Blessyn Brume-Ataguba, Special Assistant, Political Matters, to the Deputy Senate President highlights the strategy deployed by her principal, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to touch his constituents
Politics is a social activity. It permeates and affects our lives – often without us realising just how much of our daily life it affects and shapes. Yet, the importance of politics to everyday life, and the degree to which many of our daily activities are ‘political’, is not always fully appreciated.
We have in His Excellency, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Senate (DSP), a truly great and pragmatic leader with a big social conscience and a high sense of public duty. A man with a tenacious and deliberate determination to lift up his constituents – our good people of Delta Central. His entire interest in politics is the people, the people, the people, and you see the passion all over him like none other. Omo-Agege does not entertain negative reports on the betterment of his people.
In the words of Winston Churchill, ‘The price of greatness is responsibility’. And so it is with our DSP. He takes responsibility in unique ways.
When it became evident that COVID-19 had metamorphosed into a pandemic, the world was suddenly faced with the existential threat of the century. A new struggle between life and livelihood suddenly ensued. Then our DSP sprang into action with a bang! He donated N85,000,000 cash to be shared at N5,000 to at least 17,000 old, vulnerable, sick, or otherwise weak constituents in Delta Central. He wanted our people to determine what to do with the money instead of buying fanciful items that won’t make meaning to all persons at the same time. That is quite thoughtful, isn’t it?
To execute the purpose of His Excellency’s magnanimous personal donation, he went further to carefully assemble a very responsible, competent and incorruptible group of young leaders to deliver his message directly to the people without any compromise on their brief. Today, everywhere in Urhoboland and Delta Central is aglow with joyful reactions from grateful recipients of the donation who are chosen at random and without partisan considerations or other such sentiments. Once again, there is joy in the land as DSP’s team penetrate all the nooks and crannies of Urhobo, spreading a piece of the Most Distinguished Senator’s magnanimity to our wonderfully appreciative hearts. Old women and men dancing on streets and praying endlessly for a profoundly good leader. One who is always doing good.
It is the humble and fervent prayer of all good people that the gratitude that our people currently feel towards our generous DSP is sustained. By the scriptures we know that he who waters shall himself be watered. Let us continue to water the DSP with more prayers and unflinching support. He is a special pride to the Urhobo nation and all our people.
Our DSP’s COVID-19 palliative is obviously not meant for partisan political gains hence it has zero party control. It is essentially a philanthropic and humanitarian gesture. However, it should count for something significant in the political realm. Our people will surely remember someday on their way to choosing leaders that there is a good man called Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who remembers those who periodic and fruitless politicians love to forget in haste. As the great Martin Luther King once said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right’. Whether it is today or tomorrow, our DSP deserves our prayers and support to do better and more for us.
With humility, I know what true service to the people means. My beloved dad, the Most Distinguished Senator Fred Aghogho Brume, lived it all his life. In our DSP Omo-Agege I see an exceedingly great leader who is robed in God’s grace to serve very well. And he is delivering excellent results.
Politics, my friend, qualifies as a social responsibility when people are engaged to the point of true happiness along the line of the DSP’s palliative.
It is also true to say that everything that is social is political. I hope this does not stretch the meaning of politics too thin to the point of dilution. Although, politics itself as a concept is a contested concept.
Less of these ideological rants and more to the point.
We are seeing images of the palliatives from some public characters and governmental establishments on social media. It is pitiful and indeed very sad that our people are being subjected to such degrading and dehumanising treatments. Pictures of single cups of rice and beans are being peddled all over the social media space as the very best for families. Are our people not worthy of a share of our collective wealth? The questions are too numerous to mention here. Maybe it’s best not to even go there.
Friends, we will do well not to forget the federal and constituency projects which have either been influenced or have been delivered to your communities by our amiable Senator. There is a saying in Warri that, ‘Na who call you person, na him you dey call person.’ Let us always remember our beloved DSP Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in our prayers. As one grateful Efetobor O’tega prayed, “Until Omo-Agege and the entire team is blessed, heaven will not rest.” Amen, and in that heavenly blessing lies our true collective future political greatness. We have a great duty to reward this leader who has our people’s interests in his heart. May God bless The Obarisi of Urhoboland.
