One of the greatest politicians ever produced in Delta State, Senator Patrick Enebeli Osakwe, was reputed for the saying, “I check insults with money.” Osakwe was so wealthy and influential that almost all the military administrators in the defunct Bendel State had a second home in Ugiliamai, Onicha-Ukwuani, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, the hometown of Senator Osakwe.
This trend began right from when General Muhammadu Buhari sacked President Shehu Shagari’s government on 31st December, 1983 in a military coup.
General Jeremiah Timbut Useni (then a Colonel), Lieutenant Colonel John Mark Inienger, Colonel Tunde Ogbeha, and Colonel John Ewerekumoh Yeri were regular faces at Senator Osakwe’s old one-storey residence at Ugiliamai.
Possibly because of the high calibre of personalities visiting him, he erected a mansion as his country home in 1986. This was the same year General Ibrahim Babangida commissioned the largest gas plant in West Africa, the Okpai Gas Plant operated by Agip. These military administrators spent weekends regularly at Ugiliamai before Delta State was created. Afterwards, the community again became a hub for politicians, with Agume Eric Opia becoming a regular face arriving in his helicopter for political advice during the first gubernatorial election after the creation of Delta State.
Osakwe started as the owner of Flash Pools, before venturing into Evidence Motors. At one time, he was the sole distributor of Peugeot products; he later ventured into palm plantation with Evidence Farms, established a Benin City-based football club called Flash Flamingoes, and entered the aviation sector with Flash Airlines, competing with the likes of Okada Air. He was so rich that he was never afraid of spending his money.
Naturally, he was also one of the greatest political risk-takers in this part of the world long before the birth of democracy in 1999.
With the return to democracy, he ventured into politics and became the Senator representing Delta North for three consecutive terms, spanning twelve years.
The military, despite being regular visitors to his country home, could not construct the road to his village. Eventually, his people could no longer bear it, they confronted him, asking him to use his personal wealth to construct the road either from Iselegu Junction to Ugiliamai or from Ossissa to Ugiliamai. To this, he responded, “it is easier for government to construct a road than an individual.” That conversation happened after he erected his mansion in 1986, the villagers had seen the network of tarred roads he constructed within the estate, believing that what he spent on his compound could have easily financed a tarred road from Ossissa to Ugiliamai.
In 1999, Osakwe went to the Senate and in 2002, during one of our discussions, he said, “Egugbo, I want to go back to the Senate.” My candid response was, “Ochiosa, you must have done well in the Senate, but there is nothing on the ground for us to commence the campaign with.”
Give it to him, Osakwe had a discerning and very deep mind; he loved challenges and weighed his options before venturing out. Determined to return to the Senate in 2003, he did everything he could; one evening, my phone rang, with masked excitement in his voice, Osakwe said, “Egugbo, ebei ki idi? (Egugbo, where are you?)” He invited me to the village to commence the campaign, announcing that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had awarded a contract to Nath Okechukwu’s Inter-Bau for a very long stretch of road to be constructed from Iselegu Junction to Obiaruku.
At the village, he revealed everything that had transpired in Port Harcourt between him and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, then Chairman of the NDDC, before the road was awarded. It was an interesting story of sheer determination and a man who knew exactly what to do. True to my journalistic mindset or as my friend would say, playing the devil’s advocate, I replied, “Let work commence first.”
Within a few days, Inter-Bau tipped tipper-loads of granite onto the road just after Iselegu Junction, where it was highly conspicuous. That signaled the launch of our campaign for his re-election. With my reliable Toyota Tercel, we toured every community in Delta North.
Expectedly, Osakwe won. When one looks back, one can only thank God for democracy; what Chief Nkem Okwuofu, Chief Emma Eboh, and other politicians we visited were asking for back then, after seeing our convoy of vehicles covered in dust, was simply to have tarred roads to their communities. Today, they are alive to thank God that they can drive home not on dusty tracks, but on smooth tarred roads, thanks to their doggedness.
It is worthy of note that through his efforts before leaving the Senate, Osakwe ensured that all the communities making up Onicha-Ukwuani : Ugiliamai, Ibabu, Amorji, Eweshi, and Ike-Ukwuani were linked by tarred roads.
Osakwe was a great man. To this day, I smile when I hear different tales about his exploits, usually told by people trying to boost their political standing by claiming how closely they worked with him. All I can say is: they are right, and why not? It evokes the parable of the blind men and the elephant.
One person who worked with Senator Osakwe in his later years is Sir Monday Onyeme, Ph.D, the current Deputy Governor of Delta State. Although he met Osakwe when the latter was no longer contesting elections but was instead among the kingmakers deciding political appointments, Sir Onyeme did very well working with a political tactician from his community and transitioned well from academia (National Open University of Nigeria); he excelled in his first major political outing as Chairman of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service (DIRS). By increasing the state’s internal revenue, he convinced the former Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, CON, to award another link road to Ibabu in Onicha-Ukwuani.
Now, as Deputy Governor within a period of less than three years, he has successfully convinced Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to complete that road and construct another critical corridor, the Utagba-Uno/Eweshi road, also in Onicha-Ukwuani.
Just as the Ugiliamai-Ossissa road had drawn the attention of former Governor Okowa who insisted it must be constructed but could not be started before leaving office, these new roads significantly shorten travel times and boost the socio-economic life of the people.
