Okpe Governorship Mandate 2023: Matters Arising

The past few months have been very interesting when put into considerations the happenings in the polity. It happens to be a period when some Abuja paid agents termed writers threw all cautious to the wind. This is so in the sense that whenever they write, they either resort to name calling or threats as if others are from the moon. In one of such write up which went viral last week, the author said, ‘’Anybody who is coming into the 2023 gubernatorial equation from the Okpe/Uvwie axis seeking to discredit other sections of Urhobo particularly the Ughelli/Udu federal constituency on account of Olorogun Felix Ibru’s less than two years stint as governor is looking for trouble’’.

These scammers and distressed mind that do not even know the road to pulling units are now the ones threatening the rest of us. Many of them do not even know the road to their villages and have not voted in elections before. The only joy they derive is to wait in Abuja and engage in political jobber’s begging for food like dogs in the forest. Ordinarily, I wonder if these fake Abuja writers ever went to school at all because in all their writings there is no single lesson that one can learn. If they ever attended schools, they did not read history because if they do, their write up will take another shape. In my school days and a member of debating and dramatic society club in Okpe Grammar School, Amukpe Sapele, it took not less than two weeks to prepare for debates with other schools and we always win the debates because we were taught in school that debates are won on the basis of evidence provided and here comes history.

To prove these fake writers wrong, it is worthy to note that Ughelli/Udu federal constituency was not born to rule and it can never lord it over us again. I repeat, the slogan, Ughelli/Udu federal constituency must rule again does not even find any place in the heart of any man or woman from that axis and these faceless writers are not speaking for the Ughelli/Udu Constituency. I salute the writer for even agreeing that Olorogun Senator Felix Ibru was a governor for a whopping two years. Let me take time to lecture these Abuja based fake writers because they are likely too young to be taught history at school or probably they went to school when history was removed from the syllabus of secondary school. Historically, the Midwestern Region was created in 1963 and for the Capital to be sited in Benin City, the Urhobos (Delta Central) have to produce the governor and in that way, Chief Jereton Mariere from Evwreni in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State( Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency) became the governor from February 1964 to January 1966 having earlier been appointed Deputy Administrator and Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs for an interim period of six months before he was appointed as the first civilian governor of the Midwestern Region. The people of Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency contributed immensely in ensuring he became the governor and he got it. Will the wailers from Abuja writing all form of fake news still deny this noble evidence which is available in all libraries in the world? Yes they may because they lack good thinking memory.

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Wailers, are you still there? In 1979, the people of Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie teamed up with other like minds and nominated Demas Akpore as the Deputy Governor of the then Bendel State with Prof Ambrose Ali under the Unity Party of Nigeria, won the election and were sworn in on October 1st 1979. He hailed from Unukpo, Orogun in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State of Nigeria. He resigned on 3rd November 1982 over issues which he could not compromise. Demas Akpore is from Ughelli/Udu federal constituency unless the wailers have other evidence to prove that he was not one of their own. Another governor from Agbarha-Otor in the Ughelli North local government area of Delta State was Olorogun Senator Felix Ibru of blessed memory. He was the first elected governor of Delta State in 1992 under the Social Democratic Party. In 2003, the people of Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie worked harder and he became a Senator in 2003. Felix Ibru is from Ughelli/Udu federal constituency. He was in office from 1992-1993. From the above historical and undeniable facts, Ughelli/Udu federal constituency have occupied the governorship seat from the time of Midwestern Region to the present day Delta State including deputy for about 8 years. Having occupied the position for eight years, equity, justice and fairness demands that Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency which have not occupied the seat before should be allowed to have a taste of the office even if it is for only twenty four hours. The above analysis is to prove to proponents of the mentality of Ughelli/Udu federal constituency fake writers that the game is up and nothing can be done this time around.
While Ethiope and Ughelli federal constituency have each occupied for eight years either as one-off or collectively in years, the people of Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie should began to work in earnest. As Uvwie Local Government presently have the Minister for State, Labour, working together as a team will usher in more development in the state. While it is true that everyone can contest for the office, the people of Ughelli have come to accept the fact that those eying the position now are nothing but John the Baptist who came as a fore runner to prepare the ground for he who is to come. On the area of senatorial positions, Ughelli/Udu federal constituency occupied the top. Late Senator Felix Ibru, Late Senator Brume, Late Senator Ewherido, Senator Agwariavwodo and Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege. Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie have the likes of senator D.O. Dafinone, Eradajaye and Prof Eferakeya, all of blessed memory. From here it can be seen that Ethiope East and West have not produced a senator and equity and justice demands that the zone should produce the senator in 2023. This is how politics should be played. Pushing others to the background can no longer stand the test of time in this modern day development. Our brothers from other senatorial zones should ensure the rotational unwritten policy is complied with in order to usher in peace in the state. There is no area in this present day Delta that does not have qualified people that can govern the state. The era of blame game and political thugery is over.

According to George Orwell, ‘’the further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it’’.

While the Okpe Governorship Mandate 2023 respects the opinion of others, it is only the truth that can take us to the promised land. As we match towards the election proper, all those interested in the governorship seat from Okpe should engage in serious consultation now. The qualification to be a governor is secondary school even if it is F9 throughout. However, in this case those showing interest now are graduates and professionals. The era of who is there in Okpe to be a governor is long gone. This is a statement by our political distractors to discredit us but in all these the game fell flat on their faces. Beyond the simple left–right analysis, liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism and populism are the four most common ideologies in the United States, apart from those who identify as moderate. Individuals embrace each ideology to widely varying extents. However, in Africa and Nigeria in particular, the political ideology is based on dominant even when there are no results to show.

Since 1960 when the country had its independence and republic in 1963, the Ughelli/Udu federal constituency has consistently Ughellinised the governorship seat of our area from Midwest to the present day Delta State. It is not contestable that ninety eight percent of ministerial appointments were Ughellinised by the same mentality. On the senatorial seat it was and is ongoing. All the best political appointments either at federal or state were Ughellinised. The people are now wiser and such cannot continue again. Honour, they say should be given to whom it is due. There is no doubt that certain people deserve honour for continuously supporting the Ughelli/Udu federal constituency project even before the country Nigeria was born and those people include Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency. From which ever political party the constituency have always played the role of the good Samaritan not minding the cheating and loss of several opportunities. Outside the governorship seat, the Ethiope federal constituency also play the good supportive role by assisting all candidates from the Ughelli/Udu axis. I call on both federal constituencies to throw their weight behind the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie project which will definitely feature an Okpe candidate. An Okpe candidate will work for the entire state since the state will always be his or her constituency.

Joseph Esivwenughwu, is a Chartered Accountant and Chief Coordinator, Okpe Governorship Mandate 2023.