schools, to preside over customary court cases; and to enforce the colonial decree on the surrender of guns by communities to government.

Though slave trade had been officially abolished, the violence associated with it was still rife in the hinterland; the colonial authorities, had therefore issued a decree that guns be surrendered to the government, by every community.

Besides Obong Nsentip Ekown and Obong Udo Eduok, other traditional rulers and leaders that worked with Brooks were chief Udo Ekong Umana Ekam from Abak, Chief Udofia Ekpene of Nnung Asang, Ikono, Uyo, Chief Akpan Adiaha Ikwot of Ikot Ofon, Ikono, Uyo, etc.

Uyo L.G.A
The present day Uyo, Local Government Area, made up of the four clans of Ikono Ibom, Etoi, Offot and Oku was created in the late 1950s as Uyo Federated County Council, sequel to agitations from leaders within these four clans led by Chief Ukpong Nsentip Ekown a.k.a Chief Elijah Akpan Okon, who became the first chairman. These four clans are today the core people of Uyo L.G.A. Amongst them, according to legend, are the direct descendants of Ikono Akpan Anyang, also known as Afaha, the progenitor of the Ibibio race, who had lived in Ikot Oku Ikono, at the location where Asan Ibibio is sited today; and who had been deified and worshipped, after his death, as Etefia.

End of Robert Brooks' Career
Consul Robert Bernard Brooks was said to have been struck by an unknown but devastating illness that wrecked his health, after he had fought for Britain in the First World War (1914 to 1918) in the Camerouns, as a Major; and had witnessed the capture of Duala , Cameroun from the Germans. His poor health condition forced him to retire from colonial service prematurely.

He is believed to have died in 1937 in Felixstowe, a small town in Suffolk County, Eastern England