Delta Ijaw Political Merchants on The Prowl Again: Moral Bankruptcy and Intellectual Poverty of a People_ By Hon. Prince Austin Edumogiren
* The way out of this evil.
PREAMBLE:
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything" - Albert Einstein.
Truth sounds like hate to those who hate it or hate telling it. Believing in the unquantifiable benefits of truth, I have decided to take up my pen once more and truthfully address a pressing issue facing the Delta Ijaw Nation.
REMINISCING ON PAST EVENTS.
As whispers grow about certain individuals positioning Delta Ijaws for sale ahead of the 2027 General Elections, it becomes imperative, infact, in our best interest, to stand against their evil machinations of sellout and betrayal in Ijaw Land.
The primary and perhaps only obstacle to the progress of the Delta Ijaw Nation is not external force(s); it is the Ijaw People themselves - their actions, inactions and complacency.
In 2022, a group of Delta Ijaw Men and Women led by Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, branded themselves as champions of "Ijaw Agenda 2023". A political pressure group that advocated for Governor of Ijaw extraction in Delta State, and thus campaigned across the entire State.
Contrary to their plan and expectation(s), they couldn't achieve their desired aim due primarily to the following reasons.
1. Contradictory Leadership: The key figures that led the agenda were people that have earlier opposed and battled their kinsmen with same ambition to govern Delta State to submission, resulting in Ijaw failure in 2007, 2011 and 2015.
2. Historical Failures: For over two decades, these leaders consistently failed woefully to represent the interest and welfare of the Ijaw People, resulting in minimal delivery of the dividends of democracy or spoils of their offices in the mould of particularly infrastructure and human capital development.
3. Self-serving Motives: The actions of the foot-soldiers of the agenda reflected the pattern of their principals - largely a balance sheet of self-serving and a charade of self, family and very few cronies enrichment, rather than the broader Ijaw Nation.
GRAND CONSPIRACY TO SELLOUT.
This backdrop brings us to the recent visit by certain Delta Ijaw Men and Women, mostly PDP Members, who paid homage to Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori at Government House, Asaba.
Widely reported in Leadership Newspaper and other news outlets, Bozimo led his group in expressing gratitude to the Governor for, as he claimed "keeping faith with the Ijaw People". He praised the Governor for the allegedly numerous appointments and development projects purportedly benefitting Ijaw Land since he took office on May 29, 2023.
In what can only be described as political expediency, Bozimo effectively offered loyalty and support of the Ijaw Nation for the Oborevwori Administration beyond his first term, stating, “Seeing is believing, and you don’t need to go about campaigning in 2027. We will campaign for you, and I know that we can't remain the same in Delta any more.”
In conclusion, Bozimo said, "We, the Ijaw Nation, have risen to support you. When we say it, we mean it, and that's how it will be in your second term; we will stand behind you when the time comes, because you are a 'talk-and-do' Governor."
There is an almost surreal audacity by using Delta Ijaw Nation to endorse Oborevwori, when the Urhobos who are not only his kinsmen, but on whose land Multi-billion Naira Projects are awarded to the giant of construction, Julius Berger, and construction work at advanced stages, have not endorsed their son. It smacks of hypocrisy!
But wait: doesn't this corroborate the description of some Ijaw Leaders as "Cash and carry"?! Anywhere belle face, give them Ghana-Must-Go, they will turn to you!
There is no arguing the fact that Bozimo and his fellow-travellers are leaders in their right. However, it is surprising that they now posture themselves as the mouthpiece of the Ijaw Nation. What legitimacy do they hold when the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), elected representatives of the Ijaw Nation Worldwide, stand undisputed?
QUADRENNIAL RECYCLED RHETORIC FOR STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE
Talk is cheap! For their stomach infrastructure, every four years you hear this same recycled rhetorics from these avaricious old foxes to any government in place. They are political merchants that care about themselves and their immediate families only. They are moral bankrupts that suffer intellectual poverty!
The presence of these so-called leaders mark an alarming rise in detrimental and divisive rhetoric, encouraging younger and small minds they have recruited, emboldening them to follow their treacherous part, thereby stoking flames of wider division amongst Ijaw People.
I have often asked myself what drives Bozimo and his cohorts to embark on such self-seeking and self-debasing movements that makes them an object of ridicule without getting any answer. Why continue this self-destructive cycle when there are more profound and pressing concerns in Ijaw Land?
