AGBOR KINGDOM: WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE

AGBOR KINGDOM: WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE
Agbor kingdom needs no introduction in Nigeria. It is peopled by hardworking and very accommodating group of independently-minded people who cherish and reverence their monarchical institution. They love their land and their burning desire to see to the rapid development of their motherland awakened the people to a new state of political consciousness. Hitherto, the average Agbor man was contented with his life and living. He could easily Feud for himself; the farming Agbor man could provide everything he needed, so is the merchandising businessman and woman and the market woman. So is the Agbor man transporter. Gradually, they began to realize that they couldn’t do it alone any more and that they needed more than they could produce and that their sons and daughters needed to be properly educated and that after being educated they needed placements. They realized also that they needed to be together and speak with one voice. Then, they became ready collection of potential political followers. Hence, the commencement of their political journey; from NCNC to UPN, from GDM to SDP and now in PDP. Agbor kingdom had selfless leaders in the past. Suddenly, the local political arena became polluted with leadership synonymous with wealth. Positions became monetized. The impoverished state of our people provided fertile ground for the notorious activities of emerging satanic leaders. Most of these people who turn out to be grass-root politicians are mostly unemployed youths, men and women, who had no visible means of livelihood, retired civil servants and few men and women with visible means of livelihood. Most of them are fanatical followers and believers of their leaders. Most of them are impoverished and without character. They have eyes, yet cannot see, they have ears, yet cannot hear. Most are bereft of reasoning capacities and have unwittingly allowed their leaders to function as their eyes and ears. As a result, they hear what their leaders want them to hear and see what they are programmed to see. Their fanaticism has led them into becoming political zombies. The men who turned their fellow politicians to political zombies are just ordinary men opportuned to be in control of so much money in the midst of people wallowing in abject poverty. These leaders organize regular meetings of men and women, boys and girls, of the old, the young and mostly of the jobless and despondents. Almost always, these collections of hope seekers are fed with confectionaries and soft drinks and loads of lies about how soon political power would be entrusted to their leadership and that the economic and financial empowerment of their followers would be a foregone conclusion. Followers are schooled into this mentality and remained fixated on assured hope rather than face the realities of the prevailing situation and circumstances. This was the position and how Agbor kingdom lost out woefully during eight years of James Ibori�s administration. The people were swayed enmass into �Agbor Agenda� that was not in consonance with the state government’s agenda. The result was what appeared as a systematic and calculated frustration of Agbor kingdom.

The political zombies are so indoctrinated and wood winked into disliking with passion, followers and leaders that are not of the same group. The tragedy of this development is that the unity that once existed among our people melted away with the heat of hatred emanating from satanic political manipulations of these pockets of vain political leaders. Consequently our beautiful culture of being our brothers keepers took a negative turn. Today, they hate or deceive their brothers. They maim or kill them, depending on which catches their fancy. It is only in Agbor kingdom that political leanings determines the social function that should be attended. Naming and burial ceremonies were two of the strongest uniting forces among our people. The existence of any Feud between two persons is quickly forgotten in an event of the birth of a baby or the death of a person that is known to persons that were hitherto at dagger-drawn. But this wonderful heritage has since been eroded by deep seated hatred and suspicion planted among grass-root politicians by their leaders.

Today, the linguistic similarity of the people does not reflect one discernable political tone. Ika nation is one of the largest ethnic groups in Delta State. Unfortunately, Agbor kingdom is a typical example of a Biblical Towel of Babel, peopled by brothers and sisters, supposedly of same parents with different languages and different understanding, abiding in the same abode. The result is confusion, infighting, stagnation or total retrogression. For over a decade of democratic engineering, no visible project of any meaning has been commissioned, neither is there any in sight or on site or on paper of any colour or shape. This is sad, very sad indeed.

Meanwhile, our local political champions and our elected representatives at the state level and the appointees at the council levels are preoccupied with fortifying their selected groupings with falsehood. Rather than focus on catering for the needs of the generality of the people, they are busy, by their acts and utterances, fanning the ember of disunity and desperately causing disintegration and disaffection among the people. Our one time representative, unfortunately still representing us, once publicly ascribed his non-performance of his almost a decade of representation to his political god father, Could somebody be bold enough to ask him who is now responsible for his present sorrowful ineptitude and non performance? The truth is that the energy dissipated at determining who is for or against them, has derailed our leaders and representatives from the focal point of proper leadership and effective representation.

