Hon Ebeodi Eluaka: Of Promising Legislative Career Vs Opinion Leaders's Perspectives.

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

Hon. Anthony Ebeodi Eluaka, (during the just concluded Barr Chuks Obusom's led council administration), as a councillor represented his ward, ward 5, at the legislative arm of Oshimili South LGA.

His tenure at the council's legislature, witnessed lots of politically motivated and needless political up-rising, as one blessed with natural endowment for the legislature, as well as having all the natural tendencies to champion its leadership, Hon Anthony Ebeodi Eluaka, despite all odds progressively proved his legislative pragmatism, both as a house member and as the house leader.

A close encounter or an engagement with him on legislative matters will surprisingly unveil to you his deep understanding and knowledge about legislative business, democratic governance and sustainable community development.

A recent account of some political stakeholders in Oshimili South about their study and research into the roles, functions and activities Hon Ebeodi Eluaka embarked upon since he was called upon by his people to represent them at the council's legislature, accounts for one of the few outstanding representation and proactive oversight functions necessary to keep the Barr Obusom led Executive arm of government alive to its electoral promises.

Many progressive political opinion leaders believe his proactive and responsible legislative oversight functions and Commitment to offer meaningful representation to the good people of ward 5 who faithfully asked him to represent him, was one of the reasons the executive arm and some other high profile political actors sought occasion to truncate his house leadership of the Oshimili South legislative arm.

Hon Ebeodi Eluaka's membership in the legislative chambers provoked, recorded vast scores of legislative achievement, positive sustainable community development initiatives, such initiatives he at some occasions they were his brain child and at other occasions Hon Eluaka supported these pro-people grassroot initiatives.

Political opinion leaders in Oshimili South LGA, recently at a political function noted that during Hon Eluaka's tenure at the legislative chambers as the house leader, the house enjoyed robust legislative engagement, his leadership was never a push over nor a rubber stamp at the disposal of the council's executive led by Pst Barr Chuks John Obusom's administration.

His leadership took all issues relating to legislative oversight functions very serious, a move the council executive found not too funny, for his pragmatic house leadership and purposeful leadership of the legislative chambers, his friends and political associates had a concern and question, which till date has not being anwsered, Oshimili South LGA political opinion leaders maintained.

As politically motivated and needless biased driven anti leadership acrimony rose their ugly heads against the ordinarily well led Oshimili South legislature, Hon Eluaka's political associates, asked one question, 'is it a crime to be competent, credible and committed at effective discharge of one's legislative functions.

Of a councillor's routine responsibilities which include but not limited to making laws, exercising oversight controls over the executive, constituency and deliberation functions, Hon Eluaka's proactive and leadership driven response to his over sight function and responsible control of the executive, laid the foundations that threatened and costed him his position as the house leader.

Right from his day one at the legislative chambers till his tenure at Oshimili South legislature ended, one fact stood out clear, this fact was that Hon Ebeodi Eluaka led the hallowed chamber creditablely well, such that his achievements and leadership records, since he was replaced in a manner political opinion leaders best described as palace coup, is yet surpassed.

It is a clear fact that since political interests and actors threatened by his type of progressive house leadership sponsored and witnessed his ouster, successive house leadership since then had not being able to bring back to the floor of the house sound legislative deliberations, steady house seatings,  purposeful oversight functions and result oriented control of executive arm, which regrettably are now gone with the wind, since he democratically surrendered his seat as the house leader, this fact, Oshimili South LGA political opinion leaders also upheld.

In all fairness, Hon Anthony Ebeodi Eluaka having being heavily short changed by some political actors stronger than him, an action that shortened the natural lifespan of his progressive leadership at Oshimili South legislature.

Going by the above points, the Oshimili South LGA political opinion leaders rising from their meeting recently collectively held that, Hon Anthony Ebeodi Eluaka, should be given an opportunity to scale up his already well learnt and naturally mastered legislative experiences, by representing Oshimili South State Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly.

