[dropcap]E[/dropcap]ven from a young age, Alexis Sanchez’s supreme natural talent and ability to become a global superstar was evident.
He was only 16 years old in February 2005 when he made his first-team debut for Cobreloa, a club based in the north of his native Chile, near to the biggest open copper mine in the world, Chuquicamata.
The manager who gave him that breakthrough, Nelson Acosta, recalled in an interview with The Telegraph in 2011: “Normally in young boys, there is something missing, be it skill, or vision, or the ability to beat a man. Not in Alexis. That is very rare.”
Alexis inevitably caught the eye of European scouts and he was signed by Udinese in April 2006, although the Italian club immediately loaned him to another club in Chile, Colo Colo, and followed that with another temporary move to River Plate in Argentina. After winning league titles with both South American teams, he relocated to Italy and became an integral member of Udinese’s squad for three seasons.
After netting 21 goals in 112 appearances and catching the eye with a series of dazzling displays for the Serie A side, Barcelona came calling in the summer of 2011 as Alexis became the first Chilean to play for the Catalan giants.
In his first season at the Nou Camp, Sanchez formed part of a devastating attacking trio with Lionel Messi and David Villa while helping the club win the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup under Pep Guardiola.
He also played a prominent part in their La Liga triumph in 2012/13, chipping in with 11 goals in all competitions, before contributing the highest tally during his stay in Spain the following season by notching 21 times and registering 14 assists.
After Brazilian forward Neymar established himself as a regular starter in 2013/14, Alexis accepted the challenge to test himself in the Premier League by joining Arsenal for a fee in the region of £30million.
It didn’t take the versatile forward long to find his feet in North London, claiming his first silverware in England on his competitive debut in the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Manchester City in the 2014 Community Shield at Wembley.
An impressive first season in the capital saw Alexis earn admirers far and wide, securing a place in the PFA Team of the Year, as well as Arsenal’s Player of the Year award. He also reached the outstanding tally of 25 goals in all competitions by scoring in the club’s 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup final.
Despite missing a period through injury, Alexis still managed to score 17 times in 2015/16 before enjoying his best season in an Arsenal shirt last term, which ultimately demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the world’s most exciting forwards.
He provided plenty of stand-out moments during a phenomenal season on a personal level, in which he was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and unsurprisingly took home Arsenal’s Player of the Season prize.
Often spearheading the attack, Alexis ended the campaign with his best-ever return of goals after hitting 30 in a single season for the first time in his career, as well as recording 17 assists, in all competitions.
He also once again proved he is a man for the big occasion after playing a starring role in another FA Cup triumph for the Gunners, scoring an extra-time winner against Manchester City in the semi-finals before netting Arsenal’s fastest FA Cup final goal when opening the scoring after just 229 seconds in their eventual 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Alexis has not only shown his world-class ability in club football but on the international stage too. After earning his first cap in April 2006, aged just 17, he established himself as a key figure for Chile. Highlights include starring in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and winning the Copa America twice, scoring the decisive spotkick in the 2015 penalty shoot-out win against Argentina.
He is his country’s joint most-capped player with 115 caps alongside Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and their all-time leading scorer with an impressive 38 goals to his name, but it will be disappointing that his talents won’t be on show at this summer’s World Cup in Russia after Chile’s failure to qualify for the tournament.
After picking up an injury in last summer’s Confederations Cup, Alexis started the current 2017/18 campaign on the sidelines but worked his way back to full fitness and has once again led by example, continuing his fine goalscoring form with eight goals before Christmas.
Following intense speculation about his future, United beat off stiff competition to secure the forward’s services on 22 January.
His creativity and technical prowess, coupled with his ability to play anywhere across the front line, makes him a potent weapon and gives Jose Mourinho another dimension to his impressive array of attacking options. Eligible to play in the FA Cup and Champions League, as well as the Premier League, he will be hoping to add more silverware and swiftly settle into life at Old Trafford in the second half of 2017/18.
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]anchester United is delighted to announce the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in a deal that sees the Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the opposite direction.
Speaking about his transfer, Alexis Sanchez said: “I am thrilled to be joining the biggest club in the world. I have spent three-and-a-half wonderful years at Arsenal and I bring with me very positive memories of that great club and its fans. The chance to play in this historic stadium and to work with Jose Mourinho was something I could not turn down. I am very proud to be the first Chilean player ever to play for United’s first team and I hope I can show our fans all around the world why the club wanted to bring me here.”
Jose Mourinho commented: “Alexis is one of the best attacking players in the world and he will complete our very young and talented group of attacking players. He will bring his ambition, drive and personality, qualities that make a Manchester United player and a player that makes the team stronger and the supporters proud of their club dimension and prestige.
“I would like to wish Henrikh all the success and happiness that I am sure he is going to get. He is a player that we will not forget, especially for his contribution to our Europa League victory.”
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari has said that he will be guided by a clear conscience while taking decisions for the progress of the country and he would do the best within his powers for all Nigerians. A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Monday quoted the President as making the pledge while receiving leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the South East at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari thanked the party leaders for their patriotism, sacrifices and support for the peace and stability of the country. He commended the South East leaders for acknowledging the laudable and consistent efforts of his administration to restore Nigeria to the position of eminence.
