By Austin Ogwuda
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has disclosed the reason behind his survival as Speaker during the six years he held that position at the Delta State House of Assembly.
He noted that he was the first to achieve that feat by occupying that enviable position as Speaker for clear six years without ousting as other Speakers barely survived more three years.
This is the second time Governor Oborevwori was reflecting on his sojourn at the House of Assembly as a Speaker.
He had during the thanksgiving service of the present Speaker, the Rt Hon. Emomotimi Guwor held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Uvwie, Sunday, said that “for you to survive as Speaker, as a leader, you must be humble, transparent and accountable and it is on record that I paid N530 million into the treasury and I also left money in the coffers of the State House of Assembly.
“There is no House of Assembly in the Country that has done what I did and it is my prayer that you succeed and perform better than I did.
“I survived six years as Speaker because I had a good Governor who listens and I urge you to always do the right thing despite pressures.
Then came on Wednesday, he took to the memory lane again while receiving the leadership of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria (ICMC) led by the Vice President of the Institute, Ambassador Victor Ojaide on a courtesy visit to him at the Government House, Asaba.
He noted that the programmes of the Institute were very vital, recalling that the ICMC programmes, which he undertook, actually helped him to successfully pilot the affairs of the State House of Assembly for a period of six years.
Said he, “I am very happy to welcome you to Delta State Government House. I am very proud to be a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria.
“There is no way I can easily forget what happened when I was doing my assignments. It was tough but at the end of the day, it came out well. I want to sincerely thank you for the encouragement.
“The lnstitute was the first lnstitute to award me a Fellow. The ICMC is a programme that will humble you and change your life style. The Sheriff of 10 years ago is not the same as today.
“The programme helped me to manage the State House of Assembly, where you hardly see a Speaker that survives three years. But I survived six years”, he reflected with nostalgia.
Governor Oborevwori assured them that “Delta State will collaborate with you in alternative dispute resolutions because we are a peace loving State. We will continue to encourage you in our own little way”.
Earlier, the Vice President of the Institute, Ambassador Victor Ojaide, who applauded the Governor for accepting to receive them on courtesy visit, described the Governor as a consensus builder who made history by becoming the longest serving Speaker in the history of the State.
Ambassador Ojaide, who represented the President of the Institute, Dr. Agada John Elachi during the visit, said the lnstitute wants to create in every Local Government Area in the State, a Conflict Resolution Centre where people would be trained on conflict resolution.