WHEN Deltans go to the polls on April 2, 2011, the issue of who will best represent the interest of the Anioma national groups is an abiding reality that they must confront.

For over three years political actors have been on the plain traversing like a troubadour, their acts of omission and commission have been in the public domain and now is the time for public auditing of  those who want to offer public service or serve the interest of self and select few powerful individuals

In a country where access to political power is a key determinant of social and economic progress, it is suicidal to acquire and misuse such political power or trifle with it.

Those who have followed the political development of Delta State since its creation in 1991, can hardly disagree with the fact that General Ibrahim Babaginda, played the modern day lord Lugard, when he lumped disparate national groups together to clone a state where the component social groups feel alienated and bear quiet antagonism towards each other.

The political arena becomes the territory to manifest such antagonism through the manipulation of ethnic dichotomies among the people.

For a people with abundance of human capital, the denial of opportunity to actualise the human potentials in Anioma area of Delta State, remains one of the bewildering fallout of the state of acrimony often generated by the struggle for access to power and appropriation of resources of the state.

These are the issues that confront Anioma people as they decide to elect who should  represent them at the various cadre of leadership in the next four years. According to Prince Ned Nwoko, a Senatorial candidate for Delta North, “the choice is clear, we either vote for change or decide to remain with backwardness”.

Nwoko, is a royal Prince from  Idunmje Ugboko of Delta State and former member of Federal House of Representatives, from 1999-2003.

He attempted the governorship office in 2003 under the platform of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and was framed for being in possession of gun according to him “by those who believe they must determine the political destiny of Anioma people”.

In 2007, Nwoko appeared again to contest for the Senate, again, “the same forces frustrated him” the rest is history.

Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, hails from Owa Aliero in Ika North Local government where he was once a Chairman of Ika North East. He rose to become Commissioners for Agriculture, Works and Health under the administration of Chief James Ibori.

He contest for the governorship position in 2007 and was in the best position to win, but was played him out of the game and was compensated with the office of the Secretary to State Government,

As a loyal member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okowa is highly respected as an establishment man within the party. He is seen as an astute administrator of men and resources, but lacking the perquisite training and experience in law making.

He fought a bruising battle to emerge as the flag bearer of PDP in the controversial primaries in January. The battle is not over as the process of his emergence as the candidate of the party has been challenged in a law suit last week.

The battle is clearly between Hon. Ned Nwoko and Dr. Okowa. Nwoko was voted the best Law maker 1999-2003, where he set a national record of having sponsored the highest number of bills in the National Assembly. In fact, four of the 21 bills he sponsored eventually became Acts of the National Assembly.

This includes the National Minimum wage bill and the EFCC bills. Prince Nwoko is no rookie in legislative duties.

Dr. Okowa who was voted the best Anioma “politician” can be best classified as a consummate administrator; who has been in the executive branch of government since 1998. He has accumulated enough administrative experience but in the area of law making his competence is suspect and will require time to gather the necessary experience at the highest level of legislative assignments if he wins.

So for those who have followed the campaign and listened to the candidates the issues are who will best represent the interest of Anioma people at national level?.

Who is best equipped to speak out against the structural and institutional marginalisation of Anioma people at the national and state levels?, who will have the courage to confront the issue of political self identity for the people of Anioma, where youth unemployment, political alienation and economic backwardness are hall marks of the misfortunes the civil war in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the period of the campaigns have been characterised by bread and butter issues, the prospective voters have been more preoccupied by what they stand to get from the political actors than what the future holds for them.

Those who have been attending the campaigns have been looking for food and money to make from the politicians but the discerning citizens like the Dien of Agbor Kingdom Keagborekwuzi 1, was unequivocal that “we must demand accountability from our political leaders, we must demand for full disclosures, we must ask for transparency and service from them.”

The Asagba of Asaba Professor (Obi) Chike Edozien was equally frontal in his remarks that the era of just sending people in to public office for the fun of it is past because the destiny of the people is tied to their choice which is expressed through the ballot box
Anioma agenda

For Prof. Edozien the issue of creation of Anioma state is crucial in deciding who to send to the senate because we cannot afford to send someone who does not share the aspiration of the people to have a defined geopolitical identity.

This has been a long standing demand that dates back to the 1952 and has become a recurring decimal in the quest of restructuring of Nigeria for equity and justice.

According to the monarch, “the forces that are opposed to the creation of Anioma state are ever prepared to sponsor stooges to represent Anioma people and frustrate their legitimate aspirations.”

Mr. BY HUGO ODIOGORis a  staff of Vanguard Newspapers.