Today, while other towns and smaller cities in Delta state are partakers of democratic dividends, Agbor is just a mere spectator and an outcast in the midst of plenty. She is the least and the last. She is the orphan of the state and is so treated. The numerical and historical importance of the old city has not impressed the powers behind the state government of Delta State. Her agricultural relevance has been discountenanced. That it is one of the fastest growing commercial city in Delta State is of no importance to the government. Statistically speaking, what is the percentage of Agbor indigenes employed in the civil service and teaching service commission vis-�-vis indigenes from other towns and villages in Delta State? How many benefited from the micro-finance loans in comparison to indigenes from other areas?

What has Agbor kingdom to show for almost two decades of democracy?

(1) Epileptic dualization of the major road (which date of completion is uncertain)

(2) Tarring of Dein street

(3) Attempts at the repair of some parts of Imudia Street

(4) Reconstruction of Ogbemudein Mixed Secondary School

(5) Construction of bus terminal office

Stories have circulated repeatedly among the people as to the reasons of the delay in the completion of the dualization of Agbor major road. One time, it was attributed to faulty designs and at some other times to torrential rains and lack of funds. But these militating factors seem to be absent in the speedy dualization and street lighting of other towns in Delta State. What went wrong? Could it be that the government has been in slumber over Agbor matters? Are the people so civil and peace loving to the point of docility and unconfrontationality? Various concerned groups at various times have cried out and made representations to the government, yet the silence of the government has been too uncomfortably pronounced. The people have been fed with so much excuses and promises concerning this one singular project of dualization that they are already beginning to suffer constipation. It is tempting to conclude that the seemingly deliberate neglect of Agbor kingdom is a political reprisal of a recalcitrant and unsupportive people. But the people are predominantly PDP and the Delta state government is PDP. Where and when did we go wrong? Could it be something we did or didn’t do as a people? Is it that we are too passive and nonchalant? Could the glaring absence of political coercion and brotherly love among us be a factor? Otherwise, why would an Agbor man not stick out his neck for another Agbor man? Why won’t one stand for another? Why won’t one that is high make attempt to bring up one that is low? Why are they quick to condemn others who help their own? Why do they blame others for their failures? Why won’t one that is in a place of authority make conscious attempt to pave way for another of his kin and kith, in terms of employment? Why won’t the successful business Agbor man empower the boy that has served him just as the Igbos do. When will the calamity of an Agbor man be a source of sorrow to another Agbor man? Why is there no individual political growth? In other places, there are records of individuals who grew from being council chairmen to being state legislators and from there, to federal house. There’re also those, after being council chairmen are made commissioners or chairmen of boards etc. Again, the case of Agbor is different. WHY? Agbor case has degenerated to a desperate level. The blind can perceive the level of the fall, while the deaf can hear the echoes of the falling Agbor kingdom. The dead great Agbor men and women are grieving in their graves at the level of decline and decadence. They’re weeping that their beloved town has not only been relegated to nothingness but that the able bodied boys and girls have become hewers of woods and drawers of waters, enslaved by the circumstances of their environ and devoid of hope of a better tomorrow because of the horrifying state of joblessness. Something needs be done to abate this drift to oblivion. Agbor is at a cliff. Any further drift would lead to total and unrecoverable fall. Prayers; individual and cooperate prayers, particularly deliverance intercessory prayers must be conducted.

Representatives, at whatever level of their representation should be accorded maximum respect and at the same time be told of their misdeeds. Government should be prevailed upon to right the prolonged wrong of a people so miserably misled for so long in order to protect the block voting advantage of PDP in the area. The people need showers of affections from the state government; ten streets should be tarred in one year and plum political appointments should be given to Agbor indigenes for ONCE. The people are not the fastidious type. They are easily pleased and can be quickly appeased. A trial, they say would convince the government.

Editor�s note

We are very much interested in historical write ups from any part of Ika nation such as this to show the new generation how we lived in the past.

Interested persons should call 08033417578, 08069287815 or send their articles to Ika Weekly office, 108 Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor .