Oleh is the headquarters of the Isoko South Local Government Area, one of the two administrative units in the Isoko region of Delta State, southern Nigeria. Oleh is a town not too far from Ozoro which happens to be the headquarter of Isoko North in Delta State. This article will provide the Origin and History of Oleh kingdom, the politics and government practiced in the kingdom, religious beliefs, economy, education and occupation.
As the administrative center for the local government, it houses the council offices. The town is under the leadership of a monarch, His Royal Majesty (H.R.M.) Ovrawah A. Omogha 1 (JP) FCAI. He has the power to appoint his Kinsmen (also known as Chiefs), which assist him in decision(s) making relating to the affairs of Oleh community. In addition to the monarch and his chiefs, there is also Oleh community executives headed by an elected president. Both the community executives and the king with his chiefs work together to see to the smooth running of the community affairs. They are also the traditional custodian of the people's customs and traditions. The monarch is influential in Isokoland in matters relating to his kingdom. He is also a member of the state council of traditional rulers, which also provides him a platform for some influence on statewide issues.
The economic advancement in Oleh, ranges from civil servants, merchants, skilled and unskilled personnel to farmers. The farmers mostly specialise in food crop farming, fishery, livestock farming and sometimes hunting of bush animals. The food crops cultivated by the farmers include; cassava, maize, oil palms, plantain and yams. Women form a large proportion of the farming population. They also engage in trading of food crops for cash to meet other basic household needs. On market days, women can be seen peddling their assorted wares in the town markets. Cassava is the source of most of the foods consumed by the people. Garri, starch meal (Ozi), Egu are cassava derivatives.
Oleh has several primary schools, secondary schools and one tertiary institution. Some of its major government owned primary and secondary schools are: Isoko Central School, Evoja Primary School, Odoro Primary School, Owhara Primary School, Uzi Primary School, Emiye Girl's Grammar School, Emore Grammar School and Saint Michael's College. It also has the Oleh Campus (comprising Faculty of Law and Engineering) of Delta State University, ('Delta State University') with numerous private schools.
Although the predominant religion in Oleh kingdom is Christianity, many natives still practice African traditional religion, which has been practiced for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans to Africa. This is evident in the several ancestral shrines that can still be seen in Oleh Kingdom. A critical appraisal of the belief system of the average Oleh indigene will reveal a combination of both Christian and pagan learnings.
The main occupational activities of Oleh people are large-scale food and cash crop farming. Oleh and it’s environs have a wide variety of wildlife and fisheries due to its various rivers, lakes and its proximity to the River Niger and the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the major staple and cash food crops produce in large scales in Ozoro are cassava, varieties of yams, palm oils, mangoes, oranges, plantains, bananas, guavas, etc. Oleh is fast developing with increasing commercial activities, exporting locally produced cash crops to nearby larger cities such as Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, Benin City, Asaba, Port Harcourt, and as far as Lagos and Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. On market days, Ozoro beautiful women sell assorted wares in the city's various markets. Cassava is one of the major staple foods consumed, followed by rice and beans with stewed beef, or varied fishes with fried plantains.