“Now, it is disheartening for anyone to accuse Omo-Agege of tribalism and taking all Delta Central Federal government projects to Orogun, as paraded by my brother friend, Billy Egbe, who once ate from the King’s dining table and now throwing stone, forgetting that those who throw stone at the market square do so on the basis of ignorant, became the stone may hit a-most loved and cherished one”
By Mark C. Orgu, October 23, 2022
‘I am no politician, I’m not even a student of politics, I am not a republican, nor a Democrat, nor an American, and got sense enough to know it. I’m one of 22 million black victims of democrat, one of the 22 million black victims of republicans, and one of the 22 million black victims of Americanism. And when I speak, I don’t speak as a Democrat or republican, nor American. I speak as a victim of America’s so called democracy. You and I have never seen democracy, all we’ve seen is hypocrisy’- Malcolm X.
COMMENTARY-Taking it from this analogy, am sure, political analysts or historians may crack their brain, to know the dimension I will project my arrow. So, let us relax our mind and be open as am not writing for defence but for you to pass your judgment after reading. I am not also writing as a politician or a paid journalist but am writing as a patriot of the pen.
Delta State was formerly part of the defunct mid-west region from 1963, and from 1976 constitution amendment, Bendel State was carved out, comprising Edo and Delta State. Prior to this, Colonel John Ewerekumoh was the last Governor of the former, 1990- 1991. And so, August 27, 1991, Delta became a state of its own, and got the privilege of three senators. Delta Central, Urhobo; Delta South, Ijaw, and Itsekiri, Delta North, Anioma. Thus, each have equal opportunity in the Senate.
For the purpose of this commentary, let me now focus on Delta Central-Democratic rule since 1999 till date. The late Sen. Fred Aghogho Brume represented Urhobo people from 1999-2003, and as a senator, he was vocal and feared for bravery. In January 2006, the Senator was one of the PDP Presidential candidates for the 2007 presidential election, screened by the South-South People’s Assembly Presidential Search Committee led by the late Chief Matthew Mbu. In fact, while as a senator, he was controversial on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and cried out bitterly of the bias against the people of the South-South, citing the decision of Rilwanu Lukman, the then Minister of Petroleum Resources, to only train lower-level workers at the Petroleum Training Institute Warri,, while senior staff would be trained in Kaduna. One of the news quoted Brume as say “The federal University in Delta State was being starved of funds, that the Liquefied Natural Gas project was being moved to a western location rather than cited in Bayelsa State as promised, and that the NNPC leadership were all Northerners”
The Late Olorogun Felix Ibru took over from 2003-2007, a revered and astute politician, bridge builder and quintessential advocate for good governance. He brought good tiding to his people he represented.
Late Sen. Adego Erhiawarie Eferakeya took the mantle of leadership, 2007-2011 and made his mark. As reported in some quarters of the media, , Eferakeya in May, 2009, gave empowerment of 100 motorcycles to youths in his constituency at a ceremony in his senatorial office in Eferakeya Hospital, Amukpe near Sapele, Delta State. Also, In July 2009, he was among senators who called for the creation of new states as part of the process for the amendment of the 1999 constitution.
He was among the Senators in October, 2009 that led the call for Senate debate on a bill seeking for the establishment of the National DNA data bank to help in the investigation of crime and identification of unknown corpses while he opposed the October 4 deadline by the Yar;Adua led Federal government to end the amnesty it had granted to militants in the Niger Delta, saying such termination was premature.
The late Sen. Pius Ewherido of the Democratic People’s Party, DPP, defeated the Almighty PDP in 2011 and won the Senatorial seat. It was reported in Vanguard in 2016 in opinion, that in less than two years, the late Senator sponsored very crucial bills like; A Bill for an Act to make provisions for creating the offence of Corporate Manslaughter and matters incidental thereto, Bill to Establish the Welding Standards Regulatory Council of Nigeria, bill to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitutio for Devolution of more responsibilities to States and Public Sector Accountability(by the creation of the office of Auditor-General of the Federation as distinct from the Office of The Auditor-General of the Federal Government of Nigeria), among others.
In 2015, Sen. Ighoyota Amori of the PDP was sacked by an Appeal Court that sat in Benin, Edo State, and declared the Labour Party Candidate, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, who till date represents the good people of Delta Central, and has opened his hands wide to all Deltans, whether, Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Anioma to be part and parcel of his cabinet, etc. by virtue of his position as Deputy Senate President. Now, it is disheartening for anyone to accuse Omo-Agege of tribalism and taking all Delta Central Federal government projects to Orogun, as paraded by my brother friend, Billy, Egbe, who once ate from the king’s dining table and now throwing the stone, forgetting that those who throw stone at the market square do so on the basis of ignorant, because, the stone may hit a-most loved and cherished one.
Now, all the senators, who have represented Delta Central had equal opportunity just as Senator Ovie Omo-Agege have. What did they do with their senatorial privileges as regarding to Federal government projects, what Institution did they take to their village or town or Kingdom. If all the Senators who have represented Delta Central had brought one or two Institutions to their enclaves, and Deltans are employed, wouldn’t it had been beneficial to all, whether Jews, Pharisees, Scribes or gentiles, because, if an Ijaw is employed in Orogun Federal Polytechnic, or Itsekiri, or Ukwuani, nobody will be talking about location, but they will be talking about good livelihood. History will always judge us fairly in all our actions. Let us beware of betraying ourselves and refusing to help our brothers and sisters as it is in the blood of some Urhobos to discredit, not to help their fellows, grow.
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