For Senator Akporokena Pius Ewherido the
character traits that will shape his sojourn on earth manifested at a very
early age. While still crawling, he always probed the unknown including finding
out how delicious meals are made, an adventure that almost cost him his life.
At age four he was ready to confront the soldiers who invaded and overran
Ughelli town where his family was domiciled in the then Midwest Region during
the Nigerian Civil War. “Let us go home”, he told his elder brother. “After all, they are men like us.” As a teenager, Ewherido also felt that he
could kill a lion with his bare fist at the height of his obsession with
taekwondo until he knew better with age. He also did not chicken out of a
fight, even with a much older and stronger opponent, if he felt oppressed or
unjustly treated. As a child, Senator Ewherido was also noted for incessantly
questioning the status quo, an attribute that always put him on collision path
with older people. He was also very
single-minded in the pursuit of causes and issues he believed in. Add these
innate qualities to love, selflessness and high moral uprightness, which his
parents imparted in him and his siblings and what you get is the quintessential
Pius Ewherido, the senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District and the
only senator elected on the platform of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in
Nigeria.
Born on May 4, 1963, into the family of Joseph
Ewherido, a retired school principal and administrator and his wife, Paulina, Senator
Ewherido is the third in a family of eight children, all males. His parents,
who were and still are staunch Catholics, brought him up in the strict
Christian teachings and Catholic tradition. He started his primary school at
St. Paul’s, Ughelli and finished in RCM Primary School, Ozoro, all in Delta
State. For his secondary education, he attended Notre Dame College, Ozoro also in Delta State. Thereafter, he proceeded
to the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo
University) where he studied philosophy and emerged the best graduating student
in his class. After his youth service in Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye, he went
into business and was a successful businessman in Warri, Delta State. After a while he enrolled in University of
Benin to study law. He was subsequently called to the bar after law school.
Senator Ewherido cut his teeth in politics
when he joined the United Nigeria Congress Party in 1997 during the Sani Abacha
era. After the botched transition programme, he continued running his
businesses. In 1998, he joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He contested and won the Ughelli South
Constituency election to the Delta State House of Assembly in 1999. His colleagues,
who noticed his leadership qualities in those early days, elected him deputy
speaker which was the highest position zoned to Delta Central in the house. For
over a year, he also acted as speaker of the house. His distinguished, vibrant,
sterling and robust leadership are still reference points, almost six years
after he left the house. He brought recognition, acceptance, dignity and
prestige to the office of the deputy speaker and was perhaps the most visible
state assembly deputy speaker in his time.
Senator Ewherido was not just a leader in the
house; he was a lawmaker par excellent.
In his eight years in the house he moved over 40 motions that were
adopted and sponsored and co- sponsored eight bills among which are:
1) Law
Prohibiting Harmful, Cruel and Discriminatory Practices Against Females and
Widows
2) Prohibition
of Female Circumcision and Genital Mutilation
3) A
Law to Make Policy Provisions for Employment of Indigenes in Delta State and
for Other Matters Connected Therewith.
4) A
law to Make Provisions for the Establishment of Delta State Blood Transfusion
Databank and Other Incidental matters, 2006
5) A
law to Make Provisions for the Amendment of Legal officers (Harmonisation of
salaries with magistrates) Law in 1996 and for other matters connected therewith
6) Employment
of Legislative Aides, Employment Protection for Deltans in Junior Staff
category in Establishments in Delta State, 1999.
7) A
Law to Provide for the Grant of Bursary and Award of Scholarship to Students of
Delta State Origin in Educational Institutions and Matters Connected thereto
In his time in the house, over 10 roads were
constructed in his Ughelli South Constituency, over 20 towns and villages were
provided with electricity, over 15 towns and villages were provided potable
drinking water, a lot of primary and secondary schools were given face lift in
the local government, among many other projects. It was mainly in appreciation
of his performance that he was overwhelmingly voted back to the house in 2003. Other
accolades also came in appreciation of his performance and contributions. His
paternal people honoured him with the chieftaincy title of Otemunoruemu of Ewhu
Kingdom, while his maternal kiths and kins bestowed on him the title of
Adjerese of Effurun-Otor Kingdom. His
maternal people in Enwhe, Isoko South also conferred on him the title of Aruore
of Enwhe. Recently the Ohworode of Olomu
Kingdom, HRM Ovie R.L. Ogbon Ogoni Oghoro 1 on his 96th birthday and
25th coronation anniversary honoured him with title of Eje Urhobo Yovwi
of Olomu Kingdom.
Ewherido contested the PDP governorship
primaries in 2006. Dissatisfied with the conduct of the primaries, he withdrew
from active politics in 2007 after his tenure in the house ended. In 2010 he switched camp to the Democratic People’s
Party. He contested and won the DPP Delta Central Senatorial primaries before
going to win the main election in 2011. Since 2011, even as a lone DPP senator,
Ewherido has been giving the people of Delta Central vibrant and effective
representation, drawing from his experience as a state legislator. In less than
two years in the senate, he has sponsored four bills. They are:
1) A Bill for an Act to make provisions creating the offence of Corporate
Manslaughter and matters incidental thereto.
2) A Bill for an Act to Establish the
Welding Standards Regulatory Council of Nigeria.
3) A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of The Constitution of The
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for Devolution of more
responsibilities to States And Public Sector Accountability (by the creation of
the office of Auditor General of the Federation as distinct from The Office of
The Auditor General of The Federal
government of Nigeria).
4) A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to streamline the jurisdiction of the appellate
courts for quick dispensation of justice and for matters incidental thereto.
Majority of the bills Ewherido has sponsored
since his days in the state assembly are people- oriented which lends credence
to his humanist disposition. Ewherido is a man of the
people, a thoroughbred grass root politician. He has also co-sponsored 12
motions so far in the senate. He has attracted developmental projects,
scholarships, job opportunities, training locally and abroad among others to his
constituents and constituency.
Fondly called Gogorogo by friends and
admirers, Ewherido is a man of enormous intelligence, great vision and penetrative
thinking. He has by utterances and deeds
proven his selflessness over the years as a leader. A lover of sports, he was
into taekwondo, table tennis and lawn tennis in his younger days and he is
still an ardent long tennis player and football follower. He is a Real Madrid
fan of 23 years.
Like
his father, Senator Ewherido is a devout Catholic, a family man to the core and
a lover of children. A Knight of St.
Mulumba, he is married to Doye Ewherido (nee Bozimo) and they are blessed with
six children.
Fifty hearty cheers to Senator Ewherido on
this golden day. Gogorogo, oyovwi ke we (it is well with you).
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