By Eric Okunima
Ordinarily, I would not respond to Chief Joe Orode Omene’s recent embarrassingly infantile vituperations against Deputy Senate President, and Delta State All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. I however need to address a few things. In addressing these things, there would be no need to dwell on Chief Omene’s now established character — the Urhobo people know him by his very uncertain colours. I understand his character but would try not to apply salt on a cancerous sore.
What exactly is Chief Omene’s grouse? Is his anger based on Omo-Agege’s factual criticisms of Delta state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s glaring wickedness, insensitivity and maladministration or he is angry that Omo-Agege didn’t settle the leadership tussle he (Omene) has with Olorogun Moses Taiga over the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union?
Obviously, Chief Omene is confused and frustrated. That much is obvious, and we probably understand why. But a man who sees everybody’s opinion as wrong and only his selfish stance as right is not a man worthy of attention. How does Omene expect Omo-Agege to intervene where he (Omene) persistently refused to withdraw his court case or make sacrifices?
At what stage or since when did Omene’s anger against Omo-Agege ratchet up to this point? Was it after he unsolicitedly “endorsed “ Omo-Agege as the obvious best candidate for the position of Deputy Senate President, an endorsement that had zilch influence on the process? Or was it after the expected gain of that dubious endorsement failed to come?
OMENE is bitter about projects distribution. But the records are in the public space. There is no local government area or town in Urhobo land to which Omo-Agege has not attracted at least one project. From building/renovation of schools to provision of ICT centres, healthcare centres, roads, electricity transformers, etc, there is virtually no Ward that the Urhobo Senator has not impacted. In siting the Federal Polytechnic-Orogun, a number of factors were strategically considered: central to it all was land. Then the need to cater for the academic needs of some communities on the borders of our senatorial district is one of such factors. But for wanting to sound like the Delta PDP/Okowa’s new spokesman, Omene knows that no Senator in the whole of Delta State has done as much as Omo-Agege has.
On the UPU leadership tussle,
Chief Omene cannot deny the fact that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege did make frantic efforts towards seeing an amicable resolution to the impasse. But what happens when he (Omene) prefers sit tight and pursue the matter through court?
From his body language, one would see that Omene prefers to perpetuate himself in office as a life president of the UPU; if not, what sacrifice is too much to make for the unity and progress of the Urhobo nation?
Chief Omene even exposed himself as the very person who made reconciliation impossible. He said he was ready to stepdown and have Olorogun Taiga stepdown too, so that a neutral body would conduct the election to elect a new exco ‘whilst he is still pursuing his case in court.’ How does that work? Can you claim to want peace by asking your opponent to drop his knife while you’re still holding a loaded gun to his head?
I respect Chief Omene but he should not drag us into his politics of self perpetuation. It is not for us to tell our people what is at play in Omene’s latest outburst; our people know, they understand, it is his season.
Omene’s interest is not the Urhobo interest and he knows. Take for example, the Taiga-led UPU has completed its tenure and handed over to a new executive. When will Omene’s hand over? Or has the UPU whether united or factionalized become his personal property or inheritance?
So, it is quite laughable and rather unfortunate that Chief Omene is turning round to paint Omo-Agege as his problem. Chief Omene should understand that Senator Omo-Agege is neither his albatross nor part of those who do not want a united Urhobo. That the UPU had a crisis wasn’t the challenge but the level of greed exhibited by Omene himself! Since the crisis began, several attempts were made for an amicable settlement , but Omene frustrated these moves. Suffice to state here that most of these genuine moves had inputs from and backing of the DSP. It was the recurring frustrations that made our traditional rulers to take a stand to move on.
Sen. Omo-Agege is not involved in UPU elections. To expect him to get unnecessarily involved in the same issues in which Omene has refused to shift grounds but resorted to the courts is a disservice to the labours of our Urhobo heroes past and prejudicial to popular conscience.
It sounds funny to many that the same Chief Omene that sang Omo-Agege’s praises to high heavens is now accusing the latter of betraying Ibori and whoever — When, where and how did Omo-Agege betray Ibori?
Omo-Agege served under Chief Ibori and their relationship has been very cordial, even till date. Perhaps, if leaving one political party for another is what Omene calls ‘betrayal’, then only history can educate Omene.
The Obarisi of Urhoboland is a product of grace and politics/political affiliation is a game of choice. That one is raised by a banker father doesn’t imply that all the children or family members must study to be bankers too; so it is with politics. Omo-Agege, following from his personal conviction that he could make a much more better representation in government, moved to another party to actualize his dreams and God gave him victory. Is that what Omene calls betrayal?
I would not want to buy into Omene’s new found appetite for blackmail but we may not always ignore him. Deltans have long thrashed the Ogboru betrayal story. Like many also asked: Did Omo-Agege betray Ogboru by fighting hard and making needless enemies all to ensure that the latter won the governorship ticket of the APC in the 2019 election or how exactly did Omo-Agege betray Ogboru?
We understand that the season is here when men seek to hustle using blackmail as tools. Chief Omene, in his hustle, must refrain from insulting the electorates. By calling those who may not buy into his blackmail as ‘foolish people’ is demeaning of one who calls himself a leader.
As stated earlier, we understand Omene’s frustrations — this is his season of profit , but let him know that he has lost relevance as far as the Urhobo nation is concerned.
Okunima wrote from Ughelli, Delta State.