2023 Polls: The ‘Sins’ Francis Waive Has Committed

By Annabel Ogheneganre

As Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday February 25, 2023 to elect new leaders for Nigeria and the National Assembly, this writer has been watching events at the home front to see the reaction of the people and attitude to the election. On Saturday, Nigeria will elect a new president, Senators and members of House of Representatives. The elections will be based on the pedigree of the candidates and not along party lines. The candidates will be judged based on what they have done or failed to do. For the House of Representatives for the Udu/Ughelli Federal Constituency, the most outstanding candidate is the Rt Hon Revd Francis Ejiroghene Waive.

Francis Waive performance in the House had been exceptionally outstanding. If there is anybody who would be voted across party lines in the election, that man is Hon Francis Waive. Those selling him are having little or no problem at all. He has done in four years what all the House of Representatives members since 1999 could not do in 20 years. He came into the House in 2019 and has churned out over 30 Bills with the Federal Medical Centre, Ovwian Bill, now an Act of Parliament and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Otu-ghievwen as most outstanding laws ever made by any House of Representatives member from this constituency.

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Yet, what we gathered from the home front is that the only enemies Hon Francis Waive has in the coming election are some of his party men, the APC who are angry with him and are de-marketing him. After a thorough investigation, we have come to a conclusion that Revd Francis Waive truly ‘sinned’ against his party members. Francis Waive ran against the convention of Lawmakers sharing money for party members instead of working for the people. For that he has ‘sinned.’

One of the sins Francis Waive committed is that he went to the House of Representatives with his conscience alive. That is a grievous sin in the Nigeria political landscape. The man still relates with the people, both the common people and the leaders as if nothing has changed. The worst crime he committed is to use the constituency fund to work for the people instead of pocketing same and sharing for party members.

What most House of Representatives members do is to pocket 80 percent of what accrue to them as constituency fund, use 10 percent to rob paint on existing projects and the rest 10 percent for the boys. That way the boys and party men are happy but nothing will be on ground to justify the huge constituency fund. But Hon Revd Francis Waive broke the tradition and went as far as constructing a road at Otokutu which has since been commissioned. How dare he use constituency fund to facilitate the construction of Ejiro Etaghene road instead of sharing the money to cronies after pocking a larger chunk of the money? How dare he build blocks of classroom at Ekete Primary school in Udu, Ekiugbo Grammar School, and schools in Okwagbe? What was he thinking? That is a sin for which party men are angry with him.

The man has built blocks of classrooms in well over 15 schools in the constituency. He even got queries from some PDP elements who advised him to keep the money for himself and that nobody would appreciate him for his honesty. ‘’Let us share the money like PDP use to do’’, many APC people had suggested to him but the reverend gentleman held on to his strong conviction, belief in honesty and service to the people. Now some party men are angry with him for this big sin of using the constituency fund to work for the people. He also brought street lights to many communities in the constituency.
Revd Francis Waive facilitated loans and grants to over 100 constituents worth millions of naira each with some getting as much as N10 million naira, N5million naira, N2million naira, N1miilion naira and others N500,000.00 naira as interest-free loans or grants to finance their businesses. Many of the beneficiaries have gained so much weight in business all to the kindness and generosity of Waive. He was advised by many to keep over N500million naira of the fund to himself and release just a few thousand to some persons but the man honestly and stubbornly went ahead to do what is right in line with the dictate of good conscience and his social contract with the people. But to some party men, this is a sin for which they are angry with him.

The number of transformers Francis Waive has distributed throughout the constituency is unbelievable. He was told bluntly by some followers to sell the transformers and keep the money for election. But the man insisted on releasing everything. Some mischievous elements posted on social media that Revd Francis Waive was in debt. If that is true, it is simply because he refused to take what belongs to the people and so strive to his own discomfort to stick to his promise of service to the people. He does not have the whole world but as the Pastor he is, his conscience is alive and free. He has no skeleton in his cupboard. The ‘sins’ Hon Revd Francis Ejiroghene Waive committed against some party men is that he refused to deploy the constituency fund to line up his personal accounts ahead of election, or those of close associates but rather, use same to work for the people in line with what is required of him.

If the APC wants to be truthful to themselves, they should be proud that they were able to discover a man of Francis Waive superlative honesty and performance. Of all 214 new members elected in 2019 to the House of representatives, Revd Francis Waive has been adjudged by the National Assembly and International Agencies as the best lawmaker in the past four years. And of all 360 members in the House comprising of 6th term, 5th term, 4th term, 3rd terms, 2nd term and all 1st term members, the Rt Hon Revd Francis Ejiroghene Waive is number 8 in terms of performance. What a superlative performance from our own man! Isn’t that enough feat for all the political parties to collapse their structures and allow him returned unopposed? Would you allow Solomon Awhinawhin of PDP, who has spent 8 years in the House with nothing to show for it take over the seat and waste it again? Who would you use to replace this charming, elegant and super performing lawmaker?
The truth is that Revd Francis Waive would be voted again and again. Those elements angry with him for using his office to help the people would be disappointed. More PDP elements will vote for him than his APC members. Those who know his worth across party lines will vote for him on Saturday. He is incomparable. He is simply the best and it would be the height of grave disservice to replace him with certified failures. Vote Revd Francis waive for House of Representatives on Saturday. Only naïve, ignorant and evil elements are angry with him for working for the people. Udu/Ughelli Federal Constituency should encourage this man for his honesty and service. He deserves another term and by God’s grace, he will get it.

Annabel Ogheneganre of the Urhobo Voice Newspaper writes from Garki, Abuja. (Send responses via [email protected])