Festus Kenyamo's Delta Forces United:‘Urhobo Wayo’ or Good Politics?

Prince Emmanuel O. Ohai 

As I read an article posted on Sahara Reporters website titled: Festus Kenyamo convenes ‘Delta Forces United’ To Stop theDynasty Of Thieves In Delta State’it became clear to me that the list of those who yearn to end the relative peace now enjoyed by the different ethnic groups in Delta State is growing: Chief Great Ogboru a prominent Urhobo son insists that he will run again as the Governorship candidate of the Democratic People’sParty (DPP) or as the flag bearer of soon to be merged All Progressive Congress(APC) in spite of the fact that since 1999 he had run as governor in every election without any success; now,as it turns out, Mr. Festus Keyamo of the Urhobo ethnic stock convenes ‘Delta Forces United’ that has in its ‘Aims and Objectives’ amongst others:
• That the only way to discover a new leadership for Delta State is not by promoting leadership on the narrow platform of any ethnic group.
• That the urgent reconstruction and development of our State by a trusted and competent leader is far more compelling and important than the insistence on future leadership emerging from a particular ethnic group.

With ‘Aims and Objectives’ as those listed above, Mr. Festus Keyamo and his group may attempt to kill the dreams of majority of Anioma people but they cannot kill history.

How so? You may ask. … Well, History as you may know is a record of past events. In trying to recount these past events as it relates to present Delta State politics, I intend to draw from my ‘Form 3’ (7th Grade or SSS1) history lessons that dealt with ‘Historical Contextualization’, ‘Historical Thinking’ and Historical Corroboration’ I will attempt to use these concepts that Historians use to help make their students understand what was going on at a particular time period and also help understand those happenings in the context of that period.

As I corroborate or tell the full story with facts, I hope you too will benefit from these secondary school history lessons that have helped me to contextualize or understand what happened in Delta State politics in 1999,when the political leaders of thought in the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta agreed to have a zoning arrangement amongst the three Senatorial Zones,to decide who would fly the party flag in 1999. In my humble opinion as an innocent bystander, I believe the decision by PDP to add to its Constitution, provisions for zoning party and elective offices, was to prevent the “Born to Rule” syndrome that could destroy its political party.   

The argument is that zoning willprevent the injustice of marginalization to any particular ethnic zone, as many more party members will feel they have a stake in the party if their zones are likely to occupy party or elective offices at some point.I must admit that the recent calls from some in the party to jettison any form of zoning are a good idea, only if all the zones in Delta State have taken their turn at occupying designated offices. In other words, I am saying, it does not make sense to change the rules in the middle of the game. If zoning has to be gotten rid-off in Delta State, it has to be after the Delta North Senatorial District has taken its turn to produce the Governor of the State.

Relevant section 7(2) (c) of the PDP Constitution states in part that, “in pursuant of the principles of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committees at all levels.”

I know many who are reading this are wondering why PDP Constitution must even be brought up in a matter that affects all Deltans. For me, I do not see any difference between PDP and any other political party in Delta State or in the country in general.  Among a variety of reasons that made me draw that conclusion is the fact that in the last general election of 2011 about half of the members elected to the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) were elected on the platform of the opposition DPP. If you fast forward to now, you will find that all but may be 1 or 2 of those 12 or so members elected on the platform of DPP have since decamped to PDP.

Based on the realities on the ground in Delta State, one couldbe torn between concludingwhether it was ‘Wayo’ or ‘Good politics for those (DTHA) members to have used the DPP platform to get elected only to decamp to PDP after being sworn into office.Whatever conclusion you draw the fact remains that societies that make progress always start off on a basis of equality that is anchored on equity and justice. The ‘urgent reconstruction and development of our State by a trusted and competent leader’  am I afraid to let Mr. Keyamo and his co-travelers know is best achieved if we are all working to enthrone equity, fairness and justice across board.

Folks, as Deltans how we seek equity, fairness and justice, going forward; are the crux of my submission today. Sadly, Mr. Festus Keyamo’s Delta Forces United’s press statement was just a statement with no facts to back its hidden pro Urhobo agenda. I will attempt to do better than they did by providing you with facts to support my position that we must keep the peace goingforward, by making sure that all Senatorial Districts have had their go at occupying Government House Asaba.
 

Here are the facts:
a) There are 3 (Three) Senatorial Districts in Delta State; namely: Delta North, Delta South and Delta Central.
b) Anioma people from Delta North Senatorial District occupy 9 (Nine) Local Government Areas out of the 25 in Delta State.

c) The leadership of the ruling and dominant political party in Delta State, PDP in 1999 agreed to zone the elective offices in the State as enshrined in its party constitution.

d) Chief James Onanefe Ibori from Delta South Senatorial District became Governor in 1999 and served two terms that ended in 2007.

e) In 2007 Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan from Delta Central Senatorial District became Governor and will serve out his 2nd term ending in 2015
f) In spite of having the highest concentration of Human Capital including many sons and daughters highly educated adult population some who are Professors or Captains of several industries than any Senatorial District in Delta State and indeed in Nigeria as a whole, no daughter or son of Anioma origin has occupied the Office of Governor since Delta State was created in 1991.
 

