By Palmer Ogheneyole Nathaniel
LAGOS OCTOBER 29TH (URHOBOTODAY)-One of the most irritating and randomly flawed philosophical postulation is that of “solipsism”. An irksomely selfish believe that nothing else exists outside one’s self, the thought of only me and me alone is fit to live, thus lives. For those who did not understand it, solipsism is a latin a word which means alone and for myself.
The solipsist often than do not stop at nothing to advance his or her narrow interest. They deploy every atom of instrumentally at their disposal to advance their course of injustice on their neighbours. He could hold on to power in perpetuity like no other will ever exist. He implores all manners of unsellable rhetorics to sway his gullible disciples. This is frankly the likely situation Isoko South Constituency II has pitifully found itself. A situation where a single community assumes conquest of the entire land.
Since 1999 when Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Aviara cabal had sat unrelentlessly on power. Hon. Prince Johnson Erijo has been the constituency’s representative at the State House of Assembly. Although in 2003, Hon. Silas Buowe from Umeh defeated him and took the position for a four year uneventful tenure, Erijo returned back in 2007 and remained in the position till date. This is a constituency that has other communities like Uzere, Olomoro, Enwhen, Igbide and Umeh/Erowa.
Hon. Erijo has been there for 3 consecutive terms and hope to by 2015 go for the 4th term with his fellow town man, Chief Solomon Ogba also serving in government in various capacities since 1999.
To launch the Aviara agenda and in preparation for the battle to keep Erijo in Asaba beyond 2015, a meeting of sons and daughters of the kingdom was held on Thursday 19th October, 2015. Although, architects of the said meeting railed out several agendum, but it is instructive to note that no issue was discussed except how men and resources will be mobilized to keep their brother in power.
The meeting which was held at the luxurious Four Point Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, had in attendance, Hon. Johnson Erijo, Mr. Dennis Odogu, Mr. steve Arauwou, Chief Evang. Solomon Ogba and Mrs Stella Imonite (nee Arugba).
Others are; Mr. Dennis Emaviwe Mr. Julius Adede, Mr. Isreal Umeri, Mr. Goodie Ofehe, Mr. Victor Asasa, Mr. Anex Ezo, Mr. Charles Arugba and several others.
At the beginning of the meeting, Julius Adede explained in deep Isoko why the “bird at hand MUST be protected”. This position was corroborated by the political leaders who held strongly to the view that in the absence of oil, political offices is the sure panacea to keeping the community in the tower of releance.
The few dissenting voices were that of Goodie Ofehe, Victor Asasa and Anex Ezo.
While Goodie Ofehe labeled infrastructure brought by these political leaders to Aviara as “rubbish” citing poor execution, Ezo wondered how they expect to make meaningful progress when tailors are made to supervise construction works in Aviara. Ezo’s statement aptly captured why things have failed to work in not just Avira, but the entirety of Isoko.
As for Stella Imonite (nee Arugba), all Erijo need do was to publicly declare his intention so that “boys” will be recruited and paid stipends to kick-start the campaigns.
In his remark, Hon. Erijo explained how he took all his constituency projects to Aviara and why Aviara must again project him for 2015. To him, only Aviara was good enough for projects to be cited. He went ahead to state that he has given 32 persons jobs, all from Aviara and that he pays 200 persons 50,000 monthly in Aviara.
This is the report of the much talked about Aviara ELite Forum’s meeting held in Lagos on Oct 19th.