Politics
2023: Why Delta Ijaws must respect zoning arrangement
By Kenneth Yugbovwre
Majority of Urhobo Patriot are peeved by an article written by an unknown and faceless Chief M. Keme on behalf of an equally nebulous group called Delta scholars.
The said article which was shared on several platforms elicited only revulsion from patriotic Urhobo sons and daughters unfortunate enough to have read the gibberish from the febrile minds of Mr Keme and his motley band of misfits masquerading as scholars.
These deluded persons thought that by garbing themselves with the appellation of “scholars” they could mask their true identities. After reading through the vile article and its malicious attempt to ridicule high ranking urhobo personalities, most especially Chief Joe Omene, the president general of UPU, certainly exposed the odious fact that Delta scholars is a sobriquet adopted by a band of sponsored Ijaw irredentists to forment ethnic strife and rivalry between some cantankerous Ijaws and their peaceful Urhobo neighbours.
Secondly, the indecorous use of unbridled invectives, expletives and very uncouth vocabularies to malign the person and office of Chief Omene is another unscholarly low by this faceless group of Ijaw miscreants.
In addition, the litany of spelling errors and grammatical gaffes also expose the very low intellectual acumen of these mangrove swamp bumkins calling themselves scholars. Ijaw politicians should desist from these childish games of sponsoring paid hirelings to spew very vicious and malicious narratives against people opposed to their inordinate greed for power and devilish plans to plunge Delta state once again into the infamy of another ethno – political strife.
Although, most Urhobos who read the obnoxious article by the said Chief Keme were negatively infracted, but, I was however not surprised by the antics of the so called “Delta scholars” because insolence have become a defining trait of many persons from the Ijaw ethnic nationality who do not know what urbaneness mean having been raised and nurtured in jungle like environment of mangrove swamps and a war like culture before wandering to cities to mix up and interact with well cultured persons of other ethnic nationalities born and brought up in cosmopolitan environments.
Civility, a mark of good parentage is equally aplenty in persons of Ijaw origin who were fortunately raised in the cities and are at peace with both their Urhobo and Itsekiri neighbours.
This caustic but factual response to the insolence and temerity of misguided Ijaws of the likes of Chief M. Keme who have suddenly developed a penchant for attacking urhobo leaders advocating for equity and fairness, is intended to serve as a first salvo of warning to all Ijaw bigots who became politically visible on account of humongous wealth made from oil bunkering and piracy on the seas and who now arrogate to themselves the toga of Ijaw leadership, to the chagrin of educated urbane and peaceful true ijaw leaders who are at peace with all their neighbors.
The vile article by the deplorable Chief M. Keme woefully attempted to cast unprovoked aspersion and opprobrium on notable urhobo sons, most especially on the person and office of chief Joe Omene, a foremost Urhobo son and President General of UPU.
It is instructive to opine that whoever is peeved by the views and opinions of Chief Joe Omene is a rabble rouser intent on plunging Delta state into unnecessary ethnic tainted political rivalry, hence agent provocateurs like the “Delta scholars” who are on the payroll of discredited and sullied Ijaw politicians should be admonished to eschew bearding the Urhobo in their den, otherwise, we will be forced to unmask these rabid dogs and their sponsors and thereafter, appropriate sanctions will be meted out accordingly.
The misguided Ijaws of Delta state should be matured enough to realise that their days of political impunity and civic rascality bolstered by the GEJ presidency is now history. Any unwarranted braggadocio or violent bellicosity from the Ijaws will be countered by a disproportionate counterforce unparalleled in the anals of Delta state.
Henceforth, any and every attempt by sponsored hirelings and irredentists of Ijaw extraction will be timely and judiciously addressed to serve as a deterrent to other groups and tribes contemplating a connivance to undermine the Urhobos and subvert our right to government house Asaba which we have patiently waited for in the last 13+ years.
The Ijaws are adviced to imbibe the virtues of patience and its salutary effects on existential good neighbourliness. Plotting to torpedo the time honoured zoning arrangements in Delta state PDP is an ill wind that will blow no good.
Be rest assured, the Ijaws can never ever intimidate the Urhobos into selling their birthrights by beating the drums of war, the Urhobo history is replete with tales of valour, we give more than we receive. Hence, we candidly wish to advice the few greedy and over ambitious Ijaw politicians to gingerly borrow patience from their urhobo neighbours and wait patiently until power is zoned back to Delta south, then they can bully other tribes in their senatorial zone and make their brash violence backed bid for government house Asaba.
The zoning of the 2023 governorship ticket to Delta Central is a done and sealed deal. Thankfully, the Delta state PDP chairman has reiterated the sacrosanct nature of the zoning arrangement in Delta state. Nonetheless, the Ijaws are hereby advised to desist from all covert and overt subterfuge against the legitimate desire and ambition of the Urhobos to produce the next governor of Delta state after a 16 years excruciating wait. Let us all join hands to build and develop a Delta state of our dreams.
Governor Dauda Lawal Named Part of Presidential Delegation for Historic UK State Visit
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has been named as a member of the presidential entourage that will accompany President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on a historic two-day State Visit to the United Kingdom.
According to a statement from the Zamfara State Government House on Monday, the Governor will depart Abuja for the UK on Tuesday for the visit, which is scheduled to take place on March 18 and 19 at the invitation of the British Royal Family.
