By Victor Lewis
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSO, under the auspices of the Niger Delta For Good Governance, Equity & Fairness (ND4GGEF) as well as a cross section of respondents from Warri North Local Government Area have strongly advocated for a second tenure for the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, following his undisputed and superlative performance in the development of the area since he mounted the saddle of leadership three years ago.
The group also emphasized that, given the fact that nearly all the political positions available to Warri North Local Government Area in the present dispensation are presently occupied by politicians from Itsekiri ethnic nationality, it argued that the Ijaws of the area should, in the interest of justice, equity and fairness, retain the chairmanship position of the Council.
Addressing newsmen in Warri over the weekend, the national chairman ND4GGEF, Comrade Mike Jenigum recalled that when Hon. Smart Asekutu mounted the seat of chairmanship of Warri North Local Government Council three years ago, there were those who were very much aware of his inherent spirit of patriotism and drive for the transformation of the riverine area. However, not many thought the chairman who happens to be the first to emerge from the Ijaws of Warri North, has been inflamed by a bigger vision for the development of the area amid his sincerity and commitment to his lofty dreams.
He noted that although Warri North Local Government Area with headquarters at Koko was created in 1991 and many persons had, at one time or the other, mounted the leadership of the Council, the development of the area has been gradual albeit slow considering the difficult terrain that characterizes the topography of the Local Government Area, three years down the line, Hon. Asekutu’s performance has not only vindicated him and his transformation spirit, he also succeeded in mesmerizing cynics who were initially bothering themselves with the question, ‘Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’.
According to Comrade Jenigun, the Egbema Ijaw-born Council chairman has not only proved his mettle, but actually proved his cynics wrong by actualizing all his plans for the development of Warri North Local Government.
Comrade Jenigun highlighted the achievement of Hon. Smart Asekutu which include the construction of a jetty and water project at Ugboro and Okogbo communities respectively, among several other plausible projects.
“As an organization that is much interested in good governance, justice, equity and fairness, we have been on the trail of the Council chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu since he assumed office. And our conclusion is that, he not only performed beyond the expectation of everyone, he has not yielded to the challenges association with the terrain of the Local Government Area and had made some landmark achievements which have remained enduring legacies of his administration.
“For instance, Hon. Asekutu did not only constructed a modern jetty in Ugboro community he still executed a massive potable water project in Okogbo Communities, thus improving the health and welfare of the people of the area.
“Asekutu also provided heavy duty power generators in some of the riverine area as Opuama and Tsekelewu to take care of primary health centres in some of the very remote riverine communities.
“We also noted that earlier in his administration, Hon. Asekutu took the welfare of the Local Government Staff very seriously by renovating the staff quarters as well as building a new Staff Canteen to provide affordable convenience whilst on duty.
“His performance and achievements became a national recognition when in 2022, he was voted as the most performing Local Government chairman in Delta State when the then Minister of Inter-governmental Affairs and Special Duties (now the Secretary to the Government of Federation) Sen. George Akume, embarked on assessment visit to the 774 LGAs”, Jenigum said.
Comrade Jenigum further stressed on the peace and security that have so far characterized the administration of Hon. Smart Asekutu in the past three years. The group noted that the chairman’s magic wand on this area was mostly buoyed on his understanding of the importance of recognizing and giving equal priority to the two main ethnic nationalities in the Local Government Area. The group noted that Hon. Asekutu’s adoption of all-inclusive approach to the administration of the Council Area, to a very large extent, has so far helped in fostering and sustaining peace and security in the past three years.
“Asekutu has a magic wand for peace and security in Warri North Local Government Area. The evidence is everywhere and the two major ethnic groups in the Local Government Area can testify to this. Little wonder therefore, the Warri Monarch, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri kingdom specially commended the Council chairman, Hon. Asekutu, for his multiple achievement in the administration of the Area, where he urged him to keep up the good work.
“Asekutu is a non-tribalist and it is in this capacity that he was able to carry the two ethnic tribes along. This is why he has been enjoying a high level of peace in his administration.
“We are also aware of his special care, attention and recognition of the Legislative Arm of the Council. We could recall that when sometime in 2022, the then Okowa administration approved a constituency project worth N2 million to each Councillor in the 25 Council Area, Hon. Smart Asekutu added one million naira to each Councilor to enable them do good work in their wards. Even, it was also to our knowledge recently, that it was only Hon. Asekutu who approved N25,000 to Council staff as part of the palliatives to address the current high cost of living”, he said.
The Niger Delta For Good Governance, Equity & Fairness Civil Society group, said they have carefully reviewed the performance of Hon, Smart Asekutu in the past three years and they have resolved to advocate for a second term for the Council chairman to do more for the development of the Local Government Area.
“We have taken our time to review the performance of Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, the Executive Chairman of Warri North Local Government Area and we have come to the conclusion that it is very important to give him another term to enable him exhaust his plans and programme for the development of the Area.
“Asekutu deserves a second term in office considering his superlative performance in the past three years. He has distinguished himself and have beaten the expectation of everyone including cynics”, the group asserted.
In a related development, a cross section of important personalities from Warri North Local Government Area have advocated that the Ijaws of the area deserve to produce the next Local Government Council Chairman, in view of the fact that nearly all the political positions available for politicians from the area are presently occupied by the Itsekiris.
A community Woman Leader from Odububa community, Madam Vero Johnson, who fielded question from our correspondent in Asaba recently, revealed that most of the political offices available at the state level are presently occupied by the Itsekiri ethnic tribe in Warri North Local Government Area. According to her, in the spirit of equity and fairness, the Ijaws of the local Government Area should be allowed to occupied the Council chairmanship position for a second term, adding that the Ijaws would not hesitate to return the incumbent chairman, Hon. Smart Asekutu to do a second term following his sterling performance in his first term.
“I must tell you that one of the reasons why there has been a sustained peace and security in Warri North in the past three years was because of the political power balance we have been experiencing in the area. Smart Asekutu is the first Ijaw to have the opportunity to become the chairman of the Council since its creation in 1991.
“And I can testify that since he became the chairman of the Council for the past three years, there have been peace and security in the area and there has been a sense of belonging among the indigenes of the Local Government Area. There has been massive development in the area because there is peace and security. So, for me, the Ijaws should be allowed to produce the next Council chairman and Asekutu should be allowed to continue for the next three years”, she said.
Also speaking with our correspondent, a youth leader from Opuama, Comrade Goodnews Kemekemi reiterated that the Ijaws of Warri North must be allowed to produce the next Local Government Chairman for the sake of equity and fairness. He said that the past three years has witnessed peace and security in the area because there has been some sort of balance of political power in the area. He listed the political office holders from the area who are all Itsekiri from Warri North who are from the Itsekiri ethnic group.
“For the sake of the existing political balance in the Local Government Area, the Ijaw must be allowed to produce the next Council chairman for a second term. Presently, all the political office holders from Warri North are Itsekiris. They include Hon. Fred Martins, Member representing Warri North State Constituency, Hon. Isaac Wiliki, Commissioner for Water Resources and Hon. Orode Uduaghan, Commissioner for Girl Child Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Support Services.
“So, in the interest of justice, equity and fairness, the Ijaws should be allowed to retain the chairmanship of the Council for the next three years. This is more so, that the current chairman who had completed the first three years, Hon. Smart Yomi Asekutu, has performed beyond expectation. He should be allowed to continue for another term”, he said.
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