By Austin Ogwuda
Brief historical facts
Our history book tells us that Richard Lemon Lander, an English explorer (1804-1834) made three trips to West Africa.He and his brother, John were the first Europeans to canoe down the Lower Niger River to its delta (where it meets the sea).
As a young man, Lander worked for the Scottish explorer Hugh Clapperton, and went with him on a trip to West Africa (what is now northern Nigeria).
The expedition (1825-1828) was designed to travel down the Niger River, but it was unsuccessful due to illness and many deaths. Clapperton and Lander’s European companions all died early in the trip.
Lander and Clapperton both had bouts of illness, and Clapperton died on April 18, 1827. African tribesmen later accused Lander of witchcraft, forcing him to drink poison to determine whether or not he was indeed a witch.
Since he survived, the charges of witchcraft were rescinded, and Lander eventually returned to England (in July 1828).
In England, Lander published “Journal of Richard Lander from Kano to the Sea Coast” (1829) and “Records of Captain Clapperton’s Last Expedition to Africa, with the Subsequent Adventures of the Author” (1830).
Lander returned to West Africa with his brother, John Lander, in 1830. They followed the lower Niger River from Bussa to the sea, travelling in leaky canoes. Along the way they were kidnapped by the King of the Ibos, rescued by another king (King Boy of Brass), and were reluctantly helped by a British ship. Lander later published his “Journal of an Expedition to Explore the Course and Termination of the Niger” (1832).
Lander died on his third West African trip (1833-1834). He was killed along the Niger River by African tribesmen on The six members of the Lander expedition trip made thier way from Bussa to Asaba just like their forebear. The boat used for the trip was called Goo-will. The team decided to donate the boat to the people of Asaba.
This boat and other artifacts that have to do with the expedition and Europeans’ contacts with the people of Asaba are the artifacts one sees, while visiting the Richard Lander Museum.It was built in memory of the Lander Brothers-Richard and John who anchored at about that spot of the River Niger during the expedition that they took over from Mungo Park.
The erected anchorage is, however, not the original one but a replica; the original one is at Aboh.
The Lander Brothers are credited with the discovery of the mouth of the River Niger.This led to the opening of the West African trade which eventually replaced slave trade. The anchorage has February 6, 1834.
It is important taking you to through the origin and significance of what the Anchorage stands for.
The Anchorage monument was then erected by the previous administration and commissioned.Ever then the maximum utilisation of the Anchorage, which is one of the historical sites in Delta State has been lacking. All the while after that fanfare that greeted the opening, result from the place was not encouraging. In fact it appeared it was partially abandoned with little or no activities
…. Okowa ‘s intervention
During the last administration led by Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, focus was once again shifted to that place.
Former Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu broke the news after an EXCO meeting.
In a post EXCO briefing, Aniagwu told newsmen that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s government was poised “to make it an international tourism and relaxation centre and to boost job creation with the approval of N524 million lifeline.
A month after that briefing, the Delta State government sealed a 13-year lease deal with a private firm – Messrs. Jabi Boat Club Abuja, precisely on the 1st of December 2020.
The Town Hall Media gathered that the Agreement stipulated that the firm would build, operate and transfer, otherwise known as (BOT) with a specified time frame with operations scheduled to begin in 2023 ( this year).
….Enter Sheriff Oborevwori’s government
Okowa served out his tenure on the 29th of May this year, 2023 without any sign that Jabi Boat Club was forthcoming to commence operation as stated in the Agreement.
Aniagwu, during the press briefing sometime in November 2020 about the coming on board of the firm said with nostalgia that “because of its reputation in international tourism business sector, we (Okowa government) are bringing in Jabi Boat Club Abuja for standardization, revitalisation of the historical monument”.
Then came the 5th day of this month, September 2023, State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Darlington Ijeh raised alarm over the alleged non performance of Jabi Boat.
Commissioner Ijeh went ahead to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the firm to give reason why the State government should not terminate the contract.
That ultimatum was issued almost two weeks ago, yet no dice.Peeved by the ugly development from Jabi for allegedly not living up expectation,
the Commissioner told the press assumption of office that “Messrs Jabi Boat Club Abuja had on 1st December, 2020, entered into agreement with the State government to build, operate and transfer within a specified period, with operation of the facility expected to have commenced in year 2023” .
He lamented that “all the contractor had done on the site was to demolish the structure that was a tourist site and generating revenue for the State and youths of the community who had small businesses where the Lander Brothers’ Anchorage is located in Asaba”.
He further noted that more worrisome was that Messrs Jabi Boat Club, Abuja was contracted the same day with that of the Maryam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village, pointing out that while the Leisure Park had been built and successfully handed over to the State government and subsequently commissioned for use, Jabi failed to deliver.
The question now is beyond mere rethorics, barking and not biting, what is the Delta State doing to get out of this quagmire because terminating a lease contract is not a tea party as Jabi Boat Club Abuja may presently flaunting the agreement papers.
Can the State Government settle this knotty issue amicably without collateral damages as it is obvious it can’t do business with Jabi going forward.
Can the Landers Brothers Anchorage project remain in the limbo and for how long?
