OVIE OMO-AGEGE: THE SOPHISTRY OF A TEMPORARY SENATOR by Johnson Idjagboro
English language which is our lingua franca is replete with several concepts that are of similar meaning. Some of these related concepts are Sophistry, Delusion, Hallucination and Illusion. The common thread that runs through the meaning of these concepts is false appearance or deceit. Sophistry as a concept is sharply defined as an instance of specious but fallacious reasoning.
The statements credited to Ovie Omo-Agege, sorry, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege clearly epitomizes the very essence of sophistry. Two of these statements can be delineated for proper analysis. First is his jaundiced conception of “Mainstream” Nigeria Politics; second is his advertised unholy mockery of Senator Ighoyota Amori’s thanksgiving ceremony.
Two political parties are of national importance in the politics of Nigeria as at today. The All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While the APC in recent times now controls the National government, the PDP wholly controls Delta State and more than 80% of the South-South States. The implication is that Delta State is PDP and the South-South Zone is not only the base of PDP but also the strength of the party for national development.
One is therefore at loss as to where Ovie Omo-Agege wants us to belong. PDP is the Mainstream of Politics in Delta State and the South-South Region. Urhobo nation is the largest ethnic nationality in the South-South zone. Would Ovie Omo-Agege mislead Urhobo people to abandon her immediate State and Zonal arrangements and embrace a strange Party at the national with great tendencies of losing significance at the next elections because of its inherent internal contradictions?
The Western Region provides a classical example of how politics is to be played. For a long time, the Western States maintained their own party and had robust and well supported administrations despite their poor economies. After a long period, the ordained time of God came, and today, their party in alliance with other parties formed the APC which is now the National Party.
The situation with the South-South zone is much better considering the God-Given wealth of the zone plus and minus Oil and Gas. With good administration backed with the support of our people, the South-South zone has great potentials for growth and serves as a firmer ground to reactivate and restore our great party, the PDP to national power again. If the Western States could make it, then we can make it better.
The Local and State governments are the closest governments to the people. You cannot afford to be an enemy to these governments, and be a friend to a far away government at the National and enjoy the benefits of governance. We stand to benefit more from the State government than the federal government because the State have more to offer to us and the Federal has less to give us because of the wider responsibilities of the Federal Government. Our choice relationship with the State does not imply antagonism to the Federal Government.
Is OvieOmo-Agege’s Party, the Labour Party (LP) the mainstream of Nigeria Politics or is it in alliance with the APC? To keep the record straight, Ovie Omo-Agege contested on the platform of the Labour Party. He lost the election until recently the Appeal Court declared him the winner. The judgment that threw him up as the winner of the election is currently being reviewed by another panel of five Judges drawn from different judicial jurisdiction to enable them look into the case and deliver objective judgment. The judgment will be delivered in no distant time. Possibilities are that the judgment will either retain him or remove him as a Senator. Even if the judgment retains him, he is not likely going to be re-elected for a second term because the government of Dr. Arthur Okowa of PDP in Delta State is working effectively well and Urhobo Nation and indeed the entire Delta State will stand firmly for the PDP at all elections come 2019.
Ovie Omo-Agege has not come out boldly to inform Urhobo people whether he has joined the APC. Obviously, it is expected, considering his antecedents as the most fluid politician in Delta State, having contested in all elections under different Political Platforms.
As a party, the Labour Party do not have any rating apart from being on the list of registered Political Parties in Nigeria. It is therefore a tall order to dream of going into political alliance with the APC.
That Ovie Omo-Agege was sworn in as a Senator while the case is still being reviewed points to the uncertainty surrounding the seat of the Urhobo nation in the Senate. Apprehension is high in the camps of Amori and Omo-Agege since the Five-man Appeal Court panel to review the two parties reserved judgment for a later date. Contrary to general opinion that election cases for National Assembly ends at the Appeal Court, the outcomes of the two-day sittings of the panel is most likely to surprise a lot of people including legal pundits.
The virulent criticism and advertised mockery of Senator Ighoyota Amori‘s thanksgiving by Ovie Omo-Agege sounds strange and unchristian like. Perhaps, it calls to question his professed Christian calling of the Catholic faith. Even an ex-convict after serving his jail term as a repentant criminal, would do a thanksgiving to appreciate God for God’s grace in preserving his life and showing mercy on him talkless of a man who put together his thoughts, contested primaries in his party and won, embarked on rigorous campaigns, contested elections and also had a re-run election and won overwhelmingly, was taken to a tribunal and he won, has every reason to thank God for his victories. As a Christian, thanksgiving ought to be our daily responsibility. The Bible teaches us to thank God in every situation whether good or bad. For God is the author and finisher of our soul, the beginning and the end.
Delta State is a known praying and thanksgiving State. The Government and People of Delta State survive every evil machination of the enemies of the State through prayers and thanksgivings. His utterances in this regard will go a long way to provide a deeper assessment of his kind of person. For a man whose faith is still hanging on the outcome of a reconstituted Panel of Appeal Court Justices needed to be less arrogant and boastful.
Delta State is a State that revered God. The people of Delta State have no room for those who have no respect for God.
