By Ogwezzi Richardson, (Ph.D)
The identification of the needs, aspirations, or problems of the citizens and providing solutions to them are the major objectives, aims, or tasks of a good political officeholder. Ever since the rebirth of democracy in 1999, the two major problems or demands of the Ndokwa people have never been attended to.
Ndokwa is the second largest ethnic group in Delta State and has been supportive of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but till now, Ndokwa people have nothing to show for their unalloyed support for the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.
The cardinal demands of the Ndokwa people are tertiary institution(s) and adequate power supply. Every ethnic group in Delta State has two or more higher institutions but Ndokwa ethnic nationality has nothing to lay hands on or boast of. All attempts made by successive political administrations to establish institutions of higher learning were all complete deceit. For instance, in the then Bendel State, the College of Industrial Technology was approved for Kwale, but it ended on the announcement. In recent years, Delta State Polytechnic was approved for Aboh by the People’s Democratic Party-led administration, but it was just a subterfuge for Ndokwa people to make Ndokwa keep on supporting them for their selfish political interest.
In the last political dispensation a bill for the establishment of Federal Polytechnic, Kwale failed to have President’s accent because there was no adequate follow-up. The people of Ndokwa have taken every effort by the government to establish tertiary institutions to be baits to lure them to vote for them. Some even see it as mockery because we lack dedicated politicians that have the good representative tendency to stand for the good of the Ndokwa people in that regard.
But thanks be to God, for the divine intervention of DSP Ovie Omo-Agege for listening to the cry of the Ndokwa people to ensure he secures the University of Medical and Health Sciences in Kwale. To throw more light on this development, the University of Medical and Health Sciences was given to each of the six (6) geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Deputy Senate President through his magnanimity and great love for the good people of Ndokwa used his good office to fight tooth and nail to ensure one of the universities is secured for Kwale.
Omo-Agege has equally assured the people of Ndokwa that the office of The Vice-Chancellor will be given to a Professor from Ndokwa. What a thing of joy!
Time will fail me if I did not use this medium to let Ndokwa people know, he was already moving a bill for the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture to be sited in Aboh. Though this bill has suffered setbacks because his tenure as a senator is elapsing. DSP Omo-Agege is the one that God has used to attract development to Ndokwa.
About two years ago, DSP Omo-Agege was worried about the lack of electricity in Ndokwa land. He knew electricity is a problem in Nigeria, but the fact, that Okapi Independent Power Plant (IPP) supplies electricity to many states in Nigeria and even Aso Rock made it easy for him to present the issue at the National Assembly (Senate).
Omo-Agege felt that Ndokwa cannot be supplying electricity to many states in Nigeria and even Aso Rock and Ndokwa people are living in obscure darkness. Super Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in a way to get the people of Ndokwa out of this melancholic situation, lobbied members of the National Assembly (Senate) to include the electrification of Ndokwa in the national budget. Due to his influence, it was accepted but he was requested to go to Independent Power Plant (IPP) at Okpai and get the estimate and what it will entail enabling them put it in the budget, but on his way to IPP in the year 2021, some youths in Ndokwa, who acted like enemies of progress of Ndokwa– people that seem to be benefitting from Ndokwa backwardness barricaded the road and hindered DSP and some of his members of the Senate and other dignitaries from getting access to the Independent Power Plant (IPP). If an ample opportunity was given to Super Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to gain access, at least two principal demands (needs) of the Ndokwa people could have been a thing of the past.
Furthermore, whenever the good people of Ndokwa are going to give a special “Thank You” visit to The Obarise of Urhobo land, they should not only thank him for the university he has brought to Kwale but also apologize to him for the time and his resources he has spent to lobby in the Senate for Ndokwa nation to be electrified but was jeopardized by some Ndokwa youths who have been used as stooges.
According to Mamus Degreat Ejeba one of his Legislative Aides from Abraka in his book: THE NIGERIAN SENATE AND THE IMPACT OF SENATOR OVIE OMO-AGEGE: “A Holistic Approach to Modern Politics” used my article on “Political Engineering” to describe Omo-Agege as a Political Engineer. Some other issues about Omo-Agege in the book are Issue 10- The Need for Education in Politics, Issue 13- Omo-Agege and the Nigerian Democracy, Issue 23- Patriotism: Omo-Agege as a Citizen, Issue 20- Omo-Agege, the Essence of Politics and the Use of Political Power. Indeed, the DSP has done so much for Delta State at large as a detribalised Nigerian for his unsentimental representation which confirms his agreement with “The Idea of One Nigeria” in Issue 29 of the same book.
DSP Ovie Omo-Agege, on behalf of the good people of Ndokwa, we are indeed grateful to you. Your securing of a University for Ndokwa has opened our eyes to know that we were sheepishly following the ruling party in the state that does not have us at heart. We hope that your legal battle to move Delta State to the next level must materialize in no distant time in Jesus’ name! It takes only an objective and detribalized personality like Sen. Omo-Agege to achieve real equity, unity, and justice in governance and effectively manage the collective resources and fortunes of the people. We know you are coming to take your place in the Delta State as Governor to bring our dearest but dying Delta State to the limelight. The God of Ndokwa will ensure you get the Governorship seat for the good of all and not for a small or selected group of people. In God We Trust! Omo-Agege is coming.
Ogwezzi Richardson (Ph.D)