REPLY TO MR. PHILIP IDEH – IKA WEEKLY CORRESPONDENT IN EUROPE

I read with keen interest, Mr. Philip Ideh’s write-up on the visit of a governorship aspirant, Professor Saliba Mukoro, to the house of Elder John Ehikwe. From what he wrote about all the past governors coming from one zone – the southern part of the state, and his criticism of Elder John Ehikwe for hastily pledging his support for Prof. Saliba Mukoro instead of an Ika person, I concluded that Mr. Philip Ideh is completely out of touch with the politics of Nigeria and Delta State in particular. If Mr. Ideh has been following the politics of Nigeria and if he has visited Nigeria in the last ten years, he should have known that in Nigeria, people have been clamouring for power shift. He should have also known that there are three Senatorial Districts in Delta State – South, Central and North and that James Ibori of Central Senatorial District served for eight years as governor before power shifted to the South where Emmanuel Uduaghan and Saliba Mukoro come from, for another eight years. Now that Emmanuel Uduaghan has done the first term of four years and people are saying that he has not done well, Saliba Mukoro wants to do the remaining second term of four years before power shifts to North Senatorial District, which includes Ika, in 2015. So, it is not proper for any Ika or Anioma person to start contesting for governorship now otherwise our position will be jeopardised in 2015. Elder John Ehikwe and other Anioma Leaders are therefore free to support governorship aspirants of their choice from South Senatorial District.

Mr. Philip Ideh should be advised to read Prof. Mukoro’s statement again to see that he did not claim to have the power to hand over the Government House to Elder John Ehikwe or any other person in 2015 because he does not have such power. All he said was that the remaining four years for South Senatorial District is enough for him to lay a solid foundation for transparent and good governance in Delta State.

I know that Elder John Ehikwe had been in Europe with before he returned to help Ika people claim their rightful position in Delta State politics. It will be good if people like Mr. Philip Ideh should come home to Nigeria and help or he should be grateful to people like Elder John Ehikwe and stop being an umpire in the game he has never been a player.

Josiah Osadolor