While-others-are-always-thinking-of-how-to-pitch-their-tents-to-count-in-sensitive-sectors-and-political-power-our-south-south-politicians-elites-locals-are-more-interested-in-immediate-self-gratification
September 7, 2020 | News
WHILE OTHERS ARE ALWAYS THINKING OF HOW TO PITCH THEIR TENTS TO COUNT IN SENSITIVE SECTORS AND POLITICAL POWER, OUR SOUTH-SOUTH POLITICIANS/ELITES/LOCALS ARE MORE INTERESTED IN IMMEDIATE SELF-GRATIFICATION
Aside the fact that those in the South South are seen to be more interested in what they can gain and benefit now, without consideration for the future, there is evidently no cooperation and trust also, amongst the minority tribes in the South South. The South South leaders only think of what they will get for their pockets and their town's people. That is all they are more interested in.
Former Delta State and ex-convict, James Ibori, actually started and made this worse in Delta State. While he was in Office as Governor, if you are not partly Urhobo and Itsekiri, he will not give you any relevant state appointment. If you are not connected to Oghara his home town, he never considered you at all. If you check the Urhobos Ibori appointed then, they were partly Itsekiri people.
Even in the execution of sensitive projects in the State, Ibori's administration was seen to favour his own more than he did others. For instance, Warri or Eku would have been the best place for the Delta State Teaching Hospital because of its population density. But Ibori forcefully took it to Oghara.
Now, compare this trait to what was obtainable in the past in other places. Obafemi Awolowo was the leader of the entire South West, but he didn't establish the regional University in Ikenne. Rather, he established it in Ife because Ibadan already had the University of Ibadan. He also established Ibadan Polytechnic, Radio & Television station, and Cocoa house in Ibadan. He didn't take anything to his Ikenne home town. But someone like Ambrose Ali, was another selfish leader. Abraka was proposed as the suitable location for the then Bendel State University, but he didn't take that advice, rather, he forcefully took the University to Ekpoma.
Compare that again with people like Sir Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, who took the entire North as their constituency, and they established the only Northern University in Zaria then. Nnamdi Azikiwe took the only University in the South East then to his mother's home town in Nsuka.
Amongst those who did things a bit differently was Felix Ibru, who had the opportunity to take the Delta State University to Agbarha-Otor his home town. But he didn't do that, as he established it in Abraka that was already a college of Education then. In other words, when we broadly look at things, it is evident that the Hausas/Fulanis have an agenda for the entire northern Nigeria. But can we say the same about those in the South South?
The Ijaw person in positions of authority, are known to take everything for their own enjoyment, just like the people of the Urhobos of today are doing, and damn the consequences. The Itsekiris and the Isokos are known to do the same thing too.
We will continue to shout, but nothing will come out of it because our people are more interested in immediate self-gratification than to look out for the wellbeing of all and the future.
The current Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, is now concentrating most of his efforts on his home town. And I believe the next Governor of Delta State will equally do the same thing for his town's people. Nobody usually talks about having the right and competent persons to be in government positions. It is all about asking and demanding for one's people, or in-laws or their fronts, to be in such public positions, whether they are good or bad or incompetent.
Right now, we are very few the Urhobo persons who has always opposed Ibori, and I know how many calls from many of my Urhobo prominent people, asking me to leave him alone - "Na our brother, leave am alone." Nobody is talking about the great harm he has brought upon the State because of his insatiable greed and selfishness. If our Urhobo tribe political leader does something wrong, should we all praise him for his wrong? How do we expect our State to be developed with this kind of attitude?
Agreed that the Ibos, Yorubas and Hausas have similar behaviours when it comes to governance, public administration, Corporate Sector/oil and gas private and International oil companies' Sector. But there is still something about them that is different from the way we look out for our own in the South South. I know of a former Deputy Governor of Delta State who is an Urhobo man, but who only put his nephews, cousins or in-laws for public positions, whenever he was asked by the then Governor of Delta State to recommend any person.
However, among the Fulanis/Hausas, there are some of them who take the entire country as their constituency and they were seen to be fair in dealing with the Nigerian people. Our problem in the Niger-Delta region and the entire South South, are practically "the enemies of ourselves." Those who stole the 13% derivation are our own people in the South South. Those who use the budgets of the Federal Ministry of Niger-Delta and the NDDC, as their 'family money', are the South South people. Those who appoint only their blood relatives and town's men/women in political positions, as if it is their family business, are the South South people.
In other words, the people of the South South, are the problems for the backwardness and underdevelopment in the South South. Those brutal and arrogant Nigerian police officers in the South South region, are the same South South natives who are doing such evil against their own people all because of the high taste of money and immediate self-gratification. Those South South oil workers in managerial and high-profile offices/positions who look down on our people, are the natives of the South South. I can go on and on to justify the fact that our problem in the South South, is us, and not any outsider. Most South South persons in sensitive positions of authority in this country are seen to be men and women who lack integrity, who are deceptive, and are arrogant towards their own South South people. That is how I see it, and that is actually how it is.