During the visit, King Charles III will host President Tinubu, the First Lady, and the Nigerian delegation at Windsor Castle, where they will view a special exhibition of Royal Collection items related to Nigeria. The Royal Family will also host a State Banquet in honour of the Nigerian guests on the evening of Wednesday, March 18.
The presidency has outlined that the purpose of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. President Tinubu is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which are expected to lead to expanded bilateral discussions and the signing of Memorandums of Understanding covering trade, investment, defence, and cultural cooperation.
The President will also serve as the guest of honour at the Nigerian Modernism exhibition, which showcases contemporary art and culture, and will participate in a reception with Nigerian and British business leaders as well as members of the diaspora community.
The Zamfara State Government expressed confidence that Governor Lawal’s participation in the high-level delegation will provide valuable networking opportunities, opening significant prospects for investment and economic benefits for Zamfara State. The visit will also see Governor Lawal display his repertoire of knowledge on global policy and corporate governance and also pitch the Mineral and Farming rich state to potential investors during the bilateral meeting with the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
Politics
LPDC Verdict: CRG Hails Decision Clearing Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Condemns Political Witch-Hunt
LPDC Verdict: CRG Hails Decision Clearing Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Condemns Political Witch-Hunt
The Centre for Responsible Governance (CRG) has welcomed the decision of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) dismissing the complaint filed against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, describing the ruling as a clear affirmation of due process and institutional integrity.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, the spokesman of the Centre, Obande George, said the verdict of the disciplinary body has once again vindicated the Deputy Speaker and reaffirmed the position earlier taken by CRG that the allegations against him lacked merit.
The LPDC, in its ruling referenced BB/LPDC/1954/2026, held that no prima facie case had been established against the Deputy Speaker and dismissed the complaint in its entirety.
According to George, the decision demonstrates the importance of allowing competent institutions to examine allegations objectively rather than rushing to judgment in the court of public opinion.
“From the onset, the Centre for Responsible Governance maintained that justice must take its course. We insisted that competent institutions should be allowed to examine the issues without political pressure or sensationalism. The LPDC’s ruling has now clearly shown that the allegations had no foundation,” he said.
The CRG spokesman further stated that the decision reinforces the sterling reputation of the Deputy Speaker, who has over the years built a distinguished profile both as a legal practitioner and as a legislator.
“Honourable Benjamin Kalu is a respected member of the Nigerian Bar and an accomplished lawmaker. Attempts by some individuals to impugn his reputation through unfounded allegations were unfortunate and unnecessary.”
CRG also condemned the actions of certain civil society groups that were quick to demand that the Deputy Speaker step aside from office even before any formal determination had been made by the relevant authorities.
George described such calls as premature and irresponsible, noting that they contributed to the politicisation of a matter that required sober institutional review.
“It is disappointing that some civil society organisations rushed to demand that the Deputy Speaker step aside without allowing due process to run its course. Advocacy for accountability must be guided by facts and fairness, not by sensational pressure.”
The organisation also criticised what it described as the role played by some political actors from the South East who allegedly sought to exploit the controversy for narrow political interests.
According to CRG, it is troubling that certain politicians would attempt to undermine one of their own for short-term political advantage.
“It is even more disturbing that some political actors from the South East appeared eager to weaponise this matter in an attempt to bring down one of their own for cheap political gain. Such actions weaken collective political progress and erode the spirit of solidarity required for national development.”
CRG therefore called on Nigerians to learn from the episode and reaffirm respect for institutional processes and the rule of law.
The organisation stressed that public discourse must be guided by evidence, fairness and responsible engagement rather than rumours or politically motivated campaigns.
“The lesson here is simple: allegations must be tested by competent institutions before conclusions are drawn. Nigeria’s democracy will only grow stronger when due process is respected and reputations are not casually destroyed.”
CRG concluded by congratulating the Deputy Speaker for maintaining calm and dignity throughout the controversy, noting that his composure reflected confidence in the justice system.
@The Centre for Responsible Governance, Email: [email protected], Instagram: crgngo6, Twitter: crgng06, Threads: crgngo6
Obasa Appointed to CPA African Executive Committee
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, has been appointed as a Sub-National Representative to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African Executive Committee.
The announcement was formally conveyed through a letter from the CPA Africa Region, which was read on the floor of the Assembly by the Clerk, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, on Tuesday, March 10. The appointment confirms Speaker Obasa’s three-year tenure, spanning 2026 to 2029.
Lawmakers took turns to congratulate Speaker Obasa, praising his devotion to parliamentary service and his consistent efforts to strengthen legislative practice. They described his appointment as a recognition of his hard work and a reflection of Lagos State’s growing influence within the Commonwealth. Members noted that his achievements continue to bring pride not only to Lagos but to Nigeria as a whole.
In his remarks, Speaker Obasa expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their support, urging them to remain steadfast in prioritizing the progress of the Assembly and to continue working collectively to advance the legislature. He further directed the Clerk to send a formal letter of appreciation to the CPA African Region for the honour bestowed upon him. “Let us always put the House of Assembly first and never relent in our efforts to move the legislature forward, ” Obasa concluded.
The CPA African Region plays a pivotal role in advancing the interests of African parliaments within the Commonwealth. It is widely recognized for promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, respect for human rights, democracy, and good governance across member nations.
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