MY SENATE TESTIMONY IN
THE SERVICE OF MY PEOPLE
by
Olorogun Pius Akpor
Ewherido
(Senator Representing
Delta Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate)
Permit me to begin this
presentation by thanking the good people of Delta Central and all our revered Ivies who
have given me their unalloyed support so far. I should have done this before
now, but too many engagements held me back. However, I have had cause to
occasionally talk to constituents.
When in the last quarter
of 2010 I decided to join the contest for the Senate seat to represent the good
people of Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly I did so
with an uncommon zeal and sense of purpose. True, it took me time to come to
that decision bearing in mind the quicksilver nature of Delta, nay Nigerian
politics. However, the pressure on me to contest was overwhelming. In my quiet
moments I took myself to task considering the motives of the people asking me
to run for the Senate seat. In the end my conclusion was that their clarion
call was altruistic since their message never strayed from, “please come and give us articulate and
quality representation in the Senate”. I heeded the call.
The journey to the
Senate was an uphill task. However, I drew strength and inspiration from the
support and goodwill of well meaning people across the length and breadth of
our senatorial district. It was on this basis that I launched my bid. We
constituted a Campaign team that toiled day and night with a missionary zeal.
There were many volunteers from all walks of life who saw my bid as a task to
which they must contribute.
The massive support we
got was overwhelming. Farmers and fishermen, market women and mothers, factory
hands and fathers, the youths and the aged, teachers and students, transporters
and tradesmen, doctors, lawyers, and all were arrayed on our side.
Nevertheless, we were not complacent as we took our campaign to every nook and
cranny of Delta Central Senatorial District. From the metropolis of Uvwie and
Ughelli, to the countryside quietude of Evwreni and Orogun, and more, our
campaign team came to terms with the enormity of the task before it.
Yes, we took the message
of quality legislative representation, hope, renewal and delivery of concrete
democracy dividends to our people wherever they were. We left out neither town
nor city, neither village nor hamlet. We visited our people wherever they could
be found. We called at homesteads as well as farmsteads and markets. We held
rallies where we held out vistas of a new day for our people. There was no
where our people are that we didn’t visit.
Election day came and we
saw our people coming out in their unprecedented numbers. The young and the
old, male and female they all came out. What transpired on that day, the level
of awareness, the mobilization, the enthusiasm, the verve and vigour with which
our people voted can only be ascribed to a constructive revolution.
We won the Senate
election. I am using we because of my conviction that
it was the good people of Delta Central that won the election. The people
determinedly stood for change, voted for change and protected their votes. When
the results were announced we won overwhelmingly. We won and the people
rejoiced in anticipation of the realization of their dreams and aspirations. We
were to discover that I was the only Senator elected on the platform of the DPP
nationwide. Our people made this political miracle possible.
The Seventh Senate of
the National Assembly into which my people voted me was inaugurated on the 6th day
of June 2011. It was a great day for me and the Urhobo people who came from far
and near to celebrate the inauguration at Abuja. It was a rare carnival-like
ceremony. As these went on, my mind was busy mapping out strategies on how to
deliver the dividends of democracy and meet the aspirations of my people.
When the Senate
committees were constituted I was made the Vice Chairman of the Marine
Transport Committee. I was also made a member of the Senate committees on
Education, Senate Services, Trade and Investment, National Planning and
Integration, and Agriculture and Rural Development.
You must agree with me
that the present Senate has been very proactive. It has been engaged with
insecurity matters especially the Boko Haram menace. The Senate has been
advocating for a restructuring of the economy just as it is engaged in the more
significant issue of evolving a new constitution under which we have state
creation as a factor.
Today, almost two years
on in this proactive Senate, I can look back and render an account of my
stewardship to my people. I must now add that we are working within the limit
of financial resources available and we do appeal to our people to be patient.
We can however say that we will not relent in making life better for all. This
is just a midterm appraisal as it is the second year in a mandate of four
years. Greater services are bound to follow.
