AN OPEN LETTER TO DEACON (DR) DOMINGO OBENDE: SENATOR-ELECT

AN OPEN LETTER TO DEACON (DR) DOMINGO OBENDE: SENATOR-ELECT

“It’s an old maxim in the schools that flattery is the food of fools, yet now and then, men of wit will condescend to take a bite” – Jonathan Swift

For the umpteenth time, let me say congratulations again for your well deserved victory at the just concluded polls and your election to represent the Edo North people at the National Assembly. Congratulations to you and a big congratulation to the people of Edo North Senatorial District, for this victory is and should mark the beginning of real constituency engagement by our representative. However, I must confess that I do not envy your current position. My reason is as simple as it sounds and the following will form the core of them.

First you have been saddled with the problems of underdevelopment that have ravaged our people for the past decades. Those that have had the opportunity to hold the baton have scared away development from the place. Infrastructural and human capital development is non-existent: roads are dead traps, hospitals are mere buildings with the name hospital still hanging on them, our schools have been taken over by forest and let us not even think of job opportunity for the youths. Ironically it is not in your office to do all these but it is expected by the people that you use your God-given mandate to bring them to the attention of those in authority, especially to the state Governor who we all know is determined to bring an end to underdevelopment in the state.

Secondly, there is the problem of ethnic tension in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (I believe this is also largely true of other Local Government Areas that make up the Senatorial District) the principal cause of this tension between our local communities is the fear of domination and boundary (land) claims which was evident during the run-up to the primaries that eventually gave you the ticket under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). This is the time to send a clear cut message to all that you are a statesman and that you are not interested in vendetta. I know that by human nature you may hold grudges but listen to John Grisham when he says that “Life is too short to despise people who simply can’t help what they’ve done.” You must unite all by reaching out to them in bringing development to their own doorstep. And for those that said “over their dead body for you to become Senator” well today you are a living testimony and if there are still others living who still wish to continue with the same prayers, well do not worry for the God you serve is indeed a living God.Thirdly, you should be aware that some Etuno people will find it convenient to locate the road leading to your doorstep, because for the first time in our history you are the highest political office holder and for a people that have suffered marginalization for the better part of their history you should expect them to think of you as their long-awaited messiah, thus they must knock on your door. Your appreciation of the foregoing will help you to recognize those with genuine challenges for you to figure out ways to assist them.

However, having recognized the above, another reason why I am already feeling the heat for you is that your victory is that of the minority to echo Hon. Peter Ologun’s perspective. The minorities you must understand are not only the Etuno or Akoko-Edo people, the minorities are also the impoverished people of Edo North Senatorial District whose commonwealth was sacrificed on the altar of do-or-die politics. Where safe drinking water is a luxury, where roads are death traps and contracts are formulated to say thank you to political charlatans and all sorts of funny characters.

It is for the above reasons and many others which I am sure you are already aware of that I do not envy you, my Distinguished Senator. However as scary as these challenges may seem, they have also provided a clear and golden pen for you to write your name on the pages of history. How you do this is based on your adhering to Jonathan Swift’s remark above. I have in the past few weeks read and heard so much flattering statements that places you as the one and only that we never had and now have (they may be correct, please do not prove them wrong). They posit that you have done a lot in just this few weeks that you have been elected to diminish the achievements of the previous Senator (if there are any?)– I wonder where and when – even when you have not resumed office.

Many things already unfolding are the ploy of sycophants and their political acolytes to swerve you away from the real issues at hand. You are been touted as the much awaited messiah: Senator-elect you are not the messiah yet; a messiah’s success is not measured by his birth but by his/her achievements – that is your ability to tackle all the challenges highlighted above. You should be wary of career politicians for them any master is worthy of service as far as doing that would provide their daily needs.

This is the time for you to sit up and engage the electorate. Four years is far from here but you must also understand that it will come and go like yesterday. You should not go to the floor of the Senate to be a ‘siddon- look’ Senator. You must be seen contributing to the discourse on issues calling for national attention as well as those issues affecting the Senatorial district. You should research the issues as they come and have a good understanding of them before you venture into making your contributions.

Achieving greatness is not always an easy task as it sounds; however, history has always provided us with practical examples of great achievers and their achievements. The likes of Obafemi Awolowo, Adams Oshiomhole, Nelson Mandela, Raji Fashola, Alhaji Aliu Omokide to mention but a few whose songs we sing daily as practical examples of great achievers only gained prominence in our psych with popular and concrete achievements. Yes! Their achievements are popular because those achievements did not push aside the bottom-up approach in favour of the up-down approach. My Senator, research individual communities thoroughly to understand their different challenges for what is good for the goose, may not always also be good for the gander.

You should have an open line of communication with members of the Senatorial District – it is possible. They must know that you are also there for them. The team you put up to assist you do your work should not be as a result of paying back favour done during the election, because the gap between winning elections and delivering democratic dividends is a huge gulf. Your team must be up and doing especially in engaging people from the district. Because in the end, the greatest part of your achievements will not be measured by your being noticeable on the floor of the Senate but your positive attitude towards the development of the district by engaging the people.

Thank you for your time and may God give you the grace to read between the lines of Jonathan Swift’s words.

BALOGUN TREASURE OMEIZA
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