"Oyayasimwinevbomwan Declaration"—A Speech At Ikpoba-Okha APC Ward-Tour Grand Finale
'Oyayasimwinevbomwan' (It Takes Uncommon Courage To Struggle For One's Community) – Being The Title Of A Speech Delivered At The Grand-Ward-Tour Of APC Ikpoba-Okha Chapter's Consultation With Executives, Women And Youth Leaders For EDHA Nomination- 2015 General Election; Delivered By Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, 21st October 2014.
The Chairman, executives, elders, women and youths of Ward one (1), I bring you fraternal greetings as one of your children; and aspirant for the post of Edo State House of Assembly come 2015. I most humbly appreciate you for this rare opportunity to present myself to you all. I pray that the good Lord will strengthen our party as we finalize plans to nominate the flag-bearersfor the general election. Above all, that God will give us the grace to triumph over and above our political opponents peacefully and transparently. Amen.
It is not by accident that the Edokpolo Campaign Organization (ECO 2015 Group) chose your esteemed ward ONE as the last ward in our tour to solicit your nomination at the forthcoming primaries; but we had a merger plan in mind. We believed that being the last ward in our ward- tour; you will have the privilege of being part of our tantalizing campaign style; and be the venue to host the media coverage of our draft social contract presentation for Ikpoba-Okha's development.
I was born on the in Eguagie Street, Ward 7 Ikpoba-Okha; Benin City. I attended the popular Akara School, Ologbosere Primary school, Niger College, and the Nigerian Institute for Computer Science and Professional Studies in wards 7, 6, and 2 respectively in Ikpoba-Okha LGA. Logically, if there was a University in Ikpoba-Okha, I would have sought admission therein for my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Political Science and Public Administration. I obtained the two distinguished degrees from the University of Benin. I am currently a Ph.D student in Comparative Politics.
As a scion of the John Enoyogiere Edokpolo dynasty "the out of all my childrensis fame"; it's a norm to work assiduously for whatever we hope to achieve. I have never been an opportunist, and I will never be one in Jesus name. I am a foundation member of the ACD, later AC, ACN, and APC. Even an onlooker can attest to my loyalty and great sense of dedication to this party. It is widely believed that some food is ready politicians who were aspirants or candidates of the PDP in 2003, 2007, and 2011 and defected to our party on questionable compromises have benefitted far more than most foundation and dedicated members of our party. We all know that it is not an ideal way to reinforce our reward system; but a mediocratic way of engendering food-is ready-politics. Our party pride itself as 'Change all over Nigeria'; we must therefore enthrone new ways of rewarding hard work and excellence, so that our members will continue to commit astute loyalty to the spirit and goals of our party, and boost the solidarity of the masses or electorates for our party's interest. Our party must play the part of role-model in character, policies and a thorough process of nominating credible candidates for elections.
I am one of the Senior Special Assistants to Edo State Governor –Housing; and at some point in time, I sought interests in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Local Government Council's administration; but I was prevailed upon by the top echelons of our party and Government at the state level to melo down. I also want to make categorically clear that I have the permission of the State Governor to engage in the nomination process for the Edo State House of Assembly, Ikpoba-Okha constituency seat, with a caveat that no one will be imposed on the ward and LGA executives. And I like to say without any iota of misconception that it is only a lazy, visionless, and orientationally-bankrupt aspirant that will be peddling rumors of adoptionall about; a man whose background, charisma, vision and democratic credentials is intact, will never seek 'a kpekpeye' kind of imposition over his or her fellow aspirants; he or she will rather engage leaders and members of the party with utmost humility and sagacity of vision and mission statement. An astute aspirant who clearly seeks to give constructive representation will not move about with "rice-see-me-giogio" touts and brigands with the intent of compromising ward and LGA leaders with stomach infrastructure; only to ruin the fortune of our people when the person is eventually elected. We must resist anyone who wants to use our ticket for trade-by-barter.
This is why, I earnestly hope and pray that our party primaries will be a dawn of a new era - where money bags will not overcome men and women of goodwill; where entrepreneurs of violence will not overcome ambassadors of peace and tranquility; where men of questionable characters who deviously seek to snatch our victory-tickets and decamp to another party after their swearing-in ceremony; will not overcome die-hard disciples of this party who are yet to get a single contract of ten kobo, or any form of empowerment, yet, we remain unflinching loyalists of our great party. I trust that our party delegates are better informed by the sad experiences of the past, which underlined the wanton under-representation that our people and LGA suffered and still suffering from till date.