The Ugiliamai-Ossissa road connects two local government areas, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East, joining just by the secondary school after the Ossissa bridge if you are approaching from Asaba towards Ughelli. For anyone deciding to go to Obiaruku through the Onicha-Ukwuani/Ogume/Amai axis, or through the Ugiliamai/Utagba-Uno axis, the Ugiliamai-Ossissa road shortens the travelling distance by more than twenty minutes.
We thank God that Sir Monday Onyeme, Ph D, has revived political activities in Onicha-Ukwuani as the Deputy Governor of Delta State. This is evident as Governor Oborevwori visits on Wednesday, June 3 to commission the 4.5-kilometre Obi-Ibabu/Ibabu Road in Onicha-Ukwuani, the 5.0-kilometre Utagba-Uno/Ndemili Road Phase 1, and the 8.4-kilometre Etua Ukpo/Etua Etiti/Etua Oliogo Road.
The Ndokwa people were among the most marginalised in the country relative to the resources God blessed them with. They play host to the largest gas plant in West Africa, the Okpai Gas Plant operated by Agip, and are blessed with an area so rich in oil resources that there is hardly any community without an oil exploration company. Yet, so many communities like Abala, Onuaboh, Umuolu and several others remain inaccessible by road, with some still relying on pontoons to this day.
These problems are the result of decades of neglect. With an Ndokwa son, Sir Monday Onyeme, becoming the Deputy Governor of Delta State, many residents believe these years of neglect should be corrected overnight. Because Governor Sheriff Oborevwori listens to his Deputy, he keeps awarding contracts for the development of the area.
However, the more road projects he constructs, the more other areas beg for attention. Consequently, the person who receives the most pressure and criticism is his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme.
Some people expect Sir Onyeme to rectify everything the government failed to do since the colonial era within his three years in office as Deputy Governor. Some requests are so deeply personal that individuals invent stories on social media platforms if he fails to sponsor their weddings or personal events. But the man is not superhuman; he is simply, a loyal Deputy Governor.
Others are angry, questioning why their specific communities did not receive attention ahead of others. However, the Deputy Governor has shown through his actions that he deeply understands the plight of his people, he holds meetings regularly with them, he consults the elders while briefing those who personally ask him what Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is doing for Deltans and Ndokwa people in particular. Onyeme is down to earth in his activities.
It is not surprising that despite what the Deputy Governor is doing for humanity, his greatest critics are mainly from Ndokwa area justifying the Biblical book of Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.”. The people determined to no longer wait for the coconut to fall; they want to pluck even the unripe ones. Some of them are behaving like the proverbial tortoise who lived for several years without a wife, but upon hearing that arrangements were being made for him to marry within a few days, threatened to kill himself if the bride did not arrive within twenty-four hours.
In Ola Rotimi’s Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the watchword was “patience”. Now that the Ndokwa people have a Governor who has a soft spot for his Deputy, the watchword must remain “patience.” They should trust their son, support the government, and believe in the process.
For years, several communities were used to hearing “we will construct your road” as empty electoral promises. Now, those roads are actually being constructed; some have been commissioned, others are awaiting commissioning, and many are at various stages of construction. All that the people need to do is get on their knees and thank God for giving them Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Sir Monday Onyeme.
The populace can clearly see an array of road projects, some running into billions of naira, being executed across Ndokwa land. Evidently, those criticizing Sir Onyeme by claiming he is not doing enough for his people are ill-informed.
Take, for instance, the step-down of the Independent Power Plant (IPP) located at Okpai, which currently feeds electricity straight into the national grid. This is a Federal Government project. The most that Sir Onyeme and, by extension, the Delta State Government can do is lobby the relevant federal agencies to see the urgency of completing the project.
No community is made up entirely of foolish people, it is time for the enlightened citizens to educate those displaying ignorance on social media simply because they have access to smartphones unless, of course, those communities allow the voices of the uninformed to overwhelm the few knowledgeable ones.
For instance, Sir Monday Onyeme made it a point of duty to engage the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to light up Kwale and its environs as a short-term arrangement while waiting for the Federal Government’s IPP. Yet, a few individuals seem determined to remain a clog in the wheel of progress in Ndokwa land, working to stall the project.
The forward-thinking, good people of Ndokwa will on Wednesday, June 3, roll out the drums to receive Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as he inaugurates the road projects spanning several kilometres in the local government area of his Deputy.
Undoubtedly, this will be another homecoming for the Governor, reminiscent of the grand reception he received when his Deputy held a thanksgiving service shortly after their successful inauguration in 2023.
The people of Onicha-Ukwuani, in particular, are proud of the Governor. I would not be surprised to hear that they play music and dance through the night in anticipation of celebrating him on Wednesday.
Ndokwa people are generally peaceful and fun-loving; they love a good celebration, which is why they are the greatest exporters of highlife music in this part of the world.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is silencing critics with an avalanche of projects. Some people who were previously unaware have called to confirm if these roads were indeed constructed by their Governor, our Governor.
The Governor is a realistic, grounded leader who lives in Delta State; he is not a visiting Governor, he is working like a man who finally has the opportunity to build his dream state to the admiration of all.
To the good people of Ndokwa, congratulations on giving Delta State Sir Monday Onyeme, who has distinguished himself as a great lobbyist, a deft politician who understands the dynamics of governance, and a perfect square peg in a square hole.
To the Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State: welcome to your second home, Onicha-Ukwuani, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area. It will come as no surprise if a chieftaincy title is conferred upon you, because you are doing exceptionally well.
The author, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo, is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
