By Jimitota Onoyume

I was passing when my eyes caught a signpost written Chief Blessing Ohvwaworua Leadership Centre on the fence of his house on the Eku portion of Eku – Warri road, Delta state.

The sign post flooded my head with beautiful memories I had of the late Chief Blessing Ohwavborua who passed on almost a decade ago. Our paths crossed few months after he announced his intention to contest for the Ethiope federal constituency seat in the House of Representatives. I still recall that the unveiling of his aspiration was at the residence of the late Chief Pa Ikie, close to the Eku Baptist hospital in the community.

I was attracted to the event like many non-party men and non-active politicians by the crowd of people that gathered there. Since it was happening close to my mother’s house and within ear shot I strolled down. At the end of the ceremony before he hopped into his vehicle I approached him for his business card, introducing myself as a reporter with the Urhobo Voice and he dipped his hand in his pocket and gave me one.

I got home, looked at the card, it read Chief Blessing Ohwavborua, Special Adviser to the governor of Delta state , Chief James Ibori on National Assembly/Federal capital territory matters, FCT.

When finally I chose to call him to have a media chat with him he had left office. And it was several months after the 2003 general elections. I think the leadership of his People’s Democratic Party, PDP, settled for another candidate who won the election. He gave me appointment at his Sapele residence on a culdesac off New road. I was there on time. I introduced myself to him as a son of the community. He was excited. And from that moment it became a very robust media relationship with him.

He would sometimes give me morning interview appointment in Sapele and I was always on time from Eku. Chief Ohwavborua was also always very time conscious.

I observed during my interactions and the few years I related with him that he was very passionate about development of Eku community and always willing to encourage young ones in the community that were determined to succeed in their endeavors.

He was not a very rich man but where he could assist like signing letters of recommendations to any government quarter for the persons’ good he always did. I did not approach him for any because I was not in government employment but a few who did spoke glowingly of his timely assistance. He would approach any government office at Asaba to speak for the interest of any growing son or daughter of Eku

There were instances he arranged for me to cover some social events of his friends. Whenever the responsibility fell on him to recommend a journalist to cover event he was involved in I was among his top choices.

Sometimes he would invite me for an interview and before we would go into the business of the day he would spend some good time discussing general issues, including Eku community matters.

I still recall he told me that he secured a transformer for the community , at that time he had not become president general of Eku.

By the time he emerged president general of the community I had moved out of the state for greener pastures and still within the media industry.

I admire Ohwavborua for his courage and boldness. I remember when he came to Port Harcourt, Rivers state in company of some politicians to campaign for Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan before a stakeholders meeting of Deltans at the Presidential hotel, I spoke at the event on the need for Dr Uduaghan to take over the Eku hospital if he became governor.

Chief Ohwavborua never in anyway acted against that position the way some eye service politicians would have done. Uduaghan caught the fancy of many as he took time to explain his role on the Eku hospital from when he was Commissioner for Health. As God would have it, he won and later took over the hospital for the state government.

When Uduaghan as governor acquired the hospital for the state government some persons within the community did not want the secondary and primary school in the hospital to be included among the facilities of the hospital taken over by government for pecuniary reasons . But the teachers in the school fought against what these greedy persons wanted. As teachers in a private school like their counterparts in the private hospital then called Baptist hospital they couldn’t understand why out of greed some persons wanted them to remain private school teachers.

The issue got to me, some of the teachers came ,pleading that I should do some publications in the Vanguard newspaper on the matter which I obliged them. I needed men of courage in the community to speak on the side of the teachers. It was not easy to get.

My mind went to Chief Ohwavborua who at that time was the president general of the community. Initially I had my fears that he could be among those profiting from the private school but reluctantly I still went ahead to call him for his comment on the ranging issue in the community. Surprisingly when I did, he was firmly in support that the school was among assets in the hospital premises handed over to the state government, thus erasing my initial fears that he was one of those profiting from the funny and oppressive arrangement.

He was the biggest personality I needed for the story to have a good bite since he was the president general of the community.

I was so elated. I still remember his words: ” As the president general of the community I handed over the key of the gate of the hospital to the state government at the take over ceremony. And what I handed over were the entire assets, facilities and the schools inside the hospital. “. Let me also commend teachers of the school who fought, went round offices in Asaba to ensure that the school remained among facilities taken over by the amiable governor Uduaghan. Interestingly the action of these teachers created opportunity for more sons and daughters of the community to be employed by the state government into the teaching sector.

The courage demonstrated by Chief Ohwavborua in pursuit of the common good on this issue stood him out as an excellent leader with sterling qualities. His voice as president general was a tonic in that struggle.

When I saw the signpost of the leadership centre I said to myself that it was a fitting way to honour the beautiful memories of Chief Blessing Ohwavborua.

He was an admirable leader in every positive sense. May his soul continue to rest in God’s bosom.

Adieu.