HOW time flies! Three years ago, precisely on the 30th of June 2013, Delta State and the entire nation lost to the world beyond, one of the brightest, foremost and accomplished politician in the person of Senator Akporokena Pius Ewherido. He was the representative of Delta Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate.

The eulogies that greeted his glorious exit and the gathering witnessed even in his death particularly the presence of people from all walks of life, were resounding testimony of the life and times of this great man.

Pius Ewherido was born on May 4, 1963 into the family of Joseph Ewherido of Egwhu, Delta State. He was the third child in a closely-knit family of the Catholic tradition.

Senator Ewherido started his formal education at St. Paul’s, Primary School Ughelli, and finished in RCM Primary School, Ozoro, all in Delta State.

He attended Notre Dame College, Ozoro, for his secondary education and thereafter proceeded to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he studied philosophy and emerged the best graduating student in his class. After his Youth Service in Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye, he joined the business world. During his years as a business man, he enrolled in the University of Benin to study law on a part-time basis and graduated with a law degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in the year 2000.

Senator Ewherido cut his teeth in politics when he joined the United Nigeria Congress party in 1997 during the Sani Abacha era. After the botched transition programme, he continued with his businesses.

In 1998, he joined the People’s Democratic Party,PDP, contested and won the Ughelli South Constituency election to the Delta State House of Assembly in 1999. His colleagues, who noticed his leadership qualities in those early days, elected him Deputy Speaker which was the highest position zoned to Delta Central in the House. For over a year, he also acted as Speaker of the House. His distinguished, vibrant, sterling and robust leadership are still reference points till date. He brought recognition, acceptance, dignity and prestige to the Office of the Deputy Speaker and was perhaps the most visible State Assembly Deputy Speaker in his time.

Senator Ewherido was not just a leader in the House, he was a lawmaker par excellence. In his time, in conjuction with the executive arm, over 10 roads were constructed in his Ughelli South Constituency, over 20 towns and villages were provided with electricity, over 15 towns and villages were blessed with potable  water, a lot of primary and secondary schools were given face lift in the Local Government, among many other projects. It was mainly in appreciation of his performance that he was overwhelmingly voted back to the House in 2003. Other accolades also came in appreciation of his performance and contributions. He was honoured with the following traditional titles, The Otemunoruemu of Egwhu Kingdom, The Adjerese of Effurun-Otor Kingdom. The Aruore of Enwhe Kingdom. The Eje Urhobo Yovwi of Olomu Kingdom.

Ewherido contested the PDP governorship primaries in  2006. Dissatisfied with the conduct of the primaries, he withdrew from active politics in 2007 after his tenure in the House lapsed. In 2010 he switched camp to the Democratic People’s Party, DPP. He contested and won the DPP Delta Central Senatorial primaries before going on to win the main election in 2011. Since 2011, even as a lone DPP senator, Ewherido gave the people of Delta Central vibrant and effective representation, drawing from his experience as a state legislator. In less than two years in the Senate, he had sponsored four bills. They are:

*A Bill for an Act to make provisions for creating the offence of Corporate Manslaughter and matters incidental thereto.

*A Bill for an Act to Establish the Welding Standards Regulatory Council of Nigeria

*A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of The Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for Devolution of more responsibilities to States and Public Sector Accountability(by the creation of the office of Auditor General of the Federation as distinct from the The Office of The Auditor General of the Federal Government of Nigeria)

*A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to streamline the jurisdiction of the appellate courts for quick dispensation of justice and for matters  incidental thereto.

The public hearing of the Bill on corporate Manslaughter was held on April 22, 2013 and was well received by stakeholders. Consistent with his humanist disposition, majority of the bills Ewherido sponsored since his days in the State Assembly are people oriented. Ewherido was a man of the people, a thoroughbred grass root politician. In his time in the Senate, he also co-sponsored 12 motions and attracted developmental projects, scholarships, job opportunities, training locally and abroad among others to his constituents and constituency.

At the time of his death, Ewherido was not only a dominant figure in Nigerian politics, he had also distinguished himself as a grass root man, a charismatic leader of the rural poor, a gifted orator and a profound social thinker. Ewherido was heavily into charity and philanthropy that cut across denominational, religious and ethnic lines to the extent that he forgot himself.

There was no denying the fact that Ewherido’s death three years ago was a very sad one, memorable, poignant, not only for the Urhobo people but to Nigeria as a nation.

He was a man with a commanding personality and his sudden disappearance from the political scene was a great loss to his kinsmen. There is no doubt that Pius Ewherido was greatly beloved by many right thinking individuals.

He was an urbane gentleman of good taste, a good listener, who would carefully choose the right time to put his point across. Above all, he was quintessential in manner and grace, always smartly dressed, with a smile, and always in the best frame of mind when he was amongst his grass root people.

Mr. Okeme, editor The Freelance Eleven, wrote from Warri, Delta State