He Dared

The Story of Okuku Udo Akpabio, the Great Colonial African Ruler

This is the story of the life of a man who was a force to reckon with. He moved past frontiers seen at the time and embraced new horizons that has left a truly compelling legacy. Udo Akpabio was a man of many parts. A warrior, symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Annang people of Nigeria, charismatic leader and successful businessman yet finding time to carry out his duties as the patriarch of one of the largest and most influential family stock in South-South Nigeria. Set in the late nineteenth century and through the colonial era, this book tells the story of a man who dared where others dread. The dim circumstances of his early childhood did not deter his ambition to turn around his fortune. Rising above the temptous phase of his early adult life, he attained the highest traditional stool of the Annang people. He was a bridge between the British and the indigenous people, and acting on intriguing insight, Udo Akpabio, steered the affairs of his people and was able to strike a delicate balance between age-long traditions and westernization.