POLITICIANS IN DELTA NORTH MUST NOT THROW AWAY THE BABY WITH THE DIRTY BATH WATER-ika weekly The election train is moving progressively towards its destination and it is unstoppable. Though 2015 may seem a little distance away, one thing is certain, and that is, it may get to our door posts sooner than anyone expected. Events leading to the change of guard in the rein of governance across many states of the nation indicate that political gladiators are by no means deceived by the seeming distance; as so much manoeuvrings and electoral jig-saws are unravelling by the day. We are all witnesses to the cowboy show at the legislative arm of the government o River state and are possibly privy to the root cause of the matter. We cannot also be oblivious of the junketing of Northern governors across the nation and to Ota farm in particular, in a bid to recapture political power comes the same 2015. In Delta state, the political tension exemplifies that engulfing the entire nation as those who think themselves fit, whether actually qualified, experienced or people oriented enough or not, and who have the wherewithal to surmount the exorbitant financial demands of electioneering have in one way or the other been overheating the polity. We know some of the early risers in the game are mere pundits and political rabble rousers in search of political acclamation but at the last count about seven persons of the Delta North extraction have indicated interest to occupy the government house in Asaba, including a woman. The situation is predicated on the belief that governorship has been zoned by the Delta PDP family to the Northern senatorial district, where no governor has ever emerged since the time of the existence of the state in old Bendel state. Delta North Senatorial district is an amalgam of communities comprising majorly those peoples that for geographical congruity and political expediency decide to be identified as the Aniomas. In particular reference are those from Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa and Ukwuani, Oshimili and Odiani or Olukumi people found within nine local government areas bordering the River Niger to the East. These are people who see and believe in themselves as kith and kin bound by common culture, traditions, religious beliefs and similar languages even if differing origin. Those in want of description have been tempted over time to erroneously refer to us as Delta-Ibos but in truth would prefer to have their distinct and unique identity, located as they are in the upland of the Niger Delta than within the Igbo geographical delineation in the core Eastern part of Nigeria on the other side of river Niger divide. Granted that political pundits and mud-rakers of Delta South and Central extraction do actually subscribe to the zoning of governorship seat to Delta North, and do so respect the accord especially in the PDP, a seething problem does throw up its ugly, hydra-headed self. The problem is how the political gladiators of Northern side will close their ranks and not create a gulf or lacuna upon which their aspirations may be fractured and ultimately truncated, yet, in the interest of the aforementioned competing senatorial districts. The irony of the situation is that those who have indicated interest so far belong to the same political umbrella which has some torn parts exacerbated by factionalization. This is typical of Ika North East especially where there are four major contending groups each led by a possible aspirant in the dawn of 2015 elections. There are even other miniature political leaders clamouring for a piece of the action and who severally have joined forces with others in unity group, against one larger grouping headed by a serving senator. This is not the case with Ika South where there appear to be much more harmony and the opposing forces is limited to two serious camps, those of Cairo Ojougboh (Agbor) and Hon. Okonta [Abavo]. What other forces do exist there seems so incontrovertibly an offshoot of the factions in Ika North East. It is with the above scenario in mind that it becomes expedient to posit that as we move geometrically towards achieving gubernatorial leadership for Delta North, too many hands may act to spoil the broth. One is not unmindful of the supremacy of the party in deciding who goes for what. However, there can be no gainsaying the fact that when there is absence of cohesion, there may emerge a forced rethink necessitating re-zoning of the position away from the North as the Zoning was never sacrosanct in the first instance, and there are other forces to contend with in neighbouring senatorial district. There is no doubt that factionalization has brought with it, some good things such as even spread of political gains and achievements of some forms of aspirations, but this is one time when all political leaders of Anioma should come together and in unison send the wolf away before returning to blame the hen for daring to foray
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:41:47 +0000
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