Recently, the social media has been flooded with debate, assertions, fuss and trading of venoms over the need for the incoming Governor of Delta State to have a plethora of Degrees from several Higher Institutions both within and outside Nigeria as in their opinion, performance can only be driven by such plethora of Degrees.
After a careful consideration of the above, I have come to the irresistible conclusion with all due respect, though that the emphasis on degrees as the sole indices for performance is misconceived and made out of either ignorance or pure sycopancy.
I want to quickly point out that in a modern society like ours, a Leader should be educationally balanced no doubt. That is, anyone that is not schooled should not think of being the Governor of Delta State. Though, by virtue of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the minimum qualification to contest for the office of Governor of a State is the possession of Secondary School Certificate. That is, the person must have attended and graduated from Secondary School.
From experience, since 1999 till date, the best economic team that ever led Nigeria is the one that worked with President Olusegun Obasanjo. Between 1999 and 2003, President Obasanjo was not having chains of Western educational Degrees, but he had a Degree in “sabificate”, which includes his native intelligence and his economic team.
Today, Nigeria is yearning for a replica of that team of the likes of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Charles Soludo and others.
As earlier said, there is nothing wrong with the possession of Degrees, but the Governor Deltans truly want at this point in time is the one who has “sabificate”, knows the nooks and crannies of the State, knows what Deltans in their different constituencies want, knows his followers/people (street credibility) and ready to listen to the voice of reason, and not “Mr. knows it all or na me go school pass, I am a Degree Holder from Harvard” but no knowledge of Havard to display for the good of Deltans, except the ability to manipulate figures for the good of a few; God forbid!
In every Nation or State, Leaders are not the most schooled but their success or otherwise in leadership is centred on the kind of economic team that is put in place by them.
It is therefore preposterous for some few individuals who may not mean well for Deltans to make fuss about the person of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori! It is annoying that some people who do not know RT. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori have being cajoled, bought, deceived and harassed to key into the project of politics of character assassination, hate and mudslinging against his person. What a people!
On the issue of Educational qualification, Sheriff Oborevwori has a B.Sc and Masters in political science. He has plethora of certificates from Courses attended both within and outside Nigeria. He is also a fellow of many professional bodies.
What more should a Governorship Aspirant possess!
Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori Street credibility and “sabificate” are some of the reasons he remains the longest serving Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.
Apart from his legislative acumen, he knows what his Colleagues want for the purpose of delivering dividends of democracy through the legislative Arm.
Lest I forget, there have been so much talk about his past! From the information at my disposal, these stories peddled about his past are figments of the imaginations of blackmailers who are afraid of his towering political influence. It is therefore ludicrous for anyone to ascribe thuggery to one’s holding of the position of youth leader. If youth leadership is synonymous with thuggery, it therefore means that all youth leaders in political Parties, religious bodies and different societies in and outside Nigeria are thugs! To me, that is illogical and baseless.
Well, there is a popular saying that “it is a ripe fruit on a tree that suffers hit from passersby and people around it”. Deltans, please think. The quantum of attacks against the person of Sheriff Oborevwori by naysayers is no doubt an indication that there is something good about Sheriff Oborevwori.
With all sense of sincerity, I urge Deltans to give him the opportunity to lead our dear State.
Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina, Esq.
Writes from Ozoro Ward 3, Isoko North LGA, Delta State.