By Aghogho Inikor
Before the titles, before the fame, and before the Niger Delta came to know him as Mr. 13% Derivation, Chief Wellington O. Okirika was simply a boy with grit — one who slept on the floor beside a friend who would later become a king.
That friend is now His Royal Majesty Emmanuel E. Sideso Abe I, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom and Chairman of the Urhobo Traditional Rulers Council. And on Thursday, June 26, 2025, he gave the most heartfelt tribute at the KFT Event Center in Effurun, Delta State, during the 83rd birthday celebration of Chief Okirika and the public unveiling of his biography, “Mr. 13% Derivation Fund.”
In an exclusive interview with GbaramatuVoice, the monarch peeled back the layers of history to reveal the man behind the legend.
“Wellington and I go way back — to 1958,” he said. “We grew up in the same house. We weren’t born rich. We served our elder brothers. We fetched water. We swept. We ate from the same bowl and shared the same bed.”
He paused, then added: “That’s the Okirika most of you don’t know.”
Their friendship began in Irrua (Edo State), in the then Midwestern region, and stretched through their teenage years at Esan Grammar School, Edo State. Both served as senior prefects – Wellington first, then Emmanuel. The monarch recalled that the responsibilities placed on them early in life shaped who they would become.
Now, over six decades later, both men are over 80 – and still standing. But it was more than age that moved the Ovie of Uvwie to speak. It was the journey.
“Okirika didn’t rise by luck,” he said. “He rose by grit. He wasn’t handed anything. He earned everything, through service, humility, and sacrifice.”
He reflected on a Nigeria that once valued such traits. “Back then, we were taught to listen, to respect, to serve. Today, what we see is entitlement, chaos. The discipline we had is lost. And that’s why stories like Okirika’s must be told.”
Chief Okirika’s life work includes the struggle for increased oil revenue for oil-producing states – a fight that resulted in the 13% derivation fund. But according to his old friend, that legacy is only one side of the man.
“Wellington has lifted people – morally, financially, educationally. He supported kingdoms beyond his own. But he never promoted himself. His heart is big. His story is bigger.”
The monarch ended with a message to the youth: “If you want to rise, look at this man. Respect your journey. Respect those ahead of you. That’s how we made it. That’s how he made it.”
And on that Thursday, in a hall filled with royalty, scholars, and statesmen, Chief Okirika’s 83rd birthday became more than a ceremony. It became a lesson in legacy.
