Newton Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. While this law applies to physical bodies in mechanics, it is also applicable to human existence. With inferences, constituents can easily decipher that from the day Distinguished Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas turned on the ignition to accelerate the progress of Delta South through sterling representation at the National Assembly, oppositions rallied themselves together, exacerbating frictional forces to impede our journey to liberation, using every means necessary to stop him. But one thing they failed to understand is that with lubricants, frictional forces are reduced to maximize efficiency and work done, so Joel-Onowakpo having a date with destiny, victoriously thumped all machinations into their cocoon to stand out tall.
Relatively, we cannot undermine the fact that the opposition posed distractions but the Delta South representative in the midst of them all, never flinched his eyes from the goal. As a known practice common with the new millennium politicians, everyone would have thought the Emede-born legislator would excusably harped on the distractions to justify a bench-warning docility in the Red Chamber but to their amazement, the first timer has been exceptionally superb, moving motions, sponsoring bills and diligently carrying out oversight functions. Chronicling his activities in achieving these feats in 2023, he started by firstly giving all sense of inclusivity to the Urhobos, specifically the Agbarhas and Okere-Urhobos domiciled in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta South Senatorial District. This is first of its kind because his predecessors have always clandestinely categorized the Agbarhas and Okere-Urhobos under Delta Central Senatorial District, a practice that has undermined a people delineated to predominantly occupy six of the twelve electoral wards.
As of today like other neighbouring ethnic groups, the Urhobos now have huge stake in the district with a member in the senatorial management committee, a senior special assistant and a liaison officer appointed to interface with the office and their people and vice versa. Understanding the organogram, it explicitly reveals that Distinguished Senator Joel-Onowakpo is committed to running an open-door policy, enhancing people-oriented representation, strengthening inter-ethnic relationship in the diverse district and promoting inclusivity. These practices emphasise his determination to redefine the fortunes of the major contributor to the nation’s coffer.
Having assembled his team comprising the four ethnic groups, unlike most first timers, he expediently kick-started his legislative duties by moving and supporting several motions, not excluding drawing the attention of the federal government to the deplorable state of the Warri-Sapele-Benin expressway and the predicaments travellers and motorists encounter when plying that route. Doing this, he seconded a motion moved by the senator representing Edo North, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole, on the floor of the Senate when the latter brought the attention of the federal government to the pathetic state of the Benin-Auchi-Lokoja road. Following, Sen Joel-Onowakpo condemned the unlawful acts of security agents after an incident involving the death of a 2 years old baby at Asaba, the Delta State capital, from a bullet fired by an officer of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). On the floor of the Senate, he expanded a motion moved by Sen Musa Yar’Adua seeking justice against personnel of Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) for unprofessional conduct to include all security outfits.
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Crisscrossing the length and breath of the Delta South, one would easily spot the unprecedented deprivation of important social amenities, including federal institutions and standard healthcare facilities to ameliorate the suffering of constituents travelling long kilometres to get quality higher education and standard treatment from toxic pollutants released into the atmosphere by multinational companies respectively. Our Distinguished Senator is aware of these shortchanges and unfairness, one of the reasons spurring him to champion the course from the centre, availing the federal government of the importance of evenly distribution of amenities that commensurate with what districts contribute to the national treasury. Most disheartening is that the only federal institution sited in Okerenkoko in Warri Southwest Local Government Area of Delta State, the Nigeria Maritime University, is yet to get an Act of Establishment since former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration.
Determined to change the ugly narratives, taking into cognizance the diverse nature of the district in this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Joel-Onowakpo sponsored a bill to establish the Institute of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral abode of the Itsekiri people on the floor of the Senate. Should this bill scale through to getting the President’s imprimatur, it will be of immense benefit to the youths of Delta State who crave for unquantifiable knowledge in Data Science, Robotics, Cloud Computing, Programming, Machine Learning, Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Block Chain etcetera. Also, it will ensure our youths standout among their contemporaries because they have been adequately prepped for the future.
Apart from being blessed with natural resources, the district possess vast expanse of water bodies that are the natural habitat of aquatic animals, defining our people’s major occupation as productive farmers and fishermen. Our people have great flair in agriculture and fishery which is a big business that transcends the district. To boast their productivity and expertise, increasing output and maximising profits, Sen Joel-Onowakpo sponsored a bill to establish the Federal College of Fishery and Aquatic Studies, Emede, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. The importance of this bill to the people of Delta South cannot be overemphasized as new innovations, knowledge and researches that would aid growth, reduce diseases and mortality rate will be at their disposal. Notwithstanding, it will professionalise the career, broaden trade, attract more investors to the region, increase stakeholders participation and boast employment rate.
As earlier mentioned, the region lacks not only federal educational institutions but quality healthcare facilities despite the rate of environmental degradation and pollutants released on daily basis into the atmosphere; detrimental to our wellbeing. To correct the disservice to his people, Sen Joel-Onowakpo sponsored a bill to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area headquarters. Everybody knows the importance of a good healthcare system to the citizens and the nation. A healthy workforce is more productive and effective than a sickening one. Aside from that, it will also provide avenue to carry out advanced surgeries that constituents travel several tumultuous miles to undergo in neighbouring districts and states. It will also create huge employment opportunities for our people directly and inadvertently.
In all these, Distinguished Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas never for once whittled down the importance of empowerment programmes to his people as he ran them pari passu with legislative duties. Mind you, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pronounced the removal of subsidy, Senator Joel-Onowakpo facilitated means to cushion the effect by providing palliatives and grants to his constituents in the eight local government areas in Delta South through Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government of Nigeria. Thousands of constituents were selected as beneficiaries without any political inclination, religious beliefs, skin colour, race whatsoever. His priority is to ameliorate the lingering economic hardship that burdens his people through necessary means. In the process, he empowered several constituents drawn from the eight local government areas with various empowerment items such as motorcycles, deep freezers, sewing machines, grinding machines and vulcanising machines.
I reiterate that the people’s senator runs an open-door system, providing an seamless platform where constituents seeking jobs placements, skills, empowerment and recommendations are readily made available. One of such platforms is the creation of a systemic database for constituents categorised under unemployed graduates, artisans, sports, party members, persons living with disabilities and farmers. Through these means, opportunities available have been evenly distributed to constituents who signified interests in any of the above categories. Routinely, the senatorial office regularly notifies the people of Delta South of job openings through the official handles, providing the necessary means in ensuring Delta South quota is maintained.
Unrelentingly, during the yuletide season, Sen Joel-Onowakpo Thomas prioritising the wellbeing of his constituents, made available 10,000 bags of rice to households in Delta South to celebrate the season. By this remarkable gesture, thousands of constituents had the means to celebrate the season. While I enumerate these contributions to the good people of Delta South for posterity purposes, it is inarguably incontestible to conclude that Distinguished Sen Joel-Onowakpo Thomas Ewomazino, deputy chairman senate committee on labour and employment, and deputy chairman senate committee on defence, rounded up 2023 on a high note, with the second phase of the empowerment programme alongside the rice distribution to complement the unmatched achievements, a vista to a prosperous 2024.
Thank God for giving us the legislator we all yearned for, like his name ‘Ewomazino’, prosperity have come to Delta South.
Oviri Kelvin Oghenekioja MCP, Senior Special Assistant to Distinguished Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, writes from the National Assembly.
