By Eric James
One of the quantities that defines the credibility of a political leader is his ability to carry his constituents along and meet their aspirations through faithful implementation of his electioneering promises.
This attribute, largely lacking in Nigeria’s political system, is what endears the politician to the electorate.
Unfortunately, electioneering promises often ladden with rosy pronouncements have become the bait that the average Nigerian politician employs to work on the psyche of the electorate, making them believe that their welfare will be a priority in his political agenda if elected.
But quite often, the reverse is the case as the masses whose votes are sought with fervent plea are shut out of the politician’s gate and denied communication contacts once his ambition is fulfilled.
However, in the multitude of political actors, there still exist quite a good number whose tracks are ladden with appreciable measure of service delivery spurred by patriotic zeal to serve humanity.
One of such politicians is the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial district at the National Assembly and Delta state PDP gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 general elections. Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa .
The political ascendancy of this fifty-five year old medical doctor has some lessons in tenacity and moral principles for the present and up-coming generation of politicians.
Senator Okowa may not wholly come under late professor Chunua Achebe’s classification of those whose palm Kernels were cracked for them by benevolent spirit.
His entry and meteoric rise in politics were a combination of divine favour, hard work, commitment, loyalty and a burning desire to render service to humanity.
These attributes solidify the pivot on which his political pendulum swings.
What distinguished Senator Okowa’s political career from the vast majority is its grassroots support base. He is one politician whose fame is bolstered by the massive goodwill he had showered on those he had impacted their lives through his humanitarian gesture and service delivery.
After graduating as a medical doctor in medicine and surgery from Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan in 1981 at the age of twenty-two, Senator Okowa worked briefly as a medical officer with the defunct Bendel State Hospitals Management Board before venturing into private medical practice as director of Victory Medical Centre Boji-Boji Owa and Igbanke.
The uncontrollable urge and enthusiasm to render service on a broader scale propelled him into partisan politics, where he started first as secretary to Ika local government and later pioneer chairman, Ika North East local government council from 1991-1993.
At the approach of the return to democratic rule in 1999, Senator Okowa joined the People’s Democratic Party PDP in 1998 after serving as leader and Delta North co-ordinator of the Grassroot Democratic Movement (G.D.M).
He also served as the Delta North co-ordinator of the James Ibori’s campaign organization in 1998 and was secretary of the Transition committee that ushered in James Ibori’s administration in 1999.
Dr Okowa’s emerging political visibility, exemplified by the key roles he started to play in Delta State politics accelerated the strategic portfolios he occupied during the Ibori’s eight years tenure and the first four years of the Uduaghan’s administration.
Under the James Ibori regime, Senator Okowa held three portfolios as commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water Resources Development and Health. And in pursuit of his ambition for a higher political calling, senator Okowa resigned from the state executive council to contest the governorship seat in 2007 but lost in the primaries to Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, incumbent governor of Delta state. Apparently in appreciation of Senator Okowa’s rare display of political maturity, commitment and support inspite of his loss at the primaries, Dr Udughan on emerging victorious at the governorship polls, appointed him secretary to the state government. Dr Okowa’s wise counsel and contributions in his strategic role as secretary to government, no doubt assisted the Uduaghan administration in stabilizing the polity with the attendant prevalence of peace and harmony in the multi-ethnic and politically volatile Delta state. His impressive performance in the various portfolios he held during the Ibori and Uduaghan’s administrations bear testimony to the influence he wielded at the executive councils of the two regimes. In 2011, he was elected into the Senate to represent Delta North Senatorial District.
Senator Okowa’s entry into politics after a spell in medical practice was not accidental but a decision widely perceived as divinely programmed.
His passion to render service beyond the scope of health care delivery compelled him to drop his stethoscope and surgical knife for politics.
Even at the senate, he has flown the banner of the medical profession where as chairman of the senate committee on health, he has sponsored not less than twelve bills including the National Health Bill recently passed as an Act of the National Assembly.
His constituency projects that cut across various sectors including roads, bridges, education, electricity, agriculture and Information Technology spread across the nine local government areas that constitute Delta North senatorial district are visible evidence of thorough execution of schemes under the watch of a political leader.
These are complemented by his empowerment programmes where choice of materials distributed to beneficiaries such as tricycles, sewing and grinding machines, photocopying machines, deep freezers, computer sets and high roof buses for primary health care agencies, all worth millions of naira reflect the basic requirements of the needy in Delta state urban and rural settlements.
Perhaps, the basic values that have enhanced Senator Okowa’s political visibility and endeared him to a broad spectrum of the electorate are his non-violent approach to politics, humanitarian disposition, commitment to service delivery as well as his receptive attitude to both the high and the law.
A man driven by action rather than garrulity, his belief that a man’s actions should reflect his words earned him the popular name “Ekwueme” literarily meaning a man who does what he says.
The free medical services he rendered to the poor in his days as a medical practitioner remain indelible in their hearts.
His emergence as the People’s Democratic Party PDP governorship candidate for Delta state in the 2015 general elections also attests to his political popularity.
Having served as secretary and chairman of local government, commissioner, secretary to government and currently Senator, Dr Okowa has diligently navigated the murky waters of Nigerian politics which have fully equipped him for occupation of any top post in the political arena.
And if his achievements and pedigree are to form the basic criteria for public assessment of his political vision and agenda, he stands tall above his fellow contestants in the race to Government House, Asaba.
Eric James,
Former General Manager
Delta Broadcasting Service
Warri
08033456283.