My testimony is in two
parts, namely: legislative and constituency. I begin with the legislative part
as follows:
*sponsored the Welding Standard Regulatory
Council of Nigeria Bill 2012 which is aimed at
professionalizing the trade and practice of welding for the socio-economic good
of those involved in it. It is on second reading.
* introduction of a Bill
for the devolution of powers and more responsibilities to the states in order
for Nigeria to manifest its federalist character. This is already with the
Constitution Drafting Committee of the Senate.
*I initiated a Bill to
provide for the offence of Corporate Manslaughter which proposes penalties and
criminal responsibility against corporate bodies as a result of negligence
leading to loss of lives. It has passed second reading.
* I initiated a Bill for
an act to alter the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria (1999) to streamline the jurisdiction of the Appellate Courts for quick
dispensation of justice and matters incidental thereto.
*Sponsored a motion
cataloguing the achievements and services of the late Senator Fred Brume to
Nigeria.
I have also co-sponsored
the following motions on:
* the “State of Nigerian
Expressways” aimed at redressing the non-completion of
on-going
federal roads projects.
*the listing of
Telecoms, Oil majors and the newly
unbundled
Power company.
*Companies’ Stocks in
the Nigeria Stock Market.
*“Leveraging on
Agriculture to Reduce Unemployment
and Poverty in
Nigeria”.
*“Economic Growth and
Worsening Inequality in Nigeria: A Call for New
Approaches to Poverty Reduction”
*the murder of four
students of the University of Port-Harcourt in Aluu community in Rivers State
*reviewing of Planning
and Budgeting process in Nigeria.
*deteriorating Services
by Mobile Telecom Service providers (GSM)
*amendment of the
National Agricultural Land Development Authority Act for Laws of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria 2004
*urgent need to
investigate the imminent collapse of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge
*Nigeria’s outing at the
recent African Cup of Nations 2013.
I have classified
projects into Education, Infrastructure and Empowerment as follows:
EDUCATION:
*Facilitated a TETFUND ICT Centre for DELSU
*Facilitated a TETFUND
Technology building for FUPRE
*Facilitated Senate
Education Committee’s visit to FUPRE
*I have also facilitated
the award of NDDC Overseas scholarship to qualified Delta Central constituents.
Award of scholarship
*to over 200 students
from Delta Central in tertiary institutions across the
country.
* to Delta Central
Students at the Nigerian Law School
*to students studying
for Bachelor’s degree in Urhobo at DELSU
*Instituted the annual
Urhobo language competition among our youths to help revive interest in the
Urhobo language. The maiden award took place in December 2012.
*Instituted the seed
money for Urhobo Studies Association of DELSU in a bid to make Urhobo Language
a subject for examination in WAEC and NECO
(the following projects
have been completed or almost completed)
*construction of a block
of 3 classrooms at
*Olomu Grammar School,
Otorere-Olomu,
*Adagrasa Primary
School, Ugolo-Okpe
*and Egbo Primary
School, Okuruvo, Okpara Waterside
The following are in the
2013 budget/ongoing
*Block of three
classrooms with toilet at
*Orogun Grammar School,
Orogun,
*Assah Secondary School,
*Udurhie Secondary
School, Mosogar
*Eghereka Primary
School, Ewu,
*Ekete Primary School,
Udu and
*Oton Primary School,
Sapele
*establishment of skill
acquisition centre at Ogor Technical College, Otor-Ogor
INFRASTRUCTURE
Completed
Provision of Hand pump
Boreholes at:
*Ogirisen Elum in Sapele
*Gbakemu in Ughelli
South LGA
*Ogbovwan in Ughelli
North LGA
*drilling of water
borehole and 2km pipeline extension and the provison of
overhead 10,000
gallons steel tank at Umeghe-Abraka
*rehabilitation of
Otor-Ewu water project and 3km pipeline extension
Ongoing
*construction of Alagbabri town hall in Ughelli
South LGA
*deep borehole water
project in Ophorigbala, Owevwe, Otor-Iwhreko and Owhrode
*construction of small
scale irrigation structures in Ewu and Ovu.