The President noted that some of them have been going round to explaining things about his administration even at the risk of abuse. He said: “I am very pleased for your patriotism and consistency in supporting our administration. You are always going around explaining things even at the risk of abuse.
“I want you to know that I have not forgotten the efforts and sacrifices you have made in the successes I have achieved in my position and I appreciate what you are doing for the stability of our country and the future of our children and our grandchildren.
“I assure you that whatever I try to do, I will do it with a clear conscience and I’ll do the best I can do for all Nigerians.”
In an address on behalf of South East leaders, the National Vice Chairman, South East APC Emma Eneukwu, thanked the President for the projects receiving attention of the Federal Government in the South East including the Second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road as well as the Enugu-Onitsha –Owerri Road, among others.
Reaffirming the unanimous decision of the party in the zone on December 31, 2017 endorsing the President for a second term in office, Eneukwu said, “It is our conviction that four years is not enough for you to complete this worthy journey hence the need for another four years to enable you make Nigeria truly great.
“We implore Mr.President, as a just and fair-minded leader, to make history by supporting the zoning of the office of the President in our great party to the South East at the end of your second tenure in office as President in 2023.”
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ommissioner of Police Lagos State Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, weekend, urged the leadership of the Nigeria Customs to take stringent measures against any trigger-happy officer found culpable in the death of any civilian, with a view to serving as deterrent to others.
This followed the alleged killing of a man and the shooting of a pregnant woman in Lagos and Ogun states last week by Custom officers.
Edgal who gave the advice during a courtesy visit on him by the Comptroller of Customs, Federal Operation Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, noted that the unit operations at times involved conflicts and confrontation with smugglers who insist on having their way.
Rather than recording loss of life in the ensuing confrontation as witnessed last week, he advised that enlightenment of Customs officers on the use of firearms should be intensified.
He cited an instance of two policemen who were dismissed from the Force two weeks ago, for allegedly firing at some youths in Amukoko area of Lagos without justification.
He said, “We (Police) also have problem relating to the use of firearms. In the Police the use of firearms is guided by Force Order 236. I am sure the Customs also have such. I did not feel happy dismissing the two policemen who shot at some youths recently but the action was taken in public interest. I believe if the Customs deploy such measures, it will serve as deterrent to would-be culprits.”
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Border Command, has intercepted 2,200 jerry cans of smuggled of petrol with a Duty Paid Value worth over N10 million between Dec. 1, 2017 and January 2018.
The Command’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Taupyen Selchang made this known in a statement on Monday. The statement quoted the Area Controller of the Command, Mohammed Aliyu, as saying that most of the seizures were made at Pashi-Yekeme Community in Owode and the creeks.
Aliyu said that the Command was determined to combat the smuggling of petroleum products usually done by the smugglers using jerry cans and passing through the creeks and illegal routes. He said that they were not banning the use of trucks to transport the products to the communities along the border where they were legitimately meant to serve as was being wrongly and widely speculated by some people.
The Controller explained that smuggling of petrol in jerry cans had been a recurring decimal which operatives of the NCS had always tried to suppress. “This has been our modest contribution toward ameliorating the sufferings of Nigerians caused by the current shortage of the product,’’ he said.
The Customs boss said that the Command had always and would continue to enforce her statutory mandate of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and facilitation of legitimate trade.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he persistent fuel crisis Nigeria has been made to undergo reflects the curse which oil has become to an oil rich country; in fact, the sixth largest oil producer in the world. That curse shows glaringly in the paradox that such an endowed country almost wholly depends on imported finished fuel products for driving its energy needs. Yes, the country has drunk full from the blessings from oil. Oil has yielded bountifully since it was discovered in commercial quantity. Oil has yielded rich harvest to a country that is equally blessed with other resources. But from all indices, oil has rather led to a harvest of tears and regrets as its discovery marks the abandonment of other resources in preference to the effortless mining of oil and the huge payoff that comes from crude. How best to show this than that before the advent of oil, Nigeria was running very efficiently as an agricultural nation where cash crop was the source of an efficient system that benefitted the people and added greatly to the country’s infrastructural base, but has been abandoned in the craze for oil wealth?
When oil came, Nigerians changed focus, abandoned agriculture and other income sources and all attention was diverted to oil, with its rich harvest of petro dollars. Curiously, as oil gained traction and indeed, transformed into the nation’s sole revenue earner, corruption blossomed, development stymied and the mass poverty increased. With oil as the country’s sole revenue source, the directive principles of state policy assumed a deadly tenor as the struggle to corner oil resources came to define governance, politics and relationship between the combustible ethnic units that make up the country. With oil, deep fissures and divisions emerged not only between the various people that make up the country but between the classes as closeness to oil came to define the strata of the society.
Oil seemed to have funded only the huge corruption complex that came with it. With the government fixated on sharing oil revenue, other sources of revenue were allowed to go extinct and a social system that calibrated the citizens along the oil chain emerged. Attachment to this chain became a defining charter in our national scale as oil