Surprise! Shock!! Upset!!! Those were some of the words the
media used to describe the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Delta PDP
gubernatorial flag bearer. But to those who know Senator Okowa, the result of
the Delta PDP gubernatorial primary election was anything but surprising. It
only cemented his profile as a consummate politician, consensus builder, and
popular grassroots mobiliser.
In 2010 when he contested for the Senate, he faced
even more daunting prospects than the recently concluded governorship primary
election. He battled for the party ticket with Marian Ali, the wife of the then
PDP national chairman. Not many people gave him a chance of winning as the
party hierarchy was effectively aligned against him. There were suggestions
from well-meaning people for him to opt for a ministerial appointment instead
of fighting what looked like a lost cause. However, Okowa, who had just quit as
the Secretary to the State Government, stayed the course and against all odds
he defeated Mrs .Ali with a landslide. With that in mind what was surprising is
that many people wrote him off from the gubernatorial contest even before it
started.
Senator Okowa’s journey into the political arena could be
said to be fortuitous or divinely orchestrated depending on how you want to
look at it. It began in 1991 during the ill-fated third republic. He was a
medical practitioner at the time, and was approached by a group of politicians
to participate in the emerging political process. After some initial
hesitation, Okowa obliged and joined in the formation of the Social Democratic
Party in Ika Local Government Area of Delta State. In the ensuing election, the
party clinched victory and a satisfied Okowa quickly made a return to his
clinic to continue his practice.
However, fate played a fast one on him as the party
appointed him the secretary to the local government. Again, he resisted the
overture but after much persuasion he accepted the offer even though his salary
in a month as LG Secretary was less than what he made in a day at his clinic.
Destiny beckoned on him six months later when Ika North East Local Government
was created and he became the pioneer Executive Chairman (1991-1993). His
tenure witnessed the provision of electricity and promotion of small-scale
business enterprises in such places as Ute-Ogbeje, Ute-Okpu, Igbodo, Owa,
Ekwoma, and Mbiri.
Since that humble beginning in 1991 Okowa’s political star
has kept shining brighter and brighter. With the commencement of the fourth
republic in 1999, Okowa joined the People’s Democratic Party and made valuable
contributions to the formation and growth of the party in Delta State. Subsequently,
he was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture and Water Resources, and under his
watch there were remarkable strides in oil palm, pineapple and cowpea
plantations, provision of loan facilities through cooperative societies and the
supply of farm inputs and tractor hire services. There were also cassava
projects, inputs for modern fish farming, and the use of agricultural development
and procurement agencies for the benefit of the farming communities throughout
Delta State.
He also served as Commissioner of Water Resources where he
engendered the introduction and sustenance of solar-powered water schemes and
rehabilitation of urban and rural water provision centres across many
communities in the State. Okowa subsequently headed the Ministry of Health, and
was Secretary to the State Government (2007-2010) before he resigned and
contested for election into the 7th Senate of the National Assembly.
However, as impressive as his political profile is, it is
pertinent to point out that this is not what defines Okowa as a person. What
has distinguished him from politicians of his generation is his compassion and
selfless commitment to empowering the people economically. Senator Okowa is a
man genuinely touched by the suffering of people and he tries his best to make
a difference in their lives. In virtually all local governments in Delta State,
you will find people who are ready to swear by him because of how he has helped
to transform their lives. His yearly Empowerment Day as a Senator has served to
lift a number of people in Delta North Senatorial District out of poverty. In
one of those events, Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP Kogi West) rightly observed
that “Senator Okowa is an advocate of good standard of living for the
downtrodden people.”
As a person Okowa is intelligent, meticulous, and
articulate. He displays a depth of understanding of the issues that affect his
people and Nigerians as a whole. Quietly but steadily he is leaving his
imprints on the sands of time. Without much ado, he has distinguished himself
in the Senate where in three years he sponsored twelve bills, an achievement
that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan described as a “feat.”
In declaring for the governorship of Delta state, Senator
Okowa unveiled his social contract which offers insight on why he wants to be
governor. As is his custom, the programme is focused, specific, detailed, and
measurable, not the typical sloganeering and sound bites that politicians
are accustomed to. With a vision to make Delta State “the pacesetter in the
Nigerian federation by building an enduring legacy of wealth and prosperity,”
Okowa has pledged to build a state where there will be “gainful employment
opportunities, a flourishing agriculture and agri-business sector, effective
health and educational systems, and renewed urban infrastructure and security
that would enhance continued economic growth and the prosperity of all
Deltans.”
*Mr. Ekwugum, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.
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