By Christian Onwugbolu

LAGOS MARCH 11TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The people of Ndokwa Nation (Ukwuani, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West) for years have been clamouring for the establishment of a government-owned higher institution of learning in their land so they could benefit from what such projects brings to the people.

The Ndokwa people are no doubt the second largest ethnic group in Delta State after the Urhobos.

Prior to Ndokwa people fighting to own just one higher institution of learning in their land, the Urhobos already have several higher institutions which include the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State Polytechnic Oghara, School of Nursing Sapele, Delta State Teaching Hospital Oghara, School of Nursing, Eku and many others not mentioned.

On Thursday 25th January 2018, the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi in a bid to ensure that there is some level of fairness in the siting of higher institutions in Delta State and with the clamour of Ndokwa people, initiated and presented the Bill for the Establishment of Federal Polytechnic Kwale.

The bill, Federal Polytechnic Kwale, Delta State (Est, etc) Bill, 2018 (SB. 603) was laid on the floor of the 8th Senate and passed First Reading. The 8th Senate was under the leadership of Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

The news of this bill echoed across the length and breadth of Ndokwa Nation and caused great jubilation amongst the people.

Mind you, Ovie Omo-Agege was the senator representing Delta Central during this period and was in the house too when this Kwale Polytechnic bill was hovering and gaining ground.

Fast forward to the 14th of February 2018, the Bill for the establishment of a Federal Polytechnic Kwale passed second reading and was successful in the Senate before the very eyes of Ovie Omo-Agege.

The hopes of the Ndokwa people again were brought to a higher octave as their young graduates who have been out of jobs upon graduation began to dust their CVs while others were optimistic about getting jobs as non-academic staff too. All this was due to the speed at which the bill was gathering momentum and its popularity.

A brief stop over to Wednesday 11th July 2018, a Public Hearing was held by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund on the Establishment of Federal Polytechnic Kwale.

On the said day, Ndokwa people, elders, women and youths mobilised to the Nigerian Senate to throw their voice behind this bill, a development they saw as prayers answered.

Due to the success of the public hearing, the bill later passed third reading and was passed by the Nigerian Senate as law and transmitted to the House of Reps.

At the House of Representatives, the member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal constituency, Hon. Dr Ossai Nicholas Ossai ensured that this bill saw the daylight and on the 30th of April, the Bill passed the third reading in the lower chambers and was passed subsequently.

The Bill for the Establishment of Federal Polytechnic Kwale, Delta State alongside three other bills was then transmitted back to the Senate for concurrence and onward submission to Mr President for Assent so that the construction works and academic activities could begin.

Ovie Omo-Agege who saw this development and who is very much aware that his Urhobo land has nothing less than Ten (10) higher institutions including a Federal University in Effurun, the almighty DELSU in Abraka, and Oghara hosting a state Polytechnic, met with his APC cabals and demanded that he wants the Kwale Polytechnic to be moved to Orogun his village.

Before now, Ovie Omo-Agege who was said to have led thugs to the National Assembly and stole the mace during plenary session to stop the possible impeachment of President Buhari and was later rewarded with the position of the Deputy Senate President in the 9th Senate equally demanded that the Federal Polytechnic Kwale should be stopped because he wants it taken to his village in Orogun.

This led to Ovie Omo-Agege sponsoring a bill for the establishment of Federal Polytechnic Orogun, Delta State in Senate Bill 2019 (SB 34) which was later approved by President Buhari on 23rd February 2021, since it killed the Kwale Federal Polytechnic that was initially passed into law by the National Assembly.

It is important to note that during this period Peter Nwaoboshi was still a PDP Senator and was pained that Omo-Agege was about rendering his efforts wasted but the Kwale Bill finally met its Waterloo at the Reps when the Orogun Bill was passed before a House of Reps that saw protest from Dr Nicholas Ossai Ossai who protested the obvious gang-up, injustice and discrimination but it was too late for the Ndokwa Representative to lament the Omo-Agege hammer on Ndokwa people.

Although Ndokwa people took to the streets to protest and equally to the National Assembly to protest, the daylight robbery by Omo-Agege the legendary clannish politician never showed any sign of concern for the cry of Ndokwa people since he saw them as not his people.

Part of the reason for Omo-Agege’s wicked action, was that he never taught he would run for the office of the state Governor soon which would see him needing the votes of Ndokwa people.

Certainly, Ovie Omo-Agege stole the Kwale Polytechnic to Orogun and shattered the dreams of Ndokwa people.

I hope we all understand the consequences of a clannish man’s behaviour towards one tribe’s advantage are dire. By excluding certain groups from educational opportunities, it hinders them from gaining the knowledge they need to succeed in life. This lack of access to educational resources can leave individuals, as well as their families, struggling to find employment, financial security, and access to basic services. Not only does this perpetuate a cycle of poverty and suffering, but it can also contribute to increased social tension between communities and even among nations.

Without access to proper educational resources, many talented and ambitious individuals are unable to realize their potential, thus limiting the entire community’s potential to succeed. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the potential repercussions of clannish behaviour towards one tribe’s advantage.

Today, Ovie Omo-Agege has successfully hijacked the following projects to his Orogun village alone without even spreading it to other parts of Urhobo:

– Federal Polytechnic —-Orogun

– Law School——-Orogun

– Defense Space Academy——–Orogun

– Jamb CBT centre ——-Orogun

– Oil and Gas Industrial Park —–Orogun

– Independent Power Plant.——Orogun

Therefore, it is critical that we address these issues and put into place the measures needed to provide a leader who is a people person and gives all a chance to prosper.

Or are we willing to toll this clannish road, No !! Of course Nde Ukwuani.

Christian Onwugbolu is a former member of the Media Team of Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.