Omo-Agege and challenge of power shift in Delta

The Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Ndoka Neku Union, Onotu Henry Okechukwu, contends that the mobilisation embarked upon by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege will culminate in power shift from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State.

 

When at weekend, the entire Ndokwa nation comprising three Local Government Areas of: Ukwani, Ndokwa East and West converged on Kwale, the traditional headquarter of Ukwani speaking people of Delta State, hosted the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, it was a carnival of sort. It was a moment every politician with good conscience will desire…for a man who represents a different Senatorial district to be so celebrated.

The celebration, to the people of Ndokwa was a show solidarity for a man who has made them know that quality representation is not impossible after all, perhaps they are witnesses to the wonders performed by the lawmaker in Urhobo land. Ndokwa people are notably agrarian struggling below poverty line and are badly tired of the PDP’s fiefdom and have decided to follow the man we generally acclaimed as to lead us into a new era of accelerated growth and development come June 12, 2023 even though the DSP is yet to publicly announce his willingness to contest the 2023 gubernatorial election.

Sons and daughters of Ndokwa decided to give Obarisi Omo-Agege our crown of honour for doing  us proud in the Senate being one of our best who was produced by the flagship of our citadel of learning – the great Saint Georges Grammar School.

Obarisi has shown more than enough interest in the matters of Ndokwa nation and other ethnic groupings outside his constituency because he chose to be a statesman driven by excellence as exuded over time from his rich pool of excellent ideas to develop a people as a against a clanish and ethnocentric leadership of the ruling PDP in the state.

Penultimate Saturday precisely, I led a mammoth crowd to welcome our own Omo-Agege to Kwale who came on the occasion of receiving and welcoming the people of Ndokwa nation into the fold of the APC and that we achieved after our efforts yielded results.

The second leg of Obarisi Omo-Agege’s visit to Ndokwa land was to inspect the site of the Okpai Power Plant project which was to step-down power supply to lighten up our nation, a contract awarded over 6 years ago, but has not seen the light of day due mainly to political shenanigans.

It goes to show how deep the interest of Ndokwa nation is in the mind of this rare gem who has turned a blessing to everyone notwithstanding the fact that we didn’t vote him to be senate.

 

Fear of Omo-Agege:

What happened at the entrance of Okpai community on Saturday the 29th of May when misguided youths unlawfully blocked the road daring the DSP and his entourage including senior officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy to enter the town was on the contrary a very great privilege for Deputy Senate President (DSP) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to showcase his innate qualities as a true leader.

The weird  humility exuded by the Senator to address the rampaging youths who were acting the script of their party leaders not which was to block   the DSP and the officials from entering into Okpai for official inspection of the Step Down of Power which was intended to change the ugly narratives of the by successive administrations was unraveled as returned his entourage to safety after several unprovoked attacks by the youths in Okpai.

 

Youth strategy:

Our youths are not unruly. Their respect for elders is immeasurable and they peace loving which is why they hardly engage in frivolities like we see in other parts of the country. Our youths notably hardworking, respectful and delight of any man goodwill.

What happened was orchestrated by failed politicians in Ndokwa land and their collaborators in Asaba who have no Programme to better the lots of Ndokwa nation but will rather goad the youths into violence with pittance because they are deliberately impoverished  to reduce them (youths) to their cannon fodders which the youths see as their comfort zone.

The Okpai Power project was ignited by an intelligent, purposeful and non-violent struggle for Power Step Down in 2005 when the team led by Jude Dike, Ndokwa Youth Congress, Ndokwa Youth Vanguard joined with the elders in the Ndokwa Leaders of Thought led by the late Prof. BIC Ijomah, and were later joined by Pages group being another Youth group, amongst others to drive the struggle against AGIP to the point of its eventual approval by President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC administration.

The DSP is unarguably the highest political office holder in the Niger Delta region nay: Delta State and to this extent we hold him in the highest esteem and will condemn any action or inaction aimed at embarrassing our own vehemently.

