EKO Project Of Pragmatism Echoes Beyond Oko Community

By Patrick Ochei

EKO now in our local political parlance is an acronym for Ezenyili Kelvin Obi Ph.D, native of Oko Community, born and brought up in Asaba and today, he is the Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government. The name EKO is not accidental; though young and newly minted in the last few years, it has continued to resonate force, pragmatism, resilience, doggedness and performance in the actual sense of it.

On Monday the 23rd day of December in the year 2024, the young Council Chairman inaugurated his newest project in the series – The Oko Event Centre at Oko Amakom for his people of Oko kingdom in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The project is christened EKO Project and it has so much to impact in the lives of Oko people, being a people oriented project.

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The inauguration ceremony drew men and women of high political stature from within and beyond Oshimili South, who gathered in their number to witness an Executive milestone in the administration of local government system.

The ultra modern Event Centre was inaugurated by the amiable First Lady and wife of Delta State Governor, Her Excellency Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori. The First Lady who has founded the “You Matter Foundation” dazzled her audience with her beautiful speech which focused more on eulogizing the performing young Chairman, Hon. Chief Ezenyili Kelvin Obi Ph.D, whom she said, had continued to draw inspiration from the MORE Agenda of her husband.

Like we say in our local parlance, “The woman finished work”; meaning no wonder she became the choice of EKO to commission this particular project that touched his people’s heart.

Oborevwori did not only inaugurate the multi million naira ultra modern Event Centre, tastefully and exquisitely built with fanciful exterior and interior designs that would have left visitors wondering how EKO conceptualized it and got the money to execute it; but she also supervised the empowerment of 500 Oshimili Southerners with #50 million and of course, those that shared 250 bags of 50kg rice.

Another marvelling aspect of this EKO of a personality, is that this is not the first of this kind of project within the three years and half that he has held sway as the Number One Oshimili South Council citizen.

In his first term, EKO mobilized fund when other of his counterparts were still loafing around in search of funding solutions, and he transformed the Executive and Legislative Complexes of the Council to something only seen in western world. He didn’t stop there, he went ahead to build an ultra modern Ogwa Ukwu Ahaba, not minding the prevailing local politics of that time in Asaba.

That singular initiative changed the political mindset of the people of Asaba, nay Oshimili South, prompting a sudden change of the old order where no individual becomes Oshimili South Council Chairman a second time. The sing song that then became the tune and rhythm within Oshimili South was, ‘no vacancy in the Council’, it was just EKO for EKO.

Interestingly, the movement for an EKO second term in office was championed by the former Asagba of Asaba, HRM Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien CFR, who even conferred on the young chap, the title of the “IKEMBA OF AHABA”. He said then, that no politician who had ever administered Oshimili South Local Government, had touched Asaba people positively the way Hon. Ezenyili Kelvin Obi did with the transformation of Ogwa Ukwu Ahaba (central meeting point of the Asaba people), including market rehabilitations and environmental beautification.

Perhaps, this same scenario repeated itself in Oko community on Monday 23rd December, 2024, during the project inauguration, where the Akor of Oko kingdom and his cabinet, also conferred the title of “IKEMBA OF OKO” on Hon. Ezenyili Kelvin Obi Ph.D.

The young man EKO has just become the cynosure of all eyes in the politics of Delta State and even beyond. He has become a highly sought after political leader, loved by all shades of politicians without sentiments attached and a pride to the PDP, being one of those vibrant youngsters giving the party some sort of relevance and respite in terms of deliverables.

At the inauguration in Oko, also was the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme in attendance. It was also that serious that the Member representing Ika Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Victor Nwokolo was there too, and same as Member representing Ndokwa East Constituency and Deputy Whip of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Prince Emeka Osamuta was there in company of his colleague and Member representing Oshimili South Constituency, Hon. Bridget Anyafulu.

Other dignitaries present included the BoT member of the PDP, Chief Ejiofor Onyia, former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Onwusanya, Special Adviser on Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor, the popular Oko born businessman and brother to the Council Chairman, Chief Chiedu Ezenyili, former Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, former Special Adviser to the Governor, Chief Tajudeen Isichei (Ikuku), former Council Chairman, Pastor Greatman Chukwuka Obusom, Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer of the State, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga, CP Delta State, Mr. Abaniwonda S. Olufemi, Oshimili South CAN Chairman, Bishop Chuks Okonta, Oshimili South PDP Chairman, Ogbueshi Chike Ifesiokwu, Leader and members of the Legislative Arm of Oshimili South Local Government and others too numerous to mention.