We have watched with keen interest the demand on Senator James Manager by his kinsmen particularly from his own Ijaw brethren for him to render an account of his stewardship for the periods he has claimed to have represented the Delta south senatorial district arising from his inaction and prolonged silence in the face of terrible. Administrative imbalance in the region which were outlined to include:
1. That the said senator has no constituency office in the the constituency where he is supposedly representing his constituency.
2. The said senator has possibly not heard the word constituency briefing before as he has not in all his years as a senator briefed the members of his constituency nor taken steps to address important issues affecting the region for the past 10 years he has supposedly represented region despite serving the chairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for eight years.
It would be recalled that a group (I jaw people’s develop Initiative) in a statement by the National President, Mr. Austin Ozobo, said: “It will be recalled that on November 1, we issued Senator James Manager a 14-day ultimatum to give stewardship of his 10 years in the Senate and eight years as Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC.
“We asked him to summon Delta south senatorial meeting and give account of his stewardship of Senate constituency funds, jobs and NDDC contracts, being the Senate Committee Chairman of NDDC for eight years”.
The resolve that Senator James Manager must call a constituency meeting to brief his consti
tuent on events in the red chamber is constitutional especially Now that the Senate has asked every Senator to go for senatorial briefing, he should explore this privilege to summon a senatorial meeting.
I am aware Before the latest bill, some persons have pleaded, while others frowned at our disposition for demanding for a constituency briefing. It, therefore, did not come to us as a surprise when Senator James Manager appeared on the Senate floor on November 16 with a bill seeking the establishment of Nigeria Marine University.
Ironically Senator Manager’s Nigeria Marine University, NMU establishment bill has continued to suffer serious set back owing to his unpopularity amongst his colleagues.
“It is on record that Manager had never shown concern about the predicament of Delta South senatorial district at large. Ayakoromo community was bombarded unlawfully in 2010, he did not seek the protection of the Senate nor condemn the lawless act in the red chamber.
Under his watch Gbaramatu Kingdom was bombarded unlawfully in 2009, there was no outrage, seven innocent Delta South senatorial youths were extra-judicially exterminated in 2012, there was no condemnation from Manager. A sand scooper was unlawfully killed in Okpele-Ama, in Gbaramatu kingdom, there was no outrage from the senator.
It is very nauseating that when Mr. and Mrs Tiemo were unlawfully shot by NNS Delta at Sandfield 1 in January 2016, and yet Another nine were shot by NNS Delta in November at the same Naifor Island the supposed senator did not deem it fit to condemn these massacre non demand for the punishment of the erring Navy personnel. Again Okosugbene community under his watch was bombarded on the 24th November without an outrage from the senator.
From the facts available to the public he does not represent Delta South constituency on real issues affecting the area.
What can be more demeaning than a senator in Nigeria without constituency office who therefore can and has never called any senatorial meetings to brief his constituents.
To refused to yield to the call for constituency briefing smacks of tyranny and one who is not answerable to his people and democracy does not accommodate such characters he must render an account.
