ENigeria Newspaper can report that so far, the Ijaws have rallied behind the current deputy Governor, His Excellency Kingsley Otuaro to represent them and thereby, succeed the incumbent Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
Otuaro has been described as a loyal, detribalized, experienced, humble, well-connected and passionate grassroot politician who can improve the fortunes of Delta State, using his country-wide goodwill and contacts, to bring sound interactive and practical policies to resolve the common problems of the people and in a way, raise the ante of developments of the current government where he is a major stakeholder and leader.
It is however, not an easy trade off because some of the entrenched interests and stakeholders in the State represented by former Governor and influential kingmaker, James ibori may be looking in another direction, not minding the consequent inequity that might be precipitated if the Ijaws are denied their chance.
According to a reliable source, Ibori has his sight on Mr. David Edevbie as the right man to succeed Okowa.
Edevbie cut his teeth in administration and finance at the Barclays Bank, London rising to the position of Head of Asia and pacific Regions before joining the administration of James Ibori as Finance Commissioner where he re-jigged the financial policy of the government to achieve fiscal balance.
He later worked as Director of Finance and Strategy of the PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and appointed to serve as Principal Secretary to the President when he won. He served in that capacity from 2007 to 2010 when Yar’Adua became demised.
ENigeria Newspaper learnt that during his stint in the Presidency, he was reputed to be the eye of the cabals jostling to influence government policies to their favour.
Edevbie had tried to wrestle the gubernatorial ticket with the incumbent governor Okowa during the Party primaries but later was prevailed upon to subsume his ambition and was rewarded with the position of Chief of Staff to Governor Okowa in his first tenure.
And on the other hand, the Ijaws who are mainly from the rich oil and gas resources coastline of Delta State are convinced that the impressive academic and work experiences of their son Kingsley Otuaro are aptly comprehensive to prepare him for the office in the Delta 2023 election.
Otuaro obtained his LLB with honours in 1999/2000 from the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
He subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005. He also holds a Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Nigeria’s premier University, the University of Ibadan, thereby bagging a competence that properly fit him into implementation of Okowa’s SMART agenda principally pivoted on peace-building.
Upon graduation as a young man from the University, he was elected Chairman of Okerenkoko Federated Communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom from 2000 to 2006 during which period Otuaro honed his leadership skills.
Between 2005 to 2007, he served as Special Assistant on Community Affairs to Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Chief James Onanefe Ibori. This appointment by Ibori apparently followed Otuaro’s impressive performance as Chairman of Warri Ijaw-Itsekiri Grassroots Peace Front, an active non-governmental initiative that propelled fighters out of the battle lines, to achieve, in June 1, 2004, the final cessation of inter-ethnic hostilities in the then raging Warri crisis.
In achieving this, Otuaro related with notable Itsekiri activists including Daniel Reyenieju who is presently the Honourable Member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Thomas Eyiritomi, a prominent Itsekiri chief, Matthew Itsekiri, Mr. Mofe Pirah, Rev. Sam Ken, Chief Dan Ekpebide, Engr. Christopher Mala and host of other prominent Deltans.
From 2003 to 2009, Otuaro was Secretary of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), a non-governmental organization committed to the struggle for resource control in Nigeria and enthronement of proper democracy especially in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
In 2008, he was appointed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as Member of the Prof. Sam Oyovbaire-led Delta State Technical Support Committee charged with feeding materials to the Delta State Contingent to the Ledum Mittee Committee on the Niger Delta, where Otuaro met the rigorous challenge of defending state interests.
This Technical Support Committee was retained after its successful assignment as Standing Committee to study strengths and weaknesses of enabling instruments of state-owned institutions/agencies and recommending amends for better service delivery. Such agencies included the Community Development Committees (CDCs), Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Housing, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as it relates to Delta State, etc.
In apparent deference to his detribalized and peace-seeking disposition, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan again appointed him in 2009 as Chairman, Delta State Rehabilitation Committee for Internally Displaced Persons during the military Joint Task Force bombardment of Niger Delta agitators in the Warri axis, a sensitive assignment he creditably performed.
From 2011 to 2012, he served as the Commissioner representing the Ijaw ethnic nationality on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) before the board was dissolved.
On re-constitution of the DESOPADEC board, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan re-appointed him to serve in same capacity from 2012 to 2014.
What is clear is that the stage for battle is set between the Ijaws and the Urhobos, represented respectively by Otuaro and Edevbie, that’s if equity is thrown overboard.
Whatever the case maybe, the Ijaws according to ENigeria Newspaper investigation are prepared to ensure that their son, Otuaro emerges victorious come 2023 whether by hook or by crook.
