Delta 2023: Ambition Of Ijaw For Governor Dead On Arrival, Says Gbeneyei

By Jimitota Onoyume

Prominent Ijaw leader , High Chief Lucky Akara Gbeneyei has warned that most Ijaw politicians campaigning against the existing senatorial power rotational arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state were doing so for selfish political reasons, stressing that the ambition of an Ijaw son or daughter to be governor by 2023 was dead on arrival.

Gbeneyei in his address read before newsmen in Warri, Delta State titled : “Delta guber 2023: Those striving to sabotage the Ijaws’ interest in 2031 for self should be called to order without delay ” said most of the politicians behind campaign for Ijaw governor by 2023 had been known to trade off the collective future of Ijaw in the state.

Gbeneyei, who is also known as the Gbeneyei 1 of Ogulagha kingdom, the Osunminigbeke Tamara-Asain and the Whale and Independence of the Sea said the senatorial zoning arrangement that had been in the state since 1999 was the surest way for Ijaw to occupy the Governorship seat after the tenure of Delta central which begins by 2023.

His address reads:
” I a..High Chief Lucky Akara Gbeneyei, the Gbeneyei 1 of Ogulagha kingdom. The Osunminigbeke Tamara-Asain, the Whale and Independence of the Sea. From Delta South Senatorial District, Burutu LGA

I maintain that the interest of a few individuals from Ijaws in Delta South to rule Delta State before the expiration of their political life span should not be allowed to erode the vision of the tribe to produce the governor after Delta Central come 2031.”

” The Ijaws over the years developed a strong political goodwill with other parts of the state which must not be sacrificed for the interest of a few individuals whose political relevance has declined almost to undecisive percent. “

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” The current zoning formula albeit a gentleman agreement by the People’s Democratic Party should be sustained in the interest of all. “

“Most Ijaw sons and daughters aspiring to produce the governor of the state are doing so for self, rather than the Ijaw nation. A people who never meant well for the Ijaw nation. Thus, we must rise up to halt this rancorous display of greatness to rule at all costs. “

“It is a high time approached by my Ijaw nation to be very wise over the politics of Delta State in the interest of our gubernatorial dream come 2023. We have made several flaws which made us unable to install the first citizen of the state. As a people, we need to gain our electoral senses and fill the gap by working with Delta Central to produce the next governor in the state. “

“The Ijaws in Delta South enjoy the largest voting strength. But because of our incessant supply of weak representatives at the State and the National level, we always come last in terms of development. Today, some of these people who have failed come to the knowledge why they represent the Ijaws are lobbying to become governor in Delta state. This is an unrealistic dream. The Ijaws have gotten their senses. We know their plans. The plan is to sell our governorship chance come 2031. They are good in this business. “

“The ambition of any Ijaw son or daughter to rule Delta State in 2023 is dead on arrival. Delta Ijaws will be patiently waiting for 2031. If anyone says, we cannot wait till 2031, then such a sardonic soul should be called to an order. They are not protecting the interests of Ijaw people, rather for themselves.”

“Our interest as a people is development and our support to the Delta Central to produce the next governor. We must tell the truth. A people who lost the love of Ijaw nation cannot represent the Ijaw nation as a governor. We know them all. They have all failed as individuals and as a group under the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP). The damage done on our land by Delta State government through these people cannot be addressed even in next five decades. They are the thorns of our flesh.”

“We have seen them as a people who have lost savour in Ijaw land. Delta Ijaws will prove this truth come 2023 at our polling units. It is not going to be as usual because they sold our mandate. “

“Our purpose of giving the mandate had been defeated. We have seen that nothing good can come out of them. They are not competent neither sound to bear the Ijaw cross. We need to give our mandate to vibrant and articulate set of youths, not these people again. We need to entrust our mandate to people like His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President to rule Delta State before it comes to our turn in 2031. “

“There are a lot of reasons which disqualify those Ijaw sons aspiring to rule Delta State come 2023. Four among these reasons include; lack of competence, poor performance scorecard lack of the love by our people and their played out self centeredness against the call to strengthen our budding democracy. If they think, the Ijaws are still sleeping, they should come; we are waiting for them.”

“We must be development friendly this time around. Delta Ijaws henceforth will shoulder our future political fate on the hands of people of development oriented; hence necessitated my sincere appeal to my good people of Ijaw land to support Mr. Development, His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege to be the next governor. He is a man of competence with a highest rated performance scorecard among his contemporaries. “

“He is the only man who does not condition himself to compilation and sound criticisms before delivering his mandate. He is the image of a productive and commercial Delta. He is the only personality that has separated himself from the crowd in terms of projects delivery. Thus, giving him the mandate to rule Delta State, come 2023 is a best decision Deltans need to appreciate, except we want the State to continue in the hands of the present foreigners to growth and development. At the appropriate time, Deltans will force His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege to contest for the next governorship. “

“We as Ijaw people have suffered a lot in the hands of the present wicked crops of politicians from our region. For instance, a man who could not even open a liaison office in his constituency since 2003 is now having a campaign office in Asaba, while his co-contestant opened his own in his LGA in Ughelli. Now, is Asaba his LGA headquarters? They are barns of sterile harvests. I don’t blame them because we were too quite for them to have their ways since. But it has come to the end. Enough to this wickedness. The era of Ghana Must Go is over. “

“His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege is the best candidate for the job which my Ijaw people are striving to work with. We have seen his antecedents. We don’t need the party this time around. Who is the person will surely take the order of the day. His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege’s performance records are clearly seen by all Deltans. Delta Ijaws will not support any candidate without knowing his or her scorecard. We have seen the scorecard of His Excellency, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege. He has done beyond our expectations, hence he was good to go in liue to those who are coming to steal as their customary way of life in Ijaw land. A people with uncompleted projects in their villages.”

“The enemies of Ijaw progress are within, not outside. Those who sold our mandate are the foes of our land. Those who made our region as a settlement of abandoned projects are the enemies to our land. Thus, anyone among them who wants to rule Delta State come 2023 is just wasting his resources. He or she will fail woeful, even from his LGA.

“The Ijaws have gotten their senses; hence, I join the other right thinking Ijaws ( including the so called elders who are parading as lovers of Ijaw cause that have also failed the Ijaw land) to call on them to withdraw from such ambition because Ijaws will not support them to suffer later in 2031when we know fully well that they cannot win despite given them the ticket in PDP. “

“There was never any time the Ijaws gathered to appoint them to champion the cause of an Ijaw man to rule Delta State, come 2023. Well, 2023 is not far. The next governor must come
from Delta Central. “

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