But I have come to share with you, a social contract of constructive representation, one that is anchored on loyalty, responsibility, street-credibility and a vibrant Intelligent Quotient (IQ) that will network with our LGA leader (Hon. Osarodion Ogie Esq.) and give result-oriented outputs. Let me reiterate that whereas, there are two fundamental duties of a typical Nigerian legislator, namely - Lawmaking; and oversight functions respectively. And whereas, the House of Assembly is NOT a contract awarding arm of Government; but I make bold as to say that a Legislator with the consciousness of "political muegbe-suegbe" will seize justiciable opportunities in engaging the Governor in ensuring that the State's Appropriation Bill encompass germane projects of his or her constituents before it is presented to the House for deliberation and passage into Appropriation Act. In the same token, I will constructively engage the Federal Ministry of Environments as well as the National Emergency Management Agency to fix the Queen Ede and Ogiso golly erosion zones, whose catastrophic effects have turned Landlords and Land-ladies into emergency tenants in Benin City. I will ensure that my childhood dream of a dual-carriage way encompassing Musheshe Street situate in the Benin-Abraka road, through, 100 feet road, to the road behind Guinness Bottling Company is flagged-off and executed to holistically decongest the traffic menace in the Ramat-Park and Osa-Market area of Muritala Mohammed Way. I will engage other agencies like the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Owena River Basin Authority, EDSOPADEC, Rapid Response Agency, World Bank, Africa Development Bank,Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research, etc to build and maintain superlative Primary and Secondary Health Care facilities;durable roads;the red-roof revolutions schools;proper skill acquisition centers;modernized markets; healthy arbarteurs; dignified women empowerment programs; Widows support initiatives and provision of interest-free loans for our market women . I make these promises in the name of God- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The rumor mill has it that I am afraid of a public debate with my contemporaries for the EDHA Ikpoba-Okha constituency seat. I wish to seize this opportunity to declare that apart from being indefatigably ready for such an intellectual exercise, I challenge the chief architect of this rumor to arrange a debate program at aconvenient date and time of my fellow challenger(s); and give me only THREE HOURS NOTICE to collect my clothes from the Dry Cleaner and navigate to the venue anywhere in Edo State. A man of the people is never overtly-prepared to present his mission and vision. Our leaders, I hope you know that the rumor is a "kpekelemess" (due apology to the Late Arc Bishop J. E. Edokpolo JP).
WHY THE DIRE IS CAST
My dear ward leaders, I hope you know that the House of Assembly election is more critical to the survival of Edo State Government more than any other election; because once the opposition party is able to garner 2\3rd majority of members on 29th May 2015; the Governor may be issued an impeachment notice on 30th May. From the body language of the state chairman of the opposition party and other leaders; I am sure that no one is in doubt of an inglorious plan to impeach the Governor and ruin the developmental legacies of this administration.
This is majorly why I joined the race TO STEM THE TIDE OF FIELDING UNPOPULAR CANDIDATES THAT WILL NOT WIN THE MARCH 15TH ELECTION. We need a candidate that can garner as much as eighty five percent votes on Election Day; this is a 'federal' INEC election that will likely embody the spirit of the Presidency. So our task is NOT just to produce a candidate for our party, but one that can overwhelmingly win election.
This is partly why I tagged this grand finale of our ward-tour of the ten wards of Ikpoba-Okha as “OYAYASIMWINEVBOMWAN declaration”. This Benin maxim was borne out of the uncommon courage of the legendary Benin Queen and mother of Oba Esigie, in her unmistaken resolve to lead the psychologically depressed-Benin army to fight the Idah war. The struggle to represent Ikpoba-Okha is one that must be intellectually-driven, grassroots based, and an epistemically-packaged plan; and only Marshals of my caliber can wage this non-violent war for the APC.
It's on record that as founder and President of the Benin National Congress, I spearheaded the campaign for the House of Reps investigation of the “case of systemic looting of Benin artifacts” in 2007 and the motion was moved by Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon. – Consequently, I appeared alongside Prince Adetokunbor Kayode (the then Minister for Arts, Culture and Tourism) before the House of Reps Public Petitions Committee on 12th December 2007. I spearheaded the campaign for the recovery of oil wells appropriated in favor of Ondo and Delta states by Gen. Babangida military junta.
I spearheaded the campaign for the appointment of Prof. O.G. Oshodin as the first Benin Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, on 30th November 2009; and I have influenced over one hundred and eighty employees to my credit in Uniben, most of them are your brothers and sisters from Ikpoba Okha. Gladly, I was intrinsically involved in the appointment of Prof. Faraday Osasere Orumwense the Vice Chancellor – elect of Uniben on 14th October 2014. It's on record that I am the first Benin man to drag a seating President before the Federal High Court, Benin, in 2008, to account for the looting of Benin artefacts of 1897.
The records are there!!!!!
I beg you all, to consider the future interests of our youths, women and children as you decide on whom to award your votes to on the day of Primaries. Let it be in my favor. Thanks and God bless you.