Long ago, in the heart of the Niger Delta,
The river of blessings stopped flowing.
It was once full of fish,
Full of songs,
Full of canoes carrying dreams across its waters.
But then, the river went dry.
Programmes that fed the youth with skills were forgotten,
Boats of learning lay abandoned,
And the pathways to opportunity grew over with weeds.
The people waited,
And the elders said,
“Only one with the heart of the land can call the river back.”
One dawn, when the mist still kissed the water,
A man walked from the creeks to the great meeting ground.
His name carried the sound of oars striking the tide...
Dr. Dennis Otuaro
He did not come with empty promises.
But with hands ready to rebuild what had been broken.
He came with nets of wisdom,
Carrying seeds of new beginnings,
And the courage of one who has walked barefoot on the soil of his fathers.
Suspended dreams once left to gather dust
Were lifted into the light again
Otuaro spoke to the people,
To the ex-fighters who once paddled in restless waters,
To the mothers who wove hope into baskets,
To the monarchs whose words were strong as iroko roots.
And then he went to the dry river.
He touched its bed with his hands,
He called its name like an elder calls a long-lost child.
And the programmes that had slept in silence woke up again:
Scholarships flew like birds.
Two thousand students sent forth ,
Seeds of learning carried them to universities both at home and abroad.
Maritime training put over a 100 strong feet onto the decks of great ships.
Vocational learning lit flames in skillful hands.
Empowerment schemes blooming in hometown Streets
Pilots rose into the sky from Delta soil
Flying in the South African sky as pilots of tomorrow.
The water was running again,
And the people’s laughter was as sweet as ripe fruit.
These are not mere numbers,
They were footprints towards a sunrise none will forget
Dr. Otuaro called together all voices,
Ex-agitators who once knew the edge of conflict.
Community leaders who hold the wisdom of the elders,
Women whose hands cradle the future,
Traditional rulers whose words still carry the echo of our ancestors,
In thier circle,
The air was thick with unity,
And the river of trust began to flow again
Otuaro is a leadership of service.
His leadership is a tree rooted deep in the Delta earth,
Drawing strength from ancestral waters,
Stretching its branches towards the future
His shade is for the weary,
His fruit is for the willing,
His presence is a beacon to all who wander
In search of a leader worth following.
Some leaders stand far away,
But Otuaro stands among his people.
He listens when the palm leaves rustle,
He walks the sandy roads where children play.
He knows that peace is not given by words alone;
It is built by giving the youth a future to hold onto.
It is built stone by stone,
Skill by skill,
Hand in hand with the people he serves
He listens and carries the voices of the people into the halls of policy.
In old stories, they speak of the Rainmaker,
The one who dances until the skies remember to bless the land.
Dr. Otuaro is our Rainmaker.
He has brought back the river of youth opportunity,
Not by magic,
But by wisdom,
knowing his people and serving them with open hands
And steering their destinies towards, calmer brighter waters.
Oh Dr. Otuaro,
Bright Star of our waters,
Rainmaker of the Niger Delta,
May your shadow always fall kindly on our land.
May your wisdom grow like the kola tree,
May your strength be firm like the roots of the mangrove.
May the drums of the Niger Delta beat with your courage,
May the youth follow the path you have cleared
You are a living example of what the Niger Delta can be..
Strong, wise, and unbroken
We ask the gods of the creeks,
And the ancestors who keep watch beneath the tides,
To bless your days with courage,
And fill your hands with more good works for the youth,
So that the river of opportunity you have restored
Will never run dry again.
And we, your people,
Will stand with you,
Until the only song on our waters,
Is the song of joy
Dr. Dennis Otuaro -- Rainmaker,
Architect of Hope,
River of Renewal,
Bright Star of the Niger Delta,
We greet you specially --
May your River of renewal never run dry,
For it carries the hope of our children to the sunrise
EBIKABOWEI KEDIKUMO ,- writes from Ayakoromo Town, Delta State
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