By Austin Ogwuda
... I have been on it, says Asagba of Asaba
It is no longer news that these three political heavyweights from Delta North senatorial district of Delta State, Nigeria, namely, Senators Peter Nwaoboshi, Ned Nwoko and Ifeanyi Okowa do not cross the same path due to deep-seated feuds among them.
The matter became worse when the current serving Senator from the district, Senator Ned Nwoko vigorously began to crusade for the creation of Anioma State.
That, again, sharply divided them: whether it was for a pound of flesh (vendetta), personal ego, suitability of where the Capital should be located, among other hidden agenda, the battle for supremacy was ignited.
Vanguard’s Regional Editor, South South, Emma Amaize led a team on an Exclusive interview with the Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Epiphany Azinge (SAN) to his palace recently.
And below is an abridged response from the Asagba, who, for the first time made it public of his intermediary role of brokering peace and reconciliation between the threesome.
On the loggerheads, especially on Anioma issue, Vanguard posed the question
Many thought that His Majesty and other royal fathers of Anioma extraction should have intervened, brought the warring political leaders together to appraise the Anioma stake on State creation and spoken in one voice. What is stopping you and others from this?
*Asagba: I speak from prism of a traditional ruler, I am not a politician and I am not expected to play politics. So while the politicians are doing their own we have to do our own.
Even amongst the traditional rulers the matter (Anioma creation) has not been fully debated. Can we influence anything to a large extent I don’t think so.
I am friendly with the three people (Nwaoboshi, Nwoko and Okowa) and I have been instrumental in managing them one way or another.
Happily, Senator Okowa and Senator Nwaoboshi have quietly resolved some of their differences, if not all.
Nwoko has spoken to me and I have tried to work out an arrangement for him to meet with Senator Nwaoboshi but it has not worked out because when Nwaoboshi is around here (Delta) he is there (Abuja).
To reconcile them I try to play my expected role but I cannot speak as a politician. It is for them as politicians they know the challenges and they are Constitutional.
What I advised my friend … Ned, I asked him have you discussed all these with the sitting governor?
What is his position. Have you tried to carry him along? That was my advice to him”.
The question is, now that Nwaoboshi is dead and referendum in respect of the proposed creation of Anioma State is fast approaching and with the clear stand of Okowa on the matter, can Nwoko choose not to give a damn?
Time is ticking!
