Parliamentarian, Businessman, Patriarch
Chief Francis Brisibe Agamagu, who later became famously recognized as ‘PA BRISIBE’, was born into the Adamagu family of Ojobo and the Yeibiri family of Ayamasa, around the year 1899 in Bulou-Ojobo. According to a local historian named Chief Polobiri Agbede of Peretorugbene, there are accounts that suggest Pa Brisibe might have been born approximately in 1894. This estimation comes from information he received from his significantly older elder brother, Chief Zuokumor Adamagu.
Close family relations
Pa Brisibe shared the same biological parents with relatives who had both the Yeibiri family as their mother and the Adamagu family as their father. Among them were Chief Zuokumor (male) and Gbakumor (female). Chief Zuokumor, who was around twenty years older than Brisibe, held a prominent position in the community, leading inter-village battles against neighboring rival communities. As a distinguished red-cap chief, Chief Zuokumor Adamagu made significant and positive contributions to the life of his younger brother, Brisibe.
Marriages & Children
Pa Brisibe was married to more than fifteen wives and had an impressive number of over thirty direct sons and daughters who survived him at the time of his passing. Among his notable descendants were his late son, Mr. FHE Brisibe, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police; late Major Awiki Brisibe of the Nigerian Army, recognized for establishing the army library and his exceptional intellect, light complexion, and naturally blond curly hair; and late Mr. Custom Brisibe, who held a senior and trustworthy position as the Director of the Foreign Debt Office at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Unfortunately, many believe that Custom Brisibe’s untimely and mysterious demise was influenced by deceitful, cruel, and malicious individuals, although such matters are considered to be in the hands of a higher power.
Pa Brisibe’s lineage also includes descendants such as Dr. Fraideh Brisibe, a successful veterinary and academic doctor, and Professor Amadon Brisibe, a distinguished figure in agriculture as a professor. The family tree further extends to Professor S.F Brisibe, excelling in the field of medicine, along with numerous other medical and academic doctors belonging to the second and third generations within Pa Brisibe’s progeny.
Faith
Pa Brisibe adhered to the Catholic faith.
Business & Politics
Despite the absence of formal education, Pa Brisibe had a proficient command of the English language, encompassing reading, speaking, and writing. He developed this skill through interactions with colonial district officers in the Forcados district of the Warri/Ijaw area in Southern Nigeria. Utilizing these connections, he secured a contract job responsible for providing food for prisoners in Forcados, which served as the district headquarters. Although involved in this contract work, his inclination was towards trading. Pa Brisibe introduced his friend, Chief Lelemugha Ekereke, to the district officer, and Ekereke was promptly employed.
In collaboration with his friend Chief Bozimor, Francis Brisibe played a key role in establishing a transportation company called “B&B.” This company operated in both riverine and upland regions, with its main hub in Warri. Leveraging his modest educational background and business acumen, Pa Brisibe was selected by the colonial administration to serve as a member of the Western Region House of Chiefs in Ibadan, a position he held from approximately 1950 to 1956.
Death Date
Pa Brisibe passed away in 1972 at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy influenced by his diverse experiences, business acumen, and significant contributions to various fields.
