APA-AGATU: THE CHRONICLE ON POWER ROTATION, AN AGREEMENT WORTH HONOURING.
Despite facing constant criticism and backlash, I have remained steadfast in my commitment to advocating for what I believe is best for the comstituency. I refuse to be swayed by personal attacks and will continue to push for positive change, no matter the obstacles in my path. My skin may be toughened from years of adversity, but my determination to make a difference in my constituency remains unwavering.
The people of Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency in Benue State must not be swayed by upcoming political of Hon. Ojema and his beneficiaries, they are distractions we must overlook and think the need for quality representation and equity. It is essential that we remain vigilant and focused on ensuring that our voices are heard and our interests are adequately represented in National matters. Let us not lose sight of the importance of holding our leaders accountable and advocating for fair and equitable treatment on the National stage.
Quality representation should not be confused with activities like, daily social media praises for; carrying out constitutional mandate. True quality representation is exemplified by a lawmaker fully immersed in the legislative process, advocating for laws that benefit our constituency, and actively engaging in town hall meetings to keep constituents informed about ongoing events and developments at the National Assembly.
The constituency, blessed with seasoned academics, business gurus and giants in national politics, has over time been awash with stale news of scanty development, including extreme poverty, primitive sourcing ideas,
primitive Empowerment ideas, while we have low access to safe drinking water due to lack of dam, electricity and absence of Primary health care center, and abysmal life expectancy.
If I keep quiet because am hurting some person’s, then the upcoming generations will hold me accountable since am culpable of these crime against humanity orchestrated
perpetuated by the political apostles of greed who benefited from naivety and passivity of led masses.
these political exploiters explore all available means just to have our people decieved.
Although the constituency has produced notable personalities but unfit representation in the Federal legislature have been identified as the core problems that have kept the two local governments in this crippling state of backwardness, yes if compared to others who’s lawmakers secured over 500 job slots for within the space of two years. Yet, when constituent stand up to question the political class over the reason for this hellish situation, they responded through their hire media Boyz.
In every four years, we must be reminded of a an agreement between Apa and Agatu on representation of the constituency at the Federal House of Representatives.
The agreement, we are told, is to allow each of the two local government areas (LGAs) to produce the representative for two terms, after which the other LGA will take its turn of two terms. This controversial agreement has generated more heat than light among the ruling class today and this is not going down well with the incoming from his dancing step.
Worse still, the ghost agreement runs contrary to the constitutional rights of the vast residents of the constituency to contest for the seat of the representative during elections.
The only controversies, surrounding this agreement is, when it’s any one’s turn to rule; they tend to pay deaf ears to it.
And it is very very important, we lay more emphacise to this agreement just to avat; political crisis in future, for this is what I envisioned.
It is important I break down the record of representation at the Federal House of Representatives by the two LGAs right from 1999 when our modern democracy is given bath to.
The history started with Late. Hon. Solomon Agidani of a blessed memory from Obagaji in Agatu LGA, who spent three terms (12 years) from 1999 to 2011, representing the two LGAs in Abuja uninterrupted.
He was succeeded by Hon. Ademu Entonu from IGA Okpaya in Apa LGA, who was voted in to represent the two LGAs from 2011 to 2019. This clearly shows that he is left with one term in order to equal the tenure of his predecessor from Agatu. However, 2019 General election blew Hon. Entonu out of office, paving way for; Agatu LGA whose son came to drag out the power, knowing fully well that it was not yet their turn and thereby shortleaving the mutual understanding of two terms for each LGA.
Thus, the mutual understanding of power rotation was short lived, so APA LGA were cheated by Agatu LGA, in the 2019 General Election. Hon. Samuel Odagboyi Goddey of the Labour Party, jumped into the field of contest.
Now that Hon. Samuel Odagboyi Godday from Agatu LGA have successfully spent his first 4 years in the Green Chamber, by 2023, thus extending the reign of Agatu LGA to 16 years in power has giving our own pastor and chief. Honourable Ojotu Ojema, right to leverage on Apa’s silence, while leaving Apa with a deficit of 4 years since the end of the reign of Hon. Ademu Entonu, an Apa son.
What then is the plan of Agatu after 2023..?
when then will equity return back to the two local government if Pastor Ojema’s dream of eight years becomes a reality..?
We as brother’s and sister, we must reason fine and allow equity be our watch word.
While zoning is purely a party affair and not recognised by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Honourable Pastor Ojotu Ojema, as a man of God whose integrity we sing as National Anthem must respect this fact and be ready to spend only the remaining years allotted to Agatu as no Agatu son will be willing to pay for this sin of political cheating in future, if he (Chief. Hon.Pst. Ojema) insist on; recontesting come 2027…
His supporters should not later use the incubated notion of ” AnUkpO 27″as a daily Anthem with the target of scoring cheap goal of extension of inequity when we all have records of what transpired.
Hon. Samuel Godday has no doubt used the single term, which should have been enjoyed by APA LGA in the last contest, Ojema shouldn’t forget that and If rotational agreement was anything to go by, every other candidate from zone B should have stepped down for all the candidates in zone A to slug it out, but this never happened making Apa-Agatu politics another twist of cheating.
Since the former arrangement of rotation was disrupted due to the personal ambition of some people from other zones.
The will of God and the decision of the people of Apa-Agatu must prevail come 2027.
IAM adding this up as a reminder to the fresher, he should always have it as a template that: APA is taking it, since he is the only ticket holder in 2023.
In addition, iam equally soliciting to the Entire Agatu political stakeholders to converge just like their Apa counter part, pass their vote of confidence on Apa’s right of producing the next Rep member.
This is for tomorrows sake, this is for future reference.
The end of one Election begat the next one, and as such, we must remind ourselves; issues of societal value.
Iam still your brother
. Paul G. Edoh Jr.