Now, that I have told the full story with itemized facts. It is my hope that before you make a decision as to whether the Press Statement attributed to Mr. Festus Keyamo’ s ‘Delta Forces United’ is ‘Urhobo Wayo’ or ‘Good politics’, that you consider for one minute that issues associated with local “Born to rule” politics in Delta State mirrors the national politics. To be clear, as Anioma people of Delta State and Nigeria, we are in the fight of our lives. Just as his Excellency President Jonathan Goodluck fights the forces of “Born to rule” on the national level and his party the PDP, all those who believe in equity and justice must remain consistent and stand with Anioma people in fighting the same ‘born to rule’ faithful like Festus Keyamo in Delta State.  Obviously, as we approach 2015, it would be difficult for his Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan and his handlers from South-South to make a case against the “Born to rule” forces on the national level while those same South-South Faithful look to capitalize on the “Born to Rule” machinations that Mr. Festus Keyamo is now advocating via his deceptive “DFU” press statement as regards Delta State politics.Any discerning person can see clearly the double standard. You cannot eat your cake and have it. Bottom-line, if you say…Born to Rule syndrome is bad on the National level; you MUST also be able to condemn it in local Delta politics.

All that crap Mr. Keyamo wrote about fighting a Dynasty of corrupt leadership in Delta State is not worth the paper it was written on. The fact of the matter is that when Umu Anioma Foundation Worldwide led a group of civil society groups to confront James Ibori and his gang of looters at the Southwark Crown Court, London during Mr. Ibori arraignment for crimes of Money Laundry he committed against Deltans, Mr. Festus Keyamo and his ilk were nowhere to be found. Even now, Mr. Keyamo,I do not think will be able to show us any rebuttal of his, to Mr. Ibori’s news media statements that his travails were a political witch hunt orchestrated by his political enemies? Those who have been following the news lately would have noticed that about 1 month ago would have seen evidence of Mr. Keyamo limited intellect when he threatened as a private citizen to sue the Federal Government and EFCC if they did not arraign House of Reps Member Lawan Farouk for accepting bribes from oil marketers. 

Any discerning person, I hope would wonder why Mr. Keyamo did not feel the need to threaten to sue the Federal Government over Ibori’s looting of Delta State.If Mr. Keyamo was as smart as he claims to be, his press statement ought to have included an itemized list of his activities since 1999 that supports claims made in his press statement. Especially facts that support items# 1 and 7 on press statement, or facts that show prior efforts by Mr. Keyamo to fight corruption in Delta State.

Here are some questions that beg to be asked….
• Where was Festus Keyamo when PDP was drawing up its constitution leading up to the 1999 elections?
• Where was Mr. Keyamo in 1999 when James Ibori of Delta South Senatorial District who had been convicted theft for stealing from his employers as store clerk was running to be Governor of Delta State?
• Where was Mr. Keyamo when James Ibori single-handedly installed as his successor as Governor his cousin Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, using cash and instrument of state to overpower all other contenders and opposition?

For Mr. Keyamo and DFU to publish a press statement that is not backed by facts is in my opinion the highest level of deceit. He and his co-travelers must therefore know now, that, any and all future “Wayo” statements from their end which is not backed by facts will be challenged as forcefully as possible by well-meaning Deltans.

Truth of the matter is that majority of Deltans and indeed Nigerians right now are torn between Zoning or No Zoning. Whatever side you are on, one thing we MUST all agree on is that changing of the rules in the middle of the game does not promote peace, equity, fairness and justice.

Obviously, if the Nigerian Constitution is amended to allow the creation of Anioma State as the 37th State before 2015, all the issues raised in my submission today will become mute. To be quite clear, I believe that we will have a ‘post zoning’ era in Delta State, in fact we are already looking forward to it, but it must happen after Delta North Senatorial District has taken its turn at producing the Governor. From my conversations with ordinary Anioma people, they too are looking forward to a ‘post zoning’ era on the National level. But the fact remains that we must settle the unfinished business first before we can move forward as one people.

Finally, I hope this will serve as a notice to all and especially to Mr. Festus Keyamo and his ilk that the new generation of Anioma sons and daughters represented by this new, strong, bold and visionary leadership are very determined to be seen by all as the generation of Deltans and indeed Nigerians who changed it all for all of us. While this CHANGE we seek may not happen overnight, it will be deliberate, as we will be using all our God given talents, including never tapped before emotional intelligence of this new leadership.
 

Folks, for me oo… All those talk by Mr. Festus Keyamo and the Urhobo Forces United in their press statement about their ‘aims and objectives’… e.g. “That the urgent reconstruction and development of our State by a trusted and competent leader is far more compelling and important than the insistence on future leadership emerging from a particular ethnic group”
is just like OJ Simpson’s ‘aims and objectives’ when he offered $100,000 dollars for the arrest and capture of the person who murdered his estranged wife, Nicole Simpson…..

Na Wayo!

Umu Anioma, Ofu Obi nu oo!

Prince Emmanuel O. Ohai (Convener, Umu Anioma Worldwide and a Patriotic Nigerian)
convener@UmuAnioma.com