DELTA HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP: BOMADI’s BEST MOMENT!

By Joe Oyazimo

With Delta Central and North Senatorial Districts taking up the positions of Governor and Deputy Governor in 2023, the Speakership position of the next and fresh Delta State House of Assembly, expected to be inaugurated June 13, 2023, is bound to Delta South Senatorial District.

Virtually all the three major ethnic groups that make up Delta South Senatorial District, namely Ijaw, Isoko and Itsekiri have produced Speaker of the state assembly.

The truth however is that the Ijaw have only produced Speaker of the State Assembly by accident, by default. This is not good enough. Let us go factual. Isoko had the rare privilege of producing the first and fresh Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly in Hon. Emmanuel Okoro under the 2-year Felix Ibru administration. Barr. Young Igbrude, another Isoko, years after in 2007 made the Speakership position in a fresh start of the State Assembly. Away to the Itsekiri, Francis Megbele became Speaker in a fresh start of the Delta State House of Assembly in 1999. The Speakership left him for another Itsekiri, JFK Omatsone in deliberate move to keep the position within Itsekiri. The records are however clear that the instances where Ijaw became brief Speakers of the Delta State House of Assembly were by defaults of impeachment: Basil Ganagana, Frank Enekorogha (Speakers) and Solomon Funkekeme as Deputy Speaker.

It is therefore time to give the Ijaw a fresh and deliberate shot at the Speakership now that the position is coming down to Delta South Senatorial District. The impression should not be created that the Ijaw are second class citizens or worse who gets the Speakership as crumb that falls from the rich man’s table.

Let the Ijaw get the Speaker in the coming fresh Delta State House of Assembly, with Bomadi representative, Engr. Preyor Oboro being the balanced choice. Of all the Ijaw areas that can possibly aspire in the moment, only Bomadi State Constituency has not produced the Speakership of the Delta State House of Assembly! Patani has produced one in Basil Ganagana where Emmanuel Sinebe is contesting from while Burutu I and II constituencies have produced Frank Enekorogha and Solomon Funkekeme as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, however brief. Warri North produced Francis Megbele. Warri South-West Constituency from where Ijaw-born Emomotimi Guwor is contending for the Speakership post, had already produced Itsekiri-born JFK Omatsone, as Speaker. With the immediate past Deputy Governor holding the highest Ijaw political office, just exiting power, it would be fairer to look elsewhere for a spread of power in the Ijaw area of Delta State.

Significantly, and beyond power balancing, Engr. Preyor Oboro, the present Bomadi State Constituency representative is a ranking member in his fourth term! Present Deputy Majority Leader in the House, Preyor Oboro’s cerebral contributions in the House reflect discipline, depth of knowledge, political experience and capacity with stabilising impact on the house. He was thus the toast of former Speakers especially Hon. Victor Ochei and the immediate past and longest serving Speaker, and present Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborovweri, who then relied on him during anxious moments.

It is time for the Delta State House of Assembly to deliberately entrust the Speakership of the house to an Ijaw, and not by accident. It is, on the Ijaw sphere, the long-deprived Bomadi Constituency’s best moment! It is the Bomadi Constituency representative, Hon. Preyor Oboro’s time, to mount the block as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.

I humbly submit! God bless Delta State!