By Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina, Esq.
There is a saying that “every human being is a political animal” (Homo Politicus). Centuries gone and Centuries to come, the above aphorism cannot be faulted.
It is a known fact that in all aspects of our lives, politics is embedded one way or another. From religious, family, communal and corporate circles this truism is clearly manifest. The above notwithstanding, there is no doubt that desperation by some individuals has made politics to look dirty and disdainful!
In recent days, there has been tirades and attempts by certain individuals to pull down His Excellency, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa politically because he is rumoured to be interested in becoming the Vice Presidential Candidate to His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The reason for this hullabaloo, campaign of calumny and “pull him down politics” by some certain persons within and outside Delta State is not far fetched.
While I concede to the fact that everyone has the right to play politics that would favour one’s interest, I must state that it is dangerous and anti progressive when it is played without any modicum of morality. Politics is no doubt about positioning oneself for political patronage for one and the general good of the society. It must never be a do or die affair.
It is therefore dangerous and preposterous for anyone to engage in political campaign whose end result would not be favourable to Delta State and/ or majority of Deltans! If truly Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is interested in becoming the Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP, same should be celebrated and promoted by every unselfish and right thinking Deltan. The reason being that if the Governor eventually emerges as the Vice Presidential Candidate, it will open a new vista for many Deltans who are interested in national politics. Also, if the voice of the people support PDP at the national level in 2023, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Okowa who is not a neophyte in politics will always demands for the fair share of resources for the good of our dear State.
Political vendetta aside, is Governor Okowa not qualified to be Vice President of our great Nation, Nigeria? I state without any air of equivocation or contradiction that he is eminently qualified by all academic and political standards.
Governor Okowa attended Edo College, Benin City, presently Edo State. He is also a product of the University of Ibadan and today, he is a medical Doctor by profession. By virtue of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, he is eminently qualified to vie for the office of the Vice President of our great Nation, Nigeria.
After a stint in medical practice in both goverment and private circles, he was appointed Secretary to Ika-North East Local Government Council. Thereafter, he became the Chairman of the above mentioned Local Government Council. Before the year 1999, he was the Delta North Coordinator of Grassroot Development Movement. After His Excellency, Chief Onanefe Ibori assumed the mantle of leadership of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Okowa was appointed a Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources. He was subsequently saddled with the responsibility of managing the Ministry of Agriculture Development as a Commissioner.
Because of his political and administrative acumen, he was later appointed to the office of the Secretary to the State Goverment, a position he held and distinguished himself.
Meanwhile, in 2011, he contested and won Delta North Senatorial position and became a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Despite being a first timer in the Senate, he was made the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health. That was no mean fit but his political sagacity earned him that.
In the year 2015, irrespective of all odds from the power that be, he was elected the Governor of Delta State and reelected to the same position in 2019. He holds the governorship position till date and has continued to do his best for the good of all Deltans.
The above enumerated political positions and academic accomplishments clearly speak volumes of his preparedness for any future political assignment, inclusive of the office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There is therefore no gainsaying the fact that he has very rich political credentials!
Now, on the issue of loyalty to the goverment and people of Delta State, it is my firm belief that that should be left for Deltans to judge as it does not lie in the mouth of any disgruntled political merchant to determine. If Governor Okowa was not loyal to the political system and Deltans that brought him to his present political status, he would not be where he is now. I am not by any stretch of imagination saying that he does not have one or two persons who are not happy with him politically, but on a general note, he has being loyal to majority of Deltans.
Months ago, he hinted Delta Central Leaders on the need to prune down the number of persons who were interested in PDP Gubernatorial ticket. That was done on behalf of Delta Central people through DC-23, a political pressure group led by Sen. Ighoyota Amori. Amongst the three recommended persons by DC-23, Chief Elder Sheriff Francis Oborevwori emerged as the preferred person and he is today the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in Delta State and I dare to say that the emergence of Chief Oborevwori, a Delta Central (an Urhobos) respected son is a testimony of loyalty and keeping to one’s words (promise keeping) by Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to PDP Leadership in the State. Despite pressure from certain quarters to jettison rotation, he kept faith with the demand and precedent of the present and past political fathers of the Party.
I am however not unaware of the fact that some people who have an axe to grind with the Governor are looking for every available loophole to explore against the Governor, and amongst their many reasons is that the Governor did not do their bidding or the bidding of their Master(s). To my mind, those people are unfair to the Governor!
It is on record that one of the topmost leaders of PDP in the State created the opportunity for his successor in the past. The said successor against the voice of reason made all attempts to plant his own successor but same was rejected by majority of Deltans. But in the case of the Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, despite being human, gave all PDP gubernatorial Aspirants a level playing field to test their popularity at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, and a winner emerged in a landslide victory!
I want to quickly add that to the best of my knowledge, there is no love lost between His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa and those who governed the State before him. It is only emissaries of rifts, who cannot live outside politics that are fanning the embers of hatred. Deltans are therefore urged to treat with contempt, the hotchpotch of nonsense that is been dished out in the public space on a daily basis against the person of Governor Okowa by these political mercenaries.
His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is our own. He is eminently qualified by all recognized educational and political standards to be the Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP. He also has the political sagacity and mien to occupy the office of the Vice President of our dear Nation, Nigeria. Deltans should therefore give him the needed support.
Our own na our own!
God bless Delta State! God bless Nigeria!!
Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina Esq.,
Writes from Isoko North Ward 11 (Ozoro Ward 3), Ozoro,
Delta State.