With the wealth and influence Bozimo, an octogenarian, is blessed with, including but not limited to him being a Successful Senior Lawyer, former Commissioner when he was under thirty years in the defunct Bendel State. Recently Minister of Police Affairs and Minister of Interior (State), highly placed wives, children, grandchildren, visible money yielding properties, etcetera, and some of his septuagenarian associates that are not less blessed, what do they still want?
Paying courtesy call on the Governor in the name of any other body than Ijaw Nation would have been noble. Presenting list of projects and asking for more appointments for fellow Ijaw People is laudable and commendable.
LAND WITHOUT GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE
However, what are the development projects Governor Oborevwori has awarded, executed and commissioned in Ijaw Land since assuming office on May 29, 2023? What special preference(s), be it appointment or whatever, has his government given to the Ijaws to warrant the Bozimo Group to thank and appreciate him to the high heavens, and endorse him for Governor in 2027? NON!
For a people on whose land the Oborevwori Administration have not awarded any project, not to talk of executing any project, including abandoned projects to completion, to be quick, infact, be the first ethnic nation in the State, to sing his undeserved praises and endorse him for second tenure in far away 2027 is absurd and unacceptable.
The grim reality remains that since the administration of Governor James Onanefe Ibori from 1999-2007, aside from Bomadi Bridge, no significant development has been witnessed in Ijaw Land.
Ayakoromo Bridge that was awarded and work started in the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan Administration since 2012 was abandoned by same Uduaghan Government. Governor Ifeayin Arthur Okowa who promised to complete it during his electioneering campaigns in 2015 and 2019, succeeded in deceiving the Ijaw Nation throughout his eight years two tenure. Now Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, who like his predecessor, promised to complete it during his campaigns in 2023, took few granites, pipes and rods to the site at the beginning of his administration. He has not returned to site to make good his promise since then. Ayakoromo Bridge is abandoned, and a death trap to fishermen and others whose means of livelihood is mainly dependent on the river.
Bomadi/Ojobo Road abandoned;
Bomadi/Ohorho Road abandoned;
Bomadi/Gbekebor Road (though a federal road) abandoned, even as the Gbaregolor/Esanma Bridge head along the road hangs in the river, far from the Esanma axis;
Agoloma/Toru-Agiama/Uduophori Road, abandoned;
Asaba Ase/Abari Road abandoned;
Bomadi Polytechnic moribund;
Kiagbodo Technical College abandoned;
Akugbene Technical College abandoned;
Ijaw Land in Delta State is where there is no single Campus of the about five State owned Universities;
Bomadi, Burutu, Patani, Warri Southwest and Warri North where the Ijaws are domiciled in the State are the only local government areas not linked to electricity from the National Grid.
Etcetera! etcetera!! Etcetera!!!
WAY OUT OF THE EVIL/CONCLUSION.
At a time our annual visitor has submerged the entire Ijaw Landscape, killing our people, destroyed farmlands and properties worth billions of Naira, we should mobilize efforts and be focused on calling on government, the private sector and wealthy individuals to come to our aid, like it was obtained at Borno State. Praise-singing at this time is rather sordid, awful and a display of inhumanity. It baffles the mind!
According to Leo Tolstoy, a giant of World Literature and Noble Russian who owned a large Estate and great fortune, "if you feel pain, you are alive, but if you feel the pain of others, you are human".
Bozimo and some of his comrades have since started replacing themselves with their children, occupying the few juicy positions statutorily for the Ijaw People.
Folks, you have served these men and women, do you still want to serve their children along with your children? We must not forget that the political machinations of these leaders place future generations of Ijaw in a virtual state of servitude - serving their interests and the interests of their family. "Servitude for one's family is slavery for all." We must awaken to the reality that our silence and tolerance of these deceptions will perpetuate a cycle of exploitation.
In the science of life, anyone using you without commensurate payment is pushing you to stand on your own. The person is pushing you to greatness that you have been unwilling to embrace. Self realization and actualization is key to life.
Therefore, stop frustrating yourself with your sleepy dependence on the crumbs you get from the table of these hawks. You are a treasure of hidden wealth waiting to unveil yourself.
No longer should we allow our destinies to be dictated to by a handful of political merchants; there is no better time than now, for we, the people, to come together faithfully, be assertive and desperately work to reclaim our power. Else, we and our children will continue to be abused, used and dumped or age tells on us to retire to complete defeat and failure in life. God forbids bad thing!
Hon. Prince Edumogiren Augustine writes from Ayakoromo Town.
Monday, November 10, 2024.
