MY SENATE TESTIMONY IN THE SERVICE OF MY PEOPLE

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 6^th 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.