Success, they say, has many relations and failure is a first degree orphan. And, Anioma, the entity that is also known as Delta north, is currently basking in the euphoria of success brought to it by the smashing victory of its son, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, at the January 23 2019 governorship election. Okowa not only won the election but retired pretenders like Chief Great Ogboru and others too numerous to mention here, from politics. Okowa set out early in politics when he left his clinic as a medical doctor in Igbanke, a rural setting, to become the secretary of Ika Local Government Area. When the local government was splited into two, he threw his hat into the ring and contested the chairmanship position of the new local government, Ika North East and won. And so, his journey into partisan politics kicked off except for the brief interruption occasioned by the military till 1999 when the coast was cleared again for civilians to participate in the politics of Nigeria.
Then, Okowa, with other like minds, led by the great Chief James Onanefe Ibori, stood again to be counted as one of the founding fathers of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. And with the victory of the party in the state in 1999, Ibori found in him a trusted ally that he can do business with. And for the eight years he (Ibori) governed the state, he was one of the lucky few he retained in his cabinet, thus preparing him for the job he is doing right now.
Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa
However, Okowa’s journey to Unity House was not easy; it was full of land mines laid along the way by people like the the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Udughan and the incumbent senator representing the good people of Delta North Senatorial District (Anioma), Igbuzo (Ibusa) born Senator Peter Nwaonoshi among others,
Okowa’s quest to occupy Government House, Asaba dates back to 2007 when he threw his cap into the governorship ring and contested for PDP ticket to fly the party’s flag at the 2007 election at its primary held in Ogwashi Uku. Though, he lost to Uduaghan, a defeat, which his numerous supporters said was not a reflection of the decision of the party members that participated in the primary. While his supporters where still seething with anger, Okowa not only maintained his cool, he worked with Uduaghan to realise his mandate from Deltans and later accepted the offer to be the state’s Secretary to State Government (SSG). From there he moved to represent his Anioma people at the Senate, battling and conquering the opposition mounted on his way by Kpakpandu, Maryam Ahmadu Alli who was then, openly supported by Nwaoboshi, who was the state chairman of the party at that time, and some louts; yet Okowa triumphed.
He finally went to Abuja, spent four years and retuned to Agbor/Asaba to renew his struggle to take over Unity House. Again, Uduaghan who was serving out his last term as the governor of the state posed a stumbling block by propping up a fellow Anioma, an Ika man in the person of Sir Anthony Obuh to scuttle his ambition and perish the aim of Anioma nation to produce a Delta Governor of Anioma extraction. Like Nwaoboshi and Alli, Uduaghan and Obuh failed to pick the ticket of the party. PDP members at the historic primary held at Asaba Arcade, saw Okowa as the man who the cap fits best. He dusted Obuh and the likes of Hon. Victor Ochei, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, David Edebieve among others.
He went on to win the mandate of Deltans to govern them for the first four years. And with his incredible and brilliant performance, especially in the areas of road construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, which has earned him the sobriquet of a Road Master, including the reintroduction of technical schools, he was given the mandate again to take charge of their affairs till 2023.
But beyond the mandate freely given to him by Deltans, PDP should also be appreciated for sticking to its equity or rotational policy. Even against subtle Ogburu/All Progressives Congress (APC) attempt to set the revered Uhrobo nation against Anioma ethnic nationality stance that he is not a respecter of the rotational governorship because it is a PDP policy. The party stuck to its guns on EQUITY. It made sure the office is zoned to Delta North and all politicians of PDP extraction from the area decided not to change Okowa, because he is the leader of a winning team.
Chief Great Ogboru
However, while the Aniomas are still clicking their ‘Palm Wine’ filled glasses, this writer feels that, it is time for more work. That the reward, as they say, for hard work, is more work. This is the time for him to fold his sleeves, roll his trousers to the knees, to deliver more dividend of democracy for Deltans. Okowa is expected to double his effort in providing for the people, projects that makes life worth living after all, to whom much is given, much is expected.
While the above is what Deltans are eagerly expecting from him, the people of his ethnic nationality, Delta North, are also not settling for less. They expect him to use his final four years to turn the area into a ‘mini London.’ pave all the rural and urban roads. Rehabilitate most schools in the area, modernise and equip primary and post primary healthcare centres that has since become a mere ‘consulting clinics.’
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Though, while fielding journalists questions in Lagos in 2015 at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, G.R.A, when he first won his party’s ticket to fly its flag at that year’s election, he had said that he will not be an Ika, Delta North or Delta Central governor but governor of the whole state; that he has done in his first term going by the way he evenly spread the reconstruction and construction of roads and citing of other essential projects across the state.
But that not withstanding, the fact still remains that his Delta North area of the state, especially parts of Aniocha South Local Government Area, remains the most neglected by previous administrations in the state.
No good roads, no hospitals, no pipe borne water supply; in fact, the people of the area depend on populated streams and rivers for their daily water need except for the few who have the means to dig boreholes. For instance, the only general hospital in Nsukwa area that is at Isheagwu bears general hospital just in name not in competence or health services delivery. The place cannot be said to be a true general hospital. Nsukwa area is so backward that it can only boast of one police post in Nsukwa Town, which was established by the founding fathers of the state in the days of Midwestern Region. Nsukwa area and by extension, parts of Delta North, is in shambles. it is underdeveloped. Its development has long been arrested. Though, not by the present government of Okowa but by the successive administrations right from the day the state was created till now.
Okowa needs to justify the confidence reposed on him by Deltans including the good and peaceful people of Delta North, which earned him the roadster sobriquet. He needs to make the people of the area area hit their chest and say ‘our son did this for us.’
The aforementioned towns need the presence of government. They need the presence of security agencies to checkmate the activities of cult boys/girls that are gradually lording it over them. They need well equipped and staffed primary and secondary schools; they need good hospitals to supplement the services the only General Hospital at Isheagu offers.
And like Adonte, other towns within the Nsukwa area, towns like Egbudu Aka, Ukwu Oba, Ashama et al need good roads to enable the people who are mainly agrarian, transport their agricultural produce to the urban centres where they will sell them for good prices and in turn, pay their taxes and levies thus help improve the state’s Internally Generate Revenue (IGR).
