By JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

In the Bible, Jesus Christ was portrayed as the miracle worker. Among His many miracles was making the lame to walk. It is a miracle many who believe in Him also claim to have performed merely by invoking His name.

But just recently James Ebiwou Manager, the Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District, accomplished what could pass as the miracle of making about eight persons who are lame to ‘walk’. This he did through his empowerment programme to show appreciation for the mandate and support the people had given him.

The event attracted over 1,000 people from his constituency who came to show solidarity even though they   were not among the beneficiaries of the empowerment scheme.

As early as 10 am, the Warri Stadium was filled to capacity with people from the eight local government areas that make up the constituency. Though the programme slated for 12 pm did not start till 4pm because of other political engagements of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who had indicated interest to be part of the event, the mammoth crowd of youths waited patiently, with some carrying placards with different inscriptions expressing appreciation for the quality representation of Senator Manager and to appeal to him to also contest in the 2015 election so that they would continue to benefit from him.

Speaking before the distribution of the items to the beneficiaries, Governor Uduaghan, who was represented by his deputy, Professor Amos Utuama, described Manager as a politician with a large heart who had touched lives of many people and had used his good office in the National Assembly to attract development to his area.

Also speaking while handing over the empowerment equipment worth over N200 million, Senator Manager who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, said the gesture had nothing to do with the 2015 elections as that, for him, was in the hands of God.

He said the empowerment programme was targeted at the vulnerable groups in the society and his first public distribution of empowerment items since he got to the Senate in 2003.

Manager further explained that he was not involved in the selection of the beneficiaries as that was done by the leaders in various wards and local government areas that made up the senatorial district.

Expressing surprise over the mammoth crowd at the stadium, he said that he only invited the state governor for the programme, even as he disclosed that some of his political friends and associates who got wind of the programme called him to ask why he did not inform and or invite them.

The “creek man” who oversees the amnesty programme described himself as “Mr. Empowerment” who hates to blow his trumpet, noting that he had silently touched the lives of many people in his constituency in many ways since he became senator.

According to him: “People are surprised that I am doing this at this point in time. I have discovered that I need to come to the public and show them what we are doing for the people.  It has become fashionable to do that; otherwise,  I am Mr. Empowerment and the people know because I have come a long way together with them. I have given out vehicles, houses, scholarship awards, and other valuable items to empower people on many occasions.”

Speaking on behalf of the physically -challenged who benefited from the items, Chairman of the Delta State chapter of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Isaac Omoh, pledged that his people would use the items to empower themselves.

Omoh said eight of his members that got a tricycle would give them out to riders through the association’s cooperative society so that they can assist others with part of the proceeds from the daily returns.

He said: “Among other items we have received are eight tricycles for each of our members from the eight local government areas that made up the senatorial district. Already we have a cooperative arm in the association and we are going to ensure that these tricycles are put into good use by ensuring that capable and sincere people handle them for us.

”We will ask the riders to manage them for us by using them for commercial purposes and bring proceeds back to the association so that the money can be used to further empower other members.”

Beneficiaries of the empowerment who were full of praises for the gesture also included  physically challenged people, some members of the opposition parties as well as members of the PDP across the eight local council in the senatorial region.

A beneficiary of a tricycle,  Mrs. Beauty Aminugo from Warri south local council, pledged to make judicious use of the item.

Items distributed to the various categories of people from the eight local government areas of the senatorial district at the occasion, included 85 tricycles,125 motorcycles,131 fishing nets, 80 sewing machines, seven welding machines, 67 grinding machines, 106 hair dryers, and scores of different types of deep freezers, and generators, among others.