Tai, Nigeria
Encyclopedia
Tai is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State
in Nigeria
. It covers an area of 159 sq.km and at the 2006 Census it had a population of 117,797. It is part of the Okrika/Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme constituency of the Nigerian Senate, represented since April 2007 by George Thompson Sekibo
.
In the April 2007 elections the Tai LGA recorded an implausible 99.6% turnout for the Governorship election.
Celestine Omehia
of the People's Democratic Party
(PDP) was at first declared winner, but his election was later annulled and Rotimi Amaechi
, also of the PDP, was declared governor.
In February 2009, the Chairman of Tai Local Government Area was Barry Mpigi.
Most of the people are Ogoni
, speaking the Tee
and Baan languages.
Communities include Ban-Ogoi, Bara-Ale, Bara-Alue, Barayira, Borobara (a central community), Botem, Bunu, Deetor Kira, Gbam,
Gbene-Ue, Horo, Kebara Kira, Korokoro (the seat of the Tai monarch), Koroma, Kpite, Nonwa Tai (Kebara), Nonwa Uedume, Orkpo, Sime and Ueken.
Other communities include Kporghor and Gio.
Tai Local government area has two broad sections: the Tua Tua Kingdom and the Barasi Nonwa Kingdom, both under the overall Tai kingdom headed by the Gbene Mene Tai. The primary occupations are farming, and fishing to a lesser degree.
In September 2009, Samuel Nnee was the paramount ruler of the Kpite Community in Tai LGA.
There are many oil wells in the LGA, which is laced with pipelines, with most of the oil installations being operated by Shell Nigeria
. However, the local community has seen little benefit from oil extraction, and infrastructure is poor.
In the 1990s, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
began a struggle against the degradation of their lands, which at times erupted into violence.
In June 2001 an oil pipeline that passes through the Baraale community ruptured and spilled crude oil into nearby forests, farmlands and houses. There were delays in repair, and in October 2001 the spilled oil caught fire, causing extensive environmental damage.
The region suffers from violence, kidnapping and arson.
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. It covers an area of 159 sq.km and at the 2006 Census it had a population of 117,797. It is part of the Okrika/Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme constituency of the Nigerian Senate, represented since April 2007 by George Thompson Sekibo
George Thompson Sekibo
George Thompson Sekibo is a Nigerian senator who represents the People's Democratic Party in Rivers State. He became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2007.-Background:...
.
In the April 2007 elections the Tai LGA recorded an implausible 99.6% turnout for the Governorship election.
Celestine Omehia
Celestine Omehia
Sir Celestine Omehia was the fourteenth Executive Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .He is married to Mrs...
of the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) was at first declared winner, but his election was later annulled and Rotimi Amaechi
Rotimi Amaechi
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Nigerian politician, who became Governor of Rivers State in June 2007. He was previously Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 until 2007....
, also of the PDP, was declared governor.
In February 2009, the Chairman of Tai Local Government Area was Barry Mpigi.
Most of the people are Ogoni
Ogoni people
Ogoni people are one of the many indigenous peoples in the region of southeast Nigeria. They share common oil related environmental problem with the Ijaw people of Niger Delta, but Ogonis are not listed in the list of people historically belonging to Niger Delta...
, speaking the Tee
Tee language
Tẹẹ, or Tai, is the language of the Tai tribe of the Ogoni nation of Nigeria. It is to a limited degree mutually intelligible with Khana, the main Ogoni language, but its speakers consider it to be a separate language.-Phonology:...
and Baan languages.
Communities include Ban-Ogoi, Bara-Ale, Bara-Alue, Barayira, Borobara (a central community), Botem, Bunu, Deetor Kira, Gbam,
Gbene-Ue, Horo, Kebara Kira, Korokoro (the seat of the Tai monarch), Koroma, Kpite, Nonwa Tai (Kebara), Nonwa Uedume, Orkpo, Sime and Ueken.
Other communities include Kporghor and Gio.
Tai Local government area has two broad sections: the Tua Tua Kingdom and the Barasi Nonwa Kingdom, both under the overall Tai kingdom headed by the Gbene Mene Tai. The primary occupations are farming, and fishing to a lesser degree.
In September 2009, Samuel Nnee was the paramount ruler of the Kpite Community in Tai LGA.
There are many oil wells in the LGA, which is laced with pipelines, with most of the oil installations being operated by Shell Nigeria
Shell Nigeria
Shell Nigeria is the colloquial name for Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian operations carried out through four subsidiaries—primarily through Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited...
. However, the local community has seen little benefit from oil extraction, and infrastructure is poor.
In the 1990s, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People is a campaigning organization representing the Ogoni people. Ogoniland is situated north-east of Niger Delta...
began a struggle against the degradation of their lands, which at times erupted into violence.
In June 2001 an oil pipeline that passes through the Baraale community ruptured and spilled crude oil into nearby forests, farmlands and houses. There were delays in repair, and in October 2001 the spilled oil caught fire, causing extensive environmental damage.
The region suffers from violence, kidnapping and arson.