In the early hours of December 9, 2014, it was with utmost sense of conviviality, in fact, almost to the point of vivacious euphoria, when the news of vicissitude landed upon my ear drums that OKOWA WON! I was intractable for a minute or so, and then quickly recalled the Truth as defined by Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Great Britain who said that “the Truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is the “Truth” in the Nigerian version of modern day Democratic milieu.
Congratulations Dr. Okowa for making us proud. The delegates chose you based on merit. It was the dawn of political sagacity at its best. Thank God there was no rabid behavior from delegates voting and supporters during the event at Cenotaph, Asaba. I was there as an observer representing Diaspora interests: Free and fair electoral process in the Nigerian political paradigm. Greetings and good tidings from our formidable PDP-USA with our erstwhile
Chairman, Prof. BTO Ikegwuoha. What worries most Nigerians in Diaspora and Diaspora Returnees members in Nigerian politics is electoral irregularities. The “square peg in a round hole” mentality and modus operandi: A phenomenon that has confounded the Nigerian political apparatus and stultified development was broken that day when the delegates meritorously chose Okowa. I must dough my hat for the delegates for doing a good job of meticulously picking a strong candidate despite all the internal and externally induced pressures to pick a mediocre one.
The delegates decision that Dr. Okowa should be the flag-bearer for the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State confirmed the words of the former American President Bill Clinton that “there is nothing so wrong with America that can not be corrected with what is right with America.” Similarly, there is nothing so wrong with Nigeria that can not be corrected with what is right with Nigeria. And, what is “right” with Nigeria is Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa (Ekwueme). God has no doubt used Sen. Okowa to bless Delta State and Nigeria. I cannot begin to tell you that this man climbed all the ladders of political appointments in a hierachical manner without falling off, from Local Government Secretary to Chairman and Commissioners of three Ministries and SSG of the Delta State Government to the Distinguished Senator Representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National House of Assembly. He has paid his dues. He knows what not to do. In fact, that day of the election, after we waited, and waited, and waited, Dr. Okowa was the First Aspirant to show up at the Cenotaph, Asaba, dressed in white. In other words, he was the first aspirant to show up for work! That goes to show you what manner of a man he is. He is a serious contender, because he means business.
As advised by our Chief Executive Officer (our PDP Leader), the Esteemed Governor of Delta State, HIS Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (CON), all the other aspirants who lost to Sen. Okowa should work amicably with him as a brother in the same boat, so that the boat can be anchored safely in order for PDP to produce the next Governor of Delta State come February 2015. Our Governor, Dr. Uduaghan has been prudent and visionary, and has also advised about the gargantuan work that will be facing us regarding developing our society after we produce the next Gorvenor and Delta Beyond Oil.
I also dough my hat and immensely thank the “music players” for their long years of drumming and grooming to produce a strong PDP Guber flag-bearer from the Anioma Nation. Sen. (Dr.) Okowa is just the “dancer”. This political feat that Dr. Okowa just accomplished is unprecedented in Ika Nation: Okowa is a political genius. The music palyers include, but not limited to, Great PDP-Chieftains/Personalities in the person of the Honourable Chief (Dr.) Cairo Ojougbo, South-South Chairman, PDP; Sen. Patrick Osakwe; Dr. Kingsley Emu; Chief Lawrence Osiegbu; Barr. Eugene Uzum; Chief (Barr) Peter Nwaoboshi; Hon. Jude Onyia; and Okowa Campaign Director and Managers, Greetings and all Protocols observed from the PDP-USA and the Diaspora Nigerians interested in the progress of our beloved Delta State and our Country, Nigeria. And, of course, last but not least, plenty of kodos go to Dr. Okowa's father, Chief A. Okowa for employing successful child-rearing techniques to train Ifeanyi Okowa. I taught briefly at Owa Alero Primary School under Chief Okowa as the Headmaster, while waiting on my final Scholarship papers to travel abraod from the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos. Chief Okowa was very agile, energetic, eloquent, and a no-nonsense headmaster in discharging his duties. He was always speaking positively of his young son, Ifeanyi Okowa, who he said was an excellent student at the prestigious Edo College, Benin where he scored A's in his HSC papers before proceeding to Uniben to study Medicine.
In any normal Democracy, political elections are just a way of giving back to the community by regularly (usually every 4 years) choosing the right leaders in Government who will be ready to lead us by partnering with certain members of community in the work of society development. Therefore, immediately after elections, the actual work of “nation building” begins. Who will do the work? (To be continued in Part 2 next week).
Again CONGRATULATIONS, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa (Ekwueme), for you deserve all the accolades.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!!
Prof. (Engr.) Olom Okonta, Ph.D, writes from Agbor, Delta State.
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