*The History Of Dekina*

I Achimugu Julius Arome (aka Juliaro King) has decided to let the cat out of the bag, it's said that "a child who watches his hands cleans will eat with his elder's " so for this reason, the history of Dekina must be told for those who says I'm not an indigen of Dekina Local government. 

Dekina was  the  capital  of  the  former  Bassa  province  when  the  protectorate  of Northern and Southern Nigeria were proclaimed in 1900.

Local Government reforms   were   undertaken   in   December,   1968   which   reformed   the   native authorities  into Local Governments and divided the Igala Native Authority into three divisions of Idah, Dekina and Ankpa.

Dekina Local Government Area was part of the great former  Igala  Native  Authority.  As  a  result  of  Socio-Economic  and  political  restructuring  to  pave  way  for faster   and   more   meaningful   development,   Dekina was  carved  out  as  a  Local  Government  Area  by  then   Kwara   State   Administration   in   1969.

Dekina Local   Government   Area   had   six   Districts   then, namely; Dekina, Bassa, Mosum, Gboloko, Biraidu and Okura.   Further   Geo-political restructuring   robbed Dekina LGA of three of her Districts, namely Bassa, Gboloko    and    Mosum    to    become    Bassa    Local Government  leaving  Dekina  with  Dekina,  Okura  and Biraidu Districts.

The Ogane-Enugu of Dekina District trace their origin from Idah. They claim to be direct descendants of one Onoja   Olugwu   who   migrated   from   Idah   several centuries  ago.  He  first  of  all  settled  at  a  place  called Okoriko, but had to move to Ogane=Enugwu because of inter-tribal wars between the Igala speaking settlers

and the Bassa people.

Iyale is one of the biggest towns  in  Dekina  LGA.  The  people  claim  their  own origin  through  one  Onoja  Ugbaguma  who  came  to settle  at  Iyale from  Ejule  Yarobo  many  centuries  ago.

The  Abocho  people  trace  their  own  lineage  to  one Oyibo Apo, a person from Igbobe in Igbirra.

The Okura  people  claim  relationship  with  Idah.  They  are said to have migrated from a place called Aija in Idah  hundreds of years ago.

*The Government Of Dekina*

The Dekina local government council is in charge of public administration in Dekina. The council is led by a chairman who is the executive head of the local government.

The Dekina legislative council make laws governing Dekina local government area. It consists of 12 Councillors representing the 12 wards of the local government area.

*Wards In Dekina*

There are 12 wards in Dekina local government area of Kogi State. The 12 wards in Dekina local government area are:

Abocho
Adumu Egume
Anyigba
Dekina town
Emewe
Iyale
Odu i
Odu ii
Ogane Inigu
Ogbabede
Ojikpadala
Okura Olafia

The Population Of Dekina

The widely disputed result of the 2006 national population census put the population of Dekina local government area at 260,968, with 131,394 males and 129,574 females.

Credit Tukool

Published

By

Tijani Tahiru