Olorogun John Oguma is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State and Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of Obakpor Engineering Limited. In this concluding part of the interview with SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Sunday Apah, Oguma speaks on the political strides in Delta State and other issues. Excerpts:
For the first time in the political history of this country, the Urhobo man is absent in the Federal Executive Council, how do you see this?
The absence of an Urhobo man in the Federal Executive Council was as a result of our political decisions. As human beings, if you lie down at night and wake up to feel pains, you won’t blame anyone for it. Rather, you have to bear it or call a doctor for treatment. If there are problems, we look for ways to solve it, not crocodile cries of marginalization.
During the last election, did the DPP members vote? No. They didn’t because they alleged that they didn’t have a candidate, so it was left for only PDP members to vote. Do you call that support for President Jonathan? The problem started when someone who is maternally from Urhobo, paternally from Delta south senatorial district of the state claimed that Chief James Ibori and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan were not good persons to follow. As a result, many Urhobo persons followed him. At the end of that election, he went to President Goodluck Jonathan that he has returned Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as Delta State governor. This person’s son lost election in Delta south. Who then in Delta central went to Mr. President to say that we have returned PDP?
Are you saying the failure of DPP in Delta central was responsible for the political misfortune of the Urhobo people?
Yes, of course.
Comment on the alleged marginalization of Urhobo people by the federal and state governments?
It is not true that the Urhobo people are being marginalized by the federal and state governments. This is a democratic era, the governor didn’t get to Asaba through firing guns but through the ballot, and like every other politician, the party must be taken care of first because it populates the government. That was why candidate photographs were not printed on the ballot papers but rather parties’ names and logos.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan didn’t get to Asaba as an independent candidate but as a candidate of the PDP and the party has a manifesto, and Uduaghan’s actions and developmental strides must be subjected to the party’s style and manifesto.
Are you saying the governor is an appendage of the party and its leadership?
I am saying that the entire Delta State is the governor’s constituency and not Urhobo alone; so there must not be any sentiment. We are crying wolf over marginalization, is Uvwie not part of Urhobo; Ovwor, Otu-Jeremi, Sapele, Kokori, Ughelli, are they not part of Urhobo? The dualization of Ughelli township road and other numerous link roads to the Ughelli-Patani road and streetlights are they not in Ughelli, an Urhobo town? Then if you get to Uvwie, new roads are being constructed almost on daily basis.
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