THE FUTILITY OF MISCHIEF-MAKING.

by Isioma Theodora Ndah

While it is the exclusive reserve of an individual to express views and opinions regarding events and instances that portend prominent potential, it is however important that attention is paid to details in order to distinguish between genuine concern and malicious misconseption deliberately cooked up to malign noble intentions and laudable developments.

Upon his emergence as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olorogun Festus Egwarewan Keyamo SAN has over the past few months expressed an innate desire and readiness to see fortunes of Delta APC improve in the coming years, especially before the 2023 elections. Of course, the outcome of his ministerial nomination is owing to his brilliant performance as Spokesperson of the Presidential Campaign Council, and although it came as quite unexpected however recent activities have further vindicated his choice as Minister Representing Delta State at the FEC. Amongst many things the skill, persistence and commitment displayed towards the resolution of the minimum wage affair with the Nigerian Labour Movement, will forever remain proof of the masterstroke of his appointment as Minister of State for Labour and Productivity.

When the news of his homecoming and first visit to Delta state (since his appointment) began making rounds, not a few party faithfuls, progressive elements and Deltans in general, showed genuine interest and excitement, and upon the revelation of targeted activities that bordered on human capital empowerment and charity, the Hon Minister and Legal Luminary further evoked the appreciation of all and sundry. This was the first major activity being carried out by Festus Keyamo and the projections to ensure that the masses were the major beneficiaries further expose a deep seated pro-people inclination.
It is not unexpected that actions like these would put naysayers, rabblerousers and pessimists on the defensive, especially when it turns out that the events of Thursday November 14 2019, resonated within and beyond the shores of the state, to the approval of deltans, genuine progressives and to the notice of the seat of power.
Therefore if a handful individuals have chosen to view the homecoming activities of Olorogun Barrister Festus Keyamo through the darkened lenses of a bias fueled by intimidation, it is of no consequence to the public as it is not a reflection of popular opinion. The significance of the homecoming is far beyond the understanding of minds corrupted by an obsessive impulse to replace capacity with mediocrity.

The cross section of guests and dignitaries that made out time to identify with the Festus Keyamo disposition to leadership in Delta APC, are a combination that carries greater progressive force than can be found anywhere in the Southern Nigeria political environment. As a founding member of the APC in Delta state, it is little wonder that personalities with national spread easily identify with him, in recognition of their  shared role towards the party’s growth.
The event chaired by HE Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi, the leader of the Niger Delta Bloc, Former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, also had in attendance the management of the National Directorate of Employment led by Dr Nasir Mohammed Ladan Argungu, His Royal Majesty Emmanuel E Sideso; Royal Father of Uvwie Kingdom, a former Speaker of The Delta State House of Asembly; Rt Hon Victor Ochei Esq, Engr Dr Samuel Adjogbe, State Deputy Chairman Comrade Elvis Ayomanor, State Woman leader, Party chieftains like Olorogun Jaro Egbo, Prince Maikpobi Okareme amongst others.

The term *Empowernment* has been echoed over and again in the Nigerian political environment, with most end results just looking like avenues to gain popularity and acclaim. However in the discourse of empowerment avenues, it is expected to go a notch higher from just providing a potential source of income, to equipping people with necessary skills and knowledge for continued improved living standards.
Leveraging on the paramphenelia as Minister of the Federal Republic and combining with the party hierarchy in Delta State, party faithfuls would be opportune to partake in a training program, undertaken by the National Directorate of Employment. This would equip beneficiaries with the required wholesome knowledge necessary for adequate management of small and media scale startups.
Previous Empowernment programs carried out previously in delta state have lacked this meticulous touch of proper training, equipping and continued guidance of beneficiaries of such programmes, in order to maximize social investment as well as enable it serve the purpose for which it was schemed.
In addition, Olorogun Keyamo secured donation of laptops to Government College Ughelli and Urhobo College, Effurun courtesy of the National Information Technology Development Agency, as well as a #30 million fund to facilitate the fencing of a secondary within his community courtesy the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

Sadly it never bodes well for malicious digressions and deliberately whipped misconceptions primarily targeted at deemphasizing and maligning the personalities and good intentions of respected national leaders. While the event was primed to also be a platform through which the minister would also fraternize with chieftains and supporters, it would similarly create a meet up where there would be concerted advocacy to fire up support for the party and President Muhammadu Buhari's activities in Delta State and the South South.

The presence of Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi; Honorable Minister of Transport at the event which frail minded persons suggest was a subtle attempt at 2023 politics, fortunately turned out to be one pivotal occasion that eventually served as a reminder of President Muhammadu Buhari's good intention for the People of the Niger Delta. It was another aspect of the event that highlighted the giant strides of the Federal government towards the South South, while also informing Niger delta youths to be partners of progress.
Hear Him speak  after the event
"Yesterday in Uvwie, Delta State with my brother @fkeyamo, I told my South-South brothers to work together to ensure development in the area. Stop the harrassment at project sites! By February we'll deliver Itakpe-Warri. The rails are ready and the coaches will soon arrive."

That the likes of Dr Azubogu Okolocha chose to limit the scope of the Olorogun Keyamo's homecoming to a get together for 2023 political calculations, exposes the compromised and jaundiced perspective from which himself and his co-travellers view actions that do not directly benefit or go in sync with their plans. In any case, the people in question here presently occupy appointing office as Ministers of the Federal, thus the event of Thursday November 14 2019 also presented an opportunity to present the score card and prepare deltans and by extension, Niger Deltans for the next 4 years of the Next Level Agenda of PMB.

For genuine progressives in delta state, last Thursday was an opportunity to hear from the highest appointive office holder in the present dispensation, how he chooses to handle the leadership mantle that has been handed on to him, knowing the precarious and highly volatile Delta state APC. It presented Olorogun Keyamo the opportunity to reassure APC members in the state of his accommodating and nonaligned disposition to power blocs and camps that make up the party in the state, while preaching for a united front from which a takeover in 2023 would spring forth.
Where it is expected that the language of diplomacy would have been employed by Dr Azubogu in his unwholesome assessment of the homecoming celebration, it can be however deduced from his thought patterns in his publication on asabametro.com titled 'Rotimi Ameachi’s Delta State Visit; A Deceit Of The 21st Century', that the harmless event sent shivers down the spines of his sponsors.

Wherein there is no battle for supremacy as regards the leadership of the party in the South South, it is best that various political affiliations understand some facts about the development of the All Progressives Congress in the South South. Many today whose political status have become enhanced to national limelight by the continous growth of the party in the region, owe their glory to the sacrifice, committment, braveness and persistence of the party's founding fathers in the south south, of which His Excellency Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi ranks at the summit.

The homecoming of the Hon Minister of State Labour and Productivity Olorogun Festus Keyamo was simply an avenue to create a back and forth relationship between a people and their representative, while also highlighting and emphasizing the cords of comradeship and brotherhood shared by multi-ethnic Niger Delta Nationalities, with delta state as a point of contact.

Therefore dissenting opinions whose stock in trade appears to be mischief making, name calling  and rabblerousing are best advised to hold their peace, because the political dispensation between 2019 and 2023 will also be regarded as a period where both elected and appointed office holders in the state would be assessed upon the completion of time, before they move in their next level of service to the people or not.
More attention should be given towards delivering campaign promises, a reality that the Hon Minister of Transportation Rt Rotimi Amaechi has already prepared himself for with his sterling performance in the past dispensation and at present. A reality that no amount of blackmail can erase.


ISIOMA THEODORA NDAH is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, writing from Asaba.