Electricity: Ongoing
*installation of transformers at Otokutu, Ohoro,
Edjekota, Evwreni, Ohwahwa and Kameta
*provision of 3 Poles of Solar Street Light at
Dienanakpor Street, Agbarha-Otor
*Installation of 5 No.
33 x 500KVA transformer and connection to National Grid
at
Orhuwhorun in Udu LGA
*and Effurun in Uvwie
LGA
*provision of Solar
Modules capable of producing 1900 wts of electricity at Umeghe-Abraka.
*provision of
7.5mva/33/11kva Injection sub-station in Eku
*street lights in Orogun
and Jeddo
*extension of
electricity and transformer upgrade at Assah, Etefe, Omafuvwe and Ogor
*Roads and Bridges
(ongoing/2013 budget)
*provision of additional funds for the completion
of Edjekota-Ewu Road(NDDC)
*canalization of LA
Market in Ewu
*channelization of
Orokobohwo Creek, Omosuomo River, Ughelli South LGA
*Proposed NDDC Budget,
construction of:
*a bridge across
Arhavwarien River
*complex
road-Agbaza-Jefia Road canalization, Ekpan
*Onoriji Street road,
Effurun
*Kwololo Way, Okwagbe
*1kmPaulina Street road,
Ekpan
*NEPA Line road road,
Effurun
EMPOWERMENT SCHEME
*I, in conjunction with
my colleagues, was instrumental to the setting up of an investigative panel to
look into the privatization of the Delta Steel Company (DSC), Ovwian-Aladja and
the subsequent Senate revocation of its sale to GOHIL. The Asset Management
Company of Nigeria has since assumed control of the Company pending when a new
management will takeover. DSC will provide thousands of jobs for the teeming
populace. The Senate has made appropriate recommendations for DSC, the workers
and pensioners and we are pushing for executive implementation.
*Recommended over thirty
qualified graduates for employment into the Federal Civil Service.
*Instrumental to the
participation of my constituents in NIMASA organized Seafarers Development
Programme. Some of whom are now in India, Malaysia and the Philippines.
*Sponsored 30 constituents
for skill acquisition and training under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
*Construction of modern
cassava mill, fish pond and hatchery in Ekpan, Uvwie LGA
*Construction of small
scale fish farms in Ewu and Isiokolo
*I helped in the
recruitment of qualified Delta Central constituents into the following
agencies:
---Nigeria Customs
---NAFDAC
---Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Abuja.
---Nigeria
Communications Commission
---Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps
---NIMASA
---NECO
----Corporate Affairs Commission
---National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja.
*I created an
entrepreneurial/empowerment scheme for youths and women in Delta Central.
About one hundred and twenty women have so far benefitted.
*Empowerment in cash for
youth leaders in Delta Central.
*about seventy car gifts
to constituents irrespective of party affiliation in Delta Central
*Appointment of liaison
officers in all eight local government areas in Delta Central.
*Proposed purchase of
tricycle (Keke NAPEP) for constituents with a minimum of 200 to be distributed.
CONCLUSION
The foregoing are some
of the tangibles which the frailty of remembrance can capture. There are many
other things I have done which cannot now be recounted here. However, what
matters is that I am providing my people the quality representation they yearned
for when they cast their ballots for me. My vision rests on an ideology that is
people centred, and it is to them that I shall devote my, time, brain and
brawn. As I noted earlier, this is just the second year in a sojourn of four
years in the first instance. Only time it will take and everything good will
get to all our people. Finally, I say a very big thank you to you all. It is
well. Ihwo me, mini
wadooooo……Gogorogo yerowaoooo….
Olorogun Pius Ewherido
Senator representing
Delta Central Senatorial District,
National Assembly,
Abuja.
