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The interactive
meeting between Ika Elders Forum and public office holders of Ika extraction
has recorded a very low turn out as only three out of the twenty- four invited
Ika public office holders attended the meeting which was held on 23rd
December, 2011 at Ezinne Hall, Boji- Boji, Owa. According to the IEF national
president, Chief Hon. Justice Sylvester Ehiwario (rtd), the meeting was meant
to address the communication gap between Ika people and their representatives
in government; the problem of abandoned projects in the area and the total
absence of vital social services in Ika land such as publicly supplied
pipe-borne water, electricity, health care services, accessible roads among
other issues. Despite the low turn out, the meeting was still a huge success as
the senator representing Delta North at the National Assembly, Chief Dr. Arthur
Ifeanyi Okowa and member representing Ika federal constituency in the House of
Representatives, Hon. Victor Nwokolo, had a fatherly discussion with the
elders. Another public office holder that was in attendance was former Delta
State Head of Service and Commissioner Federal Character Commission, Abuja, Mr.
Sylvanus Mordi.
The likes of Rt Hon.
Pastor Prince Sam Obi, Hon Martin Okonta, Ambassador Godson Echezile, Dr.
Daniel Omodon, Chief Frank Nwugo, Dr. Festus Okubor, Chief Pat Ejeteh, Mr.
Kingsley Emu, Pastor Hon. Mrs. Cordilia Onyia, Barr Nwatukele Doris Uboh among
others were unavoidably absent and no cogent reasons were given why they were
not present. Reports has it that most of them, particularly the politicians
could not attend the meeting because of the faction they have created among
themselves. The lack of unity among Ika politicians was not only evident in the
IEF interactive meeting but also attest to the reasons why they are many
(election) court cases in the land. Hon Okonta for instance early last year
during his campaigns told the people of Ika nation that he spent over #80m on
litigation, as a result, he could not deliver on the promises he earlier made
to the people. The same thing goes to Hon. Nwokolo who after six months of his
inauguration as member of the Lower House of the seventh National Assembly is
yet to settle down for legislative business, let alone delivering dividends of
democracy. Hon Nwokolo’s election victory was challenged at the tribunal and
Appeal court by Hon. Doris Uboh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and
Festus Chukwuyem Okoh of the Democratic people Party, (DPP): It is too bad that
these public office holders did not answer the elders as the Ika man has always
been known to have very high respect for his elders that time has come for all
stake holders to come together to move Ika forward. There is no gain saying
that many Ika indigenes have started loosing confidence in their
representatives in government, as they are yet to prove to them that they have turned
a new leaf.
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