My apology therefore is that on behalf of the entire  Ndokwa nation, in my capacity as the Secretary of the BOT of NNU, I apologise for the gross misconduct of the youths who humiliated themselves at Okpai, along with their sponsors/backers.

 

Influence:

In the eyes of the law, unlawful blocking of the road to deny anyone access into any community, more so an entourage of the Federal Government led by the number five in the order of precedence of the Federal Government of Nigeria, is a criminal conspiracy, suspected threat to life, and attempted assassination.

However, the erring Okpai youths, who were not faceless at the Okpai junction incidence, so that Justice may not officially take its course against this strange occurrence as a deterrent for future disrespect, not only for the person Senator Omo-Agege but more especially for the very high statutory office of the DSP.

 

Leadership distinctions:

The incidence gave us the opportunity to admire more the quality of Omo-Agege’s exemplary leadership as an exposure of your evident maturity in your preference for response as against any instant retaliation.

To DSP, observers were eager to rate the scale of competence in your reaction, and we were glad that you scored highest by making the right choice, knowing that Power without restraint is indeed useless. Thus, the DSP has shown that it is better to put power into appropriate USE, and not to abuse or misuse it.

 

Law and order:

The regrettable incidence at Okpai was rather a highly impressive outing because the  provocation was an opportunity to witness the DSP put his life at risk for a peaceful, friendly and brotherly mediation that saved the precious lives of our erring Okpai sons who were ignorant of the huge consequences of their actions. Such a decision to be vehemently opposed to the option of violent confrontation and instant military response or intervention, meant the avoidance of collateral damage or any unnecessary loss of invaluable human life. It takes matured leadership to firmly decide to even protect the lives of those who unlawfully denied you access.

In the same light, I must also commend HRM the Igwe of Okpai, and the faithful APC leaders and members at Okpai who for sake of peace, restrained themselves from coming to Okpai junction to counter the Okpai Youths.

 

Consultations

In spite of the Okpai incidence, the calmest and organised responses of the DSP at the IPP site in Kwale, and at the meeting with the Ikpalas and Onotu-in-Council of the entire Utagba-Ogbe Clan, rescued the burden of obstacles standing against the Power Step Down, off the shoulders of a ‘Federal Representative’ who lacks the high level capacity required at the Federal Government and has proven himself incompetent in the actualisation of the project; except pecuniary gains and building his political fortunes while the actualisation of this very vital project continues to suffer to its near abandonment.

 

Hope for better leadership

DSP Omo-Agege promised to work with the distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi to bring a Federal University of Health Sciences to Ndokwa Nation. The most important benefit of your visit is your willingness to assist in getting the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Power and the National Assembly to see to the accelerated realisation of the power step down in Ndokwa Nation.

 

Problems and solutions on the power project

With your pedigree in successfully actualising numerous projects across the Delta Central Senatorial District, we believe that you are indeed capable of surmounting the several prolonged obstacles mentioned by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power who was physically present at the Osemele project site. The solutions to the problems are not beyond the DSP, but very obviously beyond the capacity of an incompetent Federal Representative who has held the project captive for several years with only fencing of the site as an evidence of progress on the Substation sites. Personally, I know you to be surpassing in the uncommon beauty of integrity as a man who bonds with his word.

 

Ending the avoidable marginalisation

Ndokwa nation pray that God keeps DSP Omo-Agege stronger and more courageous. The PDP is a dying horse throwing its last kick and we Ndokwa people won’t  allow the enemies of our nation blackmail us to surrender. We follow the DSP Omo-Agege and APC through thin. May His divine power help you to actualise your desires, and fulfill the promises made to Ndokwa as part of your list of priorities or very special projects. In this way, the entire Ndokwa Nation will be able to appreciate and magnify you for removing them from the marginalized status we have always been, due to our long list of selfish and underachieving political gladiators; since people are known to earn their respect for achieving result and not only making effort. Ndokwa-first is a genuine progressive mind that craves for ‘success before profit’.

Onotu Henry Okechukwu is the Secretary, Board of Trustees, Ndokwa Neku Union,  NNU