Gokana kingdom

Gokana kingdom is among the six kingdoms of the Ogoni people in Ogoni (also Ogoniland) in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Gokana kingdom has geographic, historic and ethno-linguistic elements with some 130,000 Gokana language speakers located in the Gokana Local Government Area in Rivers State. Gokana contains a tremendous number of villages, including Lewe, B.Dere (Barayowa-Dere), K. Dere (Kegbara-Dere), Nwe-biara Kpor, Mogho, Bomu, Bodo, Gio-koo, Nwe-ol, Bera, Biara, Deeyor, Gbe, Goi, Barako, Deken, and Yeghe.[1][2][3]

Gokana is a local government area that is located in Rivers state, in the South South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The headquarter of the LGA is found in the town of Kpor, while the Gokana area comprises several towns and villages which includes Nwe-biara, Yeghe, Gbe, Goi, Barako, Kibangba, Bomu, Deken, and Bera etc.[4] The estimated population of Gokana LGA is 194,713 inhabitants [5]with the vast majority of the people that inhabit the area being members of the Ogoni ethnic sub-division. The Gokana kingdom speaks the Gokana language as it is predominantly spoken in the area. Christianity is the religion that is mostly practiced although they still have traditionalist in the area. The Gbere Mene of Gokana LGA is the traditional administrator of the LGA while important festivals held in the area include the Naa Bira Dae[6] festival which is usually celebrated in the month of April after Easter.[7]

Gokana kingdom is sub-divided into two zones, namely; Kibangha and the Numuu zone. The traditional headquarter of gokana kingdom is Giokoo.[8]

Geography

Gokana LGA sits on a total area measuring 126 square kilometers km2 and a population of 228,828 at the 2006 census. And has several rivers and tributaries flowing through its territory. The average temperature of the LGA is 26°C while the average humidity level of the area is 87 percent.[9][10]

Economy

Gokana people are mainly farmers as farming is a key economic activity in Gokana LGA with a number of crops such as plantain, oil palm, cassava, okra, melon and banana are being grown in the area. They are also fishermen as fishing is another important occupation engaged by the people of Gokana as the area has many rivers and tributaries being rich in seafood. Other important economic enterprises of the people of Gokana include trades, the making of fishing nets, and the construction of canoes.[11]

References
  1. Osha, Sanya (2006). "Birth of the Ogoni Protest Movement". Journal of Asian and African Studies. 41 (1–2): 13–38. doi:10.1177/0021909606061746. S2CID 145335875. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  2. Earlier version of same article.Osha, Sanya (2005). "Birth of the Ogoni Protest Movement" (PDF). Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  3. Nigeria, Media (2018-04-19). "List Of Towns And Villages In Gokana L.G.A, Rivers State". Media Nigeria. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  4. places (1970-01-01). "Towns & Villages in Gokana « Rivers State « Nigeria". Towns & Villages. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  5. Weli, V.E.; Kobah, E. (2014-01-20). "The Air Quality Implications of the SPDC-Bomu Manifold Fire Explosion in K-Dere, Gokana LGA of Rivers State, Nigeria". Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences. 6 (1): 1–9. doi:10.19026/rjees.6.5734. ISSN 2041-0484.
  6. Kwate, Naa Oyo A. (2020-08-01). "Festival in the Time of COVID-19". Gastronomica. 20 (3): 14. doi:10.1525/gfc.2020.20.3.14. ISSN 1529-3262. S2CID 225494446.
  7. "Gokana Local Government Area". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  8. "'Hold Politicians Responsible For Gokana Crisis'". :::...The Tide News Online:::... 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  9. Post Offices- with map of LGA. NIPOST. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  10. Sterratt, David C; Thompson, Ian (2009-07-13). "Inference of original retinal coordinates from flattened retina". BMC Neuroscience. 10 (S1). doi:10.1186/1471-2202-10-s1-p3. ISSN 1471-2202.
  11. "Gokana Local Government Area". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2021-09-16.

Further reading
  • Saro-Wiwa, Ken, Genocide in Nigeria: The Ogoni Tragedy, Saros (1992), ISBN 978-1-870716-22-2.



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