Oshimili South LGA political opinion leaders's crusade for Hon Ebeodi Anthony Eluaka is not only hinged on the premise of his naturally articulated legislative leadership prowess and responsible pro community development initiatives , but they believe that Hon Eluaka has fared well with respect to his spiritual, domestic and communal responsibilities cum relationships, which in their judgement remains a positive yardstick to measure responsible and purpose driven leadership.

In 2015, an Asaba based non government organization, Foto Sofia Foundation, worked in partnership with a USAID funded project and implemented by Stakeholders Democratic Network (SDN), a project focused on peaceful electoral process and peaceful community relations, it was at that project, the latent natural leadership abilities embedded in Hon Ebeodi Anthony Eluaka began to shine brighter.

There is no gain saying that his insight, contributions, suggestions and goodwill during the implementation of the project stood him out and unveiled the rich legislative ingenuity in him, as well as the natural leadership prowess he possess.

Again in 2016, when a Warri based non government organization (NGO), LITE-AFRICA, selected Oshimili South LGA as one of her pilot council areas it plans to implement its citizens advocacy project on good governance and sustainable development initiative.

The project witnessed the selection of both Umuagu and Ezenei quarters as pilot implementation communities, again Hon Eluaka exceptionally demonstrated his love for his community, Ward and Oshimili South LGA in General.

His committment to see that the project achieved its purposes and was peacefully implemented in his ward spoke volumes, as it unveiled the true leader that best describe who Hon Ebeodi Anthony Eluaka truly is.

Most recently, his pro community development instincts again spoke loudest, when Hon Eluaka positively responded to his ward's appeal to help them resuscitate their dilapidated and unfunctional public bore hole water supply system.

A response which attracted many positive response from community and grassroot opinion leaders.

Ogbueshi Peter O Okolie, Diokpa Umunkwo community and Mr Friday Valentine Rapu, community mobilizer/opinion leader, commended Hon Eluaka's magnanimity and swift response to their call to rehabilitate the delapidated bore hole at Ogwa Umunkwo.

As a law maker, Hon Ebeodi Eluaka, during his tenure as house leader, he initiated and championed the drafting and passage of bills that brought grassroot communal sanity, good governance and sustainable development, which till tomorrow the Pst Barr Chuks John Obusom's executive arm parade as its success stories, with zero recognition to the man whose legislative pragmatism laid the firm foundation of Pst Barr Obusom's success stories.

During Hon Eluaka's tenure as house leader, Oshimili South Legislative arm recorded the drafting and passage of the following bills, institution and initiatives, which after his leadership, has not being surpassed.

Oshimili South council today can happily boast of an Improved Internally Generated Revenue, which was made possible by the passage of the bills that saw the establishment of a revenue court and the revenue bye law, a huge possibilities in Oshimili South LGA.

The current sanity Oshimili South LGA can boast of today, especially, within the council's inland town communities, was made possible again by Hon Ebeodi Eluaka's house leadership, which proactively drafted and passed the Private Sector Participant (PSP) bill and provided the legislative background and frameworks that made possible the establishment of Oshimili South environmental task force.

The above twin environmental friendly initiatives were made possible by Hon Eluaka's led legislative assembly.

He also championed other sanity and community development focused bills and initiatives, which include but not limited to drafting and passage of bill prohibiting street trading, bill prohibiting loud street mobile adverts.

He also acted efficiently as a consultant on the management of the council's internally generated revenue, as well as worked round the clock at seeing the successful implementation of Oshimili South youth empowerment/development initiatives, one that had financially empowered hundreds Oshimili South Youths.

Despite challenges of the nation's dwindling economy and recession, Hon Eluaka vowed that as the nation's economy improves, he is committed to do more for his ward.

With these above well researched piece, it was in the interest of Oshimili South LGA opinion leaders's position that more responsibility is the reward thrown at true leaders and champions.

In this vein, Oshimili South LGA opinion leaders ended their meeting with a wake up call on all Oshimili South political elders, leaders and power brokers on the need to give Hon Ebeodi Anthony Eluaka the opportunity to serve as member representing Oshimili South State Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly come 2019.

SOURCE : ASABA POST NEWS WIRE (ONLINE)