Delta State is a PDP State and we strongly believe that PDP is the only party that has enough provisions and programmes to promote the wellbeing and interest of the Urhobo Nation. The people of Urhobo Nation will never succumb to deceptive measures that will rail road Urhobo Nation out of the mainstream of Delta State Politics. We have a special identity in Delta State because we are recognized as the majority ethnic group in the State. For this reason, we must be exemplary in our attitude, be fair to others, and make other smaller ethnic groups feel comfortable with us to enable them respect and cooperate with us as joint owners of the State.
His Excellency Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa has to a large extent kept faith with the Urhobo Nation by appointing Urhobo People into various positions of authority in the State. We have never had it so good. Today, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of the State, the Secretary to the State government, the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Finance among others are Urhobo people. The Governor, Dr. Arthur Okowa in spite of the poor finances of the State have demonstrated rare administrative skills by forming his government early, appointed several people into offices and he is effectively implementing government programmes to ensure that there is prosperity for all Deltans. We have a great future. What we need is for everyone to support our performing Governor to enable him deliver effectively on the Delta State Project. Every form of deceptive propaganda should be rejected by all for the interest and progress of Urhobo Nation and Delta State.
ECHOES OF URHOBO UNITY: The Omo-Agege Factor In The Development Of Urhoboland by Ogegere Enis
Urhobo in its history is indeed a land that is in need of help. No doubt, with its natural and human resources, things have moved at snail’s pace. Developments have been loath in coming. The unmanageable terrain has been an easy excuse for its leaders. While the poor have become poorer, the rich have become richer with some crying for hunger and few others cry of not knowing what to do with their money. Both camps, however, have something in common: they are all crying. But for different reasons.
Welcome to Delta Central, the home of all Urhobo sons and daughters (home and in diaspora). A land with an army of poor youths with big political names like Chief Ighoyota Amori, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, Chief Steve Oru, Hon. Fred Majemite, Chief Terry Noah, Sen. Emmanuel Ahwareavwodo, Prof. Amos Utuama, Sen. Felix Ibru, Hon. Evelyn Oboro, Hon. Solomon Ahwinahwi, Hon. Monday Igbuya, Hon. Festus Agas, Hon. Abel Oshevire etc.
At a moment like this, I am tempted to ask: What this political big wigs make of their political impasse in Urhoboland? Are they saddened at the turn of events? Or are they unmoved? I would have loved to know their thoughts as Urhobos gets another opportunity to free itself from the years of political servitude. Years of what my friend termed ‘jagajaga’ as Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege is being saddled with responsibility to mediate for the Urhobos at the green chambers. As Urhobo national political leader, and at a time like this, it is not unusual to look up to statesmen for direction.
The Urhobo people are found in Delta State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They inhabit Delta Central specifically occupying Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Okpe, Sapele, Udu, Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Uwvie LGA and path of Warri South, Patani and Sagbama (in Bayelsa State.). Despite her political big wigs, the Urhobo people has consistently complained of marginalization in Nigeria politics especially in the appointment of persons to federal positions.
Urhoboland has a great supply of petroleum. This is one of the reasons it is a significant website for oil expedition. For example, the Erhioke oil wells of Kokori and Eriemu Oil wells of Agbarha-Otor which are believed to be among the shallowest oil wells worldwide and the biggest oil Mani-fold in West African. Apart from that, the Urhobos are extremely informed and have the love for Western education. Practically all the tertiary institutions in Delta State are located in Urhoboland. i.e., Delta State University, Abraka; Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Ugbomro; College of Physical and Health Education, Mosogar; College of Education, Ejeba; Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara; College of Health Innovation, Ofuoma, etc. With all these human and natural resources, the people are still impoverished. A statues believed to have been caused by selfish leaders. Leaders with dim vision. Leaders which thrown underfoot the political feelings of their people.
From the words of Edafe, “Except politics redefines the social values and give credence to human existence, it is but vanity”. Expectedly, a strategist like Omo-Agege was urgently needed to reposition Urhobo nation. It is on this note that the Urhobo people gave a rousing welcome to Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege at the Ughelli Oharisi Primary School after he was sworn-in to represent the Urhobos at the green chamber. The visit in history of Urhobo politics, no doubt, marked another milestone in cementing the relationship between the Urhobos and Nigeria mainstream politics. So, it was never a surprise to many when the senator representing Delta Central senatorial district, in the National Assembly, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, said that the Urhobo nation should not be in opposition but should rather key into the mainstream of Nigerian politics by working closely with President Muhammadu Buhari. He believes the Urhobos should take its rightful place in governance and that through the mainstream politics he will bring the best bargain to the Urhobo.
Urhobos for long have been craving for effective representation. A representation that will give a voice to them at the federal level and that is just the promise of Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege when he said in an interview that the expectations of the people is not short of a representative that will participate in every bill, every motion and every debate on the floor of the house that will fall within the prism of what is in the best interest of the Urhobos.
There is the expectation of social service delivery to the people and that is what the coming of Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege portend.
As rightly put by Edafe a commentator, It’s time to restructure the Urhobo political consciousness. It’s time to reset her mentality and worldview. With President Buhari–the good man on the saddle and Omo-Agege as a mediator, Urhobos will breathe fresh air again.
Ogegere Enis write from Ughelli.