Zik Gbemre.
July 4, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
Aside the fact that those in the South South are seen to be more interested in what they can gain and benefit now, without consideration for the future, there is evidently no cooperation and trust also, amongst the minority tribes in the South South. The South South leaders only think of what they will get for their pockets and their town's people. That is all they are more interested in.
Former Delta State and ex-convict, James Ibori, actually started and made this worse in Delta State. While he was in Office as Governor, if you are not partly Urhobo and Itsekiri, he will not give you any relevant state appointment. If you are not connected to Oghara his home town, he never considered you at all. If you check the Urhobos Ibori appointed then, they were partly Itsekiri people.
Even in the execution of sensitive projects in the State, Ibori's administration was seen to favour his own more than he did others. For instance, Warri or Eku would have been the best place for the Delta State Teaching Hospital because of its population density. But Ibori forcefully took it to Oghara.
Now, compare this trait to what was obtainable in the past in other places. Obafemi Awolowo was the leader of the entire South West, but he didn't establish the regional University in Ikenne. Rather, he established it in Ife because Ibadan already had the University of Ibadan. He also established Ibadan Polytechnic, Radio & Television station, and Cocoa house in Ibadan. He didn't take anything to his Ikenne home town. But someone like Ambrose Ali, was another selfish leader. Abraka was proposed as the suitable location for the then Bendel State University, but he didn't take that advice, rather, he forcefully took the University to Ekpoma.
Compare that again with people like Sir Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, who took the entire North as their constituency, and they established the only Northern University in Zaria then. Nnamdi Azikiwe took the only University in the South East then to his mother's home town in Nsuka.
Amongst those who did things a bit differently was Felix Ibru, who had the opportunity to take the Delta State University to Agbarha-Otor his home town. But he didn't do that, as he established it in Abraka that was already a college of Education then. In other words, when we broadly look at things, it is evident that the Hausas/Fulanis have an agenda for the entire northern Nigeria. But can we say the same about those in the South South?
The Ijaw person in positions of authority, are known to take everything for their own enjoyment, just like the people of the Urhobos of today are doing, and damn the consequences. The Itsekiris and the Isokos are known to do the same thing too.
We will continue to shout, but nothing will come out of it because our people are more interested in immediate self-gratification than to look out for the wellbeing of all and the future.
The current Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, is now concentrating most of his efforts on his home town. And I believe the next Governor of Delta State will equally do the same thing for his town's people. Nobody usually talks about having the right and competent persons to be in government positions. It is all about asking and demanding for one's people, or in-laws or their fronts, to be in such public positions, whether they are good or bad or incompetent.
Right now, we are very few the Urhobo persons who has always opposed Ibori, and I know how many calls from many of my Urhobo prominent people, asking me to leave him alone - "Na our brother, leave am alone." Nobody is talking about the great harm he has brought upon the State because of his insatiable greed and selfishness. If our Urhobo tribe political leader does something wrong, should we all praise him for his wrong? How do we expect our State to be developed with this kind of attitude?
Agreed that the Ibos, Yorubas and Hausas have similar behaviours when it comes to governance, public administration, Corporate Sector/oil and gas private and International oil companies' Sector. But there is still something about them that is different from the way we look out for our own in the South South. I know of a former Deputy Governor of Delta State who is an Urhobo man, but who only put his nephews, cousins or in-laws for public positions, whenever he was asked by the then Governor of Delta State to recommend any person.
However, among the Fulanis/Hausas, there are some of them who take the entire country as their constituency and they were seen to be fair in dealing with the Nigerian people. Our problem in the Niger-Delta region and the entire South South, are practically "the enemies of ourselves." Those who stole the 13% derivation are our own people in the South South. Those who use the budgets of the Federal Ministry of Niger-Delta and the NDDC, as their 'family money', are the South South people. Those who appoint only their blood relatives and town's men/women in political positions, as if it is their family business, are the South South people.
In other words, the people of the South South, are the problems for the backwardness and underdevelopment in the South South. Those brutal and arrogant Nigerian police officers in the South South region, are the same South South natives who are doing such evil against their own people all because of the high taste of money and immediate self-gratification. Those South South oil workers in managerial and high-profile offices/positions who look down on our people, are the natives of the South South. I can go on and on to justify the fact that our problem in the South South, is us, and not any outsider. Most South South persons in sensitive positions of authority in this country are seen to be men and women who lack integrity, who are deceptive, and are arrogant towards their own South South people. That is how I see it, and that is actually how it is.
Zik Gbemre.
July 4, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes