*Insists on release of Okuama leaders held without trial
*Assures unrestricted accessibility
*Says pol. blackmail, media propaganda won’t derail his mandate
By Victor Lewis
As for Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, he definitely has not been found wanting in his primary duties of lawmaking and oversight functions, yet he has also not lost focus on his electioneering promises to his constituents.
This much the Okpe-born technocrat cum politician alluded to when he played host to members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Sapele chapel who paid him a courtesy visit in his country home in Sapele recently.
According to him, true representation does not end with just sponsoring bills and motions on the floor of the Senate, it is also about touching lives, empowering people, and speaking boldly for justice.
He reiterated his promise of massive empowerment to his people, adding that his human capital development project was on course.
The Senator also clarified that his focus on generating employment via the revival of the moribund Sapele Port and the the Delta Steel Company (DSC) in Ovwian-Aladja was top on his priority as he glides calmly into his second two years of his first tenure in the Nigerian Senate in grand style.
Dafinone also reminded his constituents that his office remains open to all, especially to those who may seek his assistance in one form or the other, adding that accessibility was one of his promises to the people.
“If I have the instruments of power and don’t use them for my people, I’m wasting them.
“Let my work speak for me. At the end of the day, what matters is the lives I have touched and the opportunities I have opened for my people”, he emphasized.
He specifically recalled one of his prominent empowerment projects when he provided 100 youths with POS machines and ₦50,000 each, stating that although detractors have been critical of the project, serious-minded individuals who benefitted from that empowerment are certain to eke a living out of it. “It may not change your life, but it can change your situation”, he added.
On the unending detention of Okuama community leaders by the military, Dafinone renewed his call for their unconditional release, describing their almost one-year incarceration without trial as unacceptable. He revealed that one detainee had died in custody, another was released in poor health, and two lost children during their detention.
“If they are innocent, release them. If they are guilty, charge them openly in court. One year in detention without trial is not justice,” he said.
The senator urged journalists to build closer ties with him, noting that representation works best when constituents personally know their senator. He stressed that no legitimate request for engagement had ever been ignored, and encouraged the media to follow his verified social media handles for direct updates.
On constituency projects, Dafinone disclosed that there are over 700 pending requests ranging from transformers to school repairs. With limited resources, he set a goal to deliver at least 200 in four years.
Dafinone condemned political distractions, revealing that those behind a recall campaign demanded ₦1.5 million to drop it — a demand he refused. He warned against using the media to destroy Urhobo leaders, saying it weakens the ethnic group’s national influence.
Looking ahead, he named reactivating Sapele Port and halting asset stripping at the Delta Steel Company as key priorities, while admitting the steel plant’s revival faces major challenges.
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