Historical Research: Peter Eket Inyang Udoh
Axel Harneit-Sievers
colonial Nigeria. In the course of this, I am looking for information on
PETER EKET INYANG UDOH.
I am planning to write a biography of Peter Eket Inyang Udoh for an
academic book.
I would be grateful if anybody on this list who may know more about the
person could get in touch with me.
Following is a summary of the information I have up till now (collected
largely from archival files deposited in Enugu, London and Washington):
Peter Eket Inyang Udoh - according to the files, he frequently he called
himself "Prince Eket" - was a remarkable personality, an Ibibio pioneer in
international business and nationalist politics.
According to the information I have, he was born in 1897 as son of an
influential Ibibio chief; however, I don't know his exact place of birth.
He seems to have served in the British Merchant Navy around 1915.
By 1929, he established the "Ibibio Trading Company" which was designed to
buy palm oil and kernels from Ibibio farmers and export it directly to the
United States. By this venture, he tried to circumvent the monopoly of
export trade which British and other European trading companies had at the
time. In order to mobilize farmers, he promised them better prices. The
British colonial authorities regarded him as politically troublesome.
Because of this he was called before the the 1930 official commission of
inquiry into the "Women's War" / "Aba riots" and gave a short statement.
The business venture seems to have failed at the time.
By 1938-40, he tried to establish a similar business venture that was
politically inspired again. Together with A.O. Alakija and a group of New
York-based businessmen (possibly African-Americans), he established the
"New Africa Company" which got together with a "Ibibio Farmer's
Association" in order to export palm produce. This time, he entered into
protracted negotiations with the British colonial government which had
established an export monopoly. He tried to exert political pressure,
threatening to organise Ibibio farmers to boycott the sale of oil and
kernels. In the end, again, nothing came out of this.
The colonial government saw him as a political troublemaker and tried to
denounce him as a confidence man who, according to British allegations,
tried to employ tricks in order to get money from Ibibio farmers. Peter
Eket Inyang Udoh's business ventures were indeed of a somewhat doubtful
character, but I do not believe that the government was right in accusing
him to be a rogue. To me, it rather seems he was a man who tried, in an
innovative way, to combine anti-colonial politics with business ventures in
the name of "economic freedom from colonial exploitation".
By 1949, the Ibibio Farmers' Association acted as a licenced trading
company to buy palm produce, but I don't know whether Peter Eket Inyang
Udoh still played a role in that Association any more.
Peter Eket Inyang Udoh seems to have been in conflict with other members of
the Ibibio educated elite of his time, especially with leaders of the
Ibibio (State) Union, that had been founded in 1928. U. Udomah (The Story
of the Ibibio Union, Ibadan 1987, pp. 317) quotes him as having said in 1953:
"my fight for Ibibio people ended when I was usually referred to as a dupe
and a thief, because as an honest pioneer, I tried to export to the United
States of America palm oil and palm kernels belonging to Ibibio people and
in the attempt I failed because I was the victim of organized American
business sharks. I am now content to fight for Dr. Nnamdi Azi-kiwe for
imme-diate earthly recompense. Zik, as you know, is a Nigerian newspaper
baron and the owner of a bank."
From this, it seems that Peter Eket Inyang Udoh had a political
affiliation with the NCNC, different from other Ibibio leaders who demanded
a separate state and were, I believe, politically close to Awolowo's Action
Group that supported such a demand.
I have no information what became of Peter Eket Inyang Udoh in later years,
nor do I know when he died.
Once again, I would appreciate any information about this remarkable
personality, especially about his family background. Is it possible to
trace his place and family? Maybe there are even children or relations of
his with whom I could get in touch?
Thanks for your attention, and with kind regards
Axel Harneit-Sievers
----------------------------------------------
Dr, Axel Harneit-Sievers
Center for Modern Oriental Studies, Berlin
http://www.zmo.de
-++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==
This message was posted through the Stanford campus mailing list
server. If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the
message body of "unsubscribe akwa-cross-net" to majo...@lists.stanford.edu
Rashidi Mohammed Uwemedimo Inyang Udoh
Prince Peter Eket Inyang Udoh was my uncle and I can help you in your research with additional information. I am the son of Mr. Mohammed B. Uwemedimo who was the CEO of Ibibio Farmers Association. We are from Ikot Ataku in Eket, Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. Please contact me at the address below to see how we can further the conversation.
Sincerely,
Rashidi Mohammed Uwemedimo Inyang Udoh
Lesga...@yahoo.com or ilahi.u...@gmail.com