Prof Darah’s Unprovoked Attack On Sen Nwoko, On Whose Interest?

When has Prof G.G. Darah become an indigene of Anioma? If Sen Ned Nwoko’s harmless reawakening of his folks to the agitation for creation of an Anioma state meant self glorification, why should that induce headache on Prof Darah that he has to be one crying over it and not the Anioma people?

Nwoko has every right as a Nigerian and Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to fight the cause of his people. Whether his advocacy or campaign for an Anioma state copied recommendations made by 2014 Confab does not impugn the efforts of Darah or anyone who participated in that Confab.

How does Darah’s perceived Nwoko’s “self glorification” impugn Urhobo’s quest for the creation of a separate state from Anioma? Months ago, it was Sen Nwoko who championed the movement in Abuja to demand release of Ewu traditional ruler who was detained by the military over the crisis in Okuama, a community in same Ughelli South LGA as Darah.

Why did Darah not come out to commend Sen Nwoko in the public space for saving a non Anioma monarch from an entrapment so informed Darah was not man enough to call for the king’s release?

What wrong has Ned Nwoko done in demanding for Anioma state? Were the hyped 2014 Confab recommendations implemented? No of course. Anioma as Ned named one of his children happened long before the 2014 Confab.

By the way, is G.G Darah the only Delta man who made the 2014 Confab? Even from among his own folks, the Clan of Ughievwen of Urhobo, Bernard Jamaho, a notable lawyer was also a member of 2014 Confab, then as President General of Ughievewe Union. The attack on Ned Nwoko is just so unjustified.

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G.G Darah’s propensity to misfire on issues of public interest is becoming a source of worry in recent time. Ahead of the July Delta LG polls of predetermined ruling PDP winner takes all outcome, Prof Darah only few days ago reeled out a lengthy list of expectations any aspiring Ughelli South LG Chairman must promise to meet to earn the votes of Ward 4 electorate.

The list as fabricated in Darah’s own words is as follows.

WARD 4 CAMPAIGN ISSUES
1.Completion of Owahwa-Ighwreoku Road & Upgrade of Owahwa Primary School, preferably Storey Block
2. Completion of Okwagbe-Otutuama-Esaba-Ophorigbala-Ighwreogun Road
3.Construction of Esaba Secondary School, & Completion of Esaba Health Centre
4.Construction of Administrative Block, Six Classroom Block, and perimeter fence of Egbo-Ide Sec School.
5. Rebuilding of Ophorigbala Health Centre.
. 6. Construction of Flood Control Wall for Igwhreogun & Ophorighala.
7. Rebuilding of Otutuama Health Centre.
8. Rehabilitation of Electricity System at Esaba, Otutuama, Ophorigbala and Ighwreogun.
9. Rebuilding of Failed Internal Roads in Otegbo ÷ Rehabilitation of Electricity in Okwemor & Otegbo perimeter fencing of Otarobor Primary Sch, Otegbo-Okwemor.
10. Completion of Obi-Ayagha Health Centre.
11. Govt Agric financial support & loans to create 50 Multi-Millionaires in Jeremi Ward 4 in 3 years

For Prof GG Darah, anyone aspiring to be Ughelli South Council Chairman must turn his home Ward 4 into an Eldorado.

This is same Darah who, as Chief of Staff and confidant to then Governor James Ibori, had the best window to transform his native Esaba community, by attracting and delivering all he has listed and more to his Ward. All he needed is to have asked Ibori.

I challenge Darah to point to any meaningful project he delivered for his people. In all his eloquence and praise singing of Ibori and his elder cousin, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan who succeeded Ibori, Darah only fought for his private pocket, completely neglected his community.

Today, Darah well knows that under a warped, dysfunctional democracy as publicly affirmed by Adams Oshiomhole, there are no LG elections as sitting governors, in the guise of elections, handpick and impose their errands boys as Chairmen and councilors.

Darah knows better that under such culture of imposition of LG leaders, the imposition governors strangulate the LG chairmen, confining them to mere payment of council workers salaries while emptying what is left in the LG treasuries to share as security votes and sundry personalisation of allocated funds.

Councils, so strangulated, are not able to deliver tangible infrastructures including building roads, rural electrification, schools and more to the grassroots. This is the state in which Darah is demanding heaven and earth from an aspiring Ughelli South Chairman to earn Ward 4 votes.

These were expectations Darah could have easily delivered at the peak of his political influence over Delta state government and he couldn’t.

Today Esaba town can’t be accessed on land with cars during raining season. A man who couldn’t use his closeness to Ibori and later Uduaghan to construct the Okwagbe-Otutuama-Esaba-Ophorigbala-Iwhreogun Road to his community is expecting an LG chairman to turn his community he abandoned to eldorado.

Does Darah not know that the PDP candidate Governor Oborevwori already chose to be next Ughelli South LG Chairman has already won before the cast of ballots. He doesn’t need Darah’s Ward 4 vote to win.

Sen Ned Nwoko is a man with self respect. If Darah has personal issue with the Anioma Senator, he should go and settle it quietly with him rather than attacking him publicly for writing his Anioma people for the creation of Anioma state.

For Urhobos who may be cheering this obvious self serving, unwarranted Darah’s campaign of calumny against Nwoko, know it that this show of shame poses threat to Urhobo’s aspiration for a true Delta state which the creation of Anioma will ease its realisation.

“‘Urhobo no send Darah message. He should not deploy ‘yeye oversabi’ to provoke Anioma to begin to interprete him as speaking for Urhobo and before you know, Anioma would open a fight against creation of a true Delta.”

If anybody has been soaked into self glorification, it is Darah who is aiming for cheap popularity by calling and attempting to drop Nwoko’s name. Darah should apologise to the Anioma Senator for the unprovoked attack.
“For Darah and those of dem wey dey support him busybody, make unaa stop aaaaaaammmm.” Nonsense.

Zik Gbemre
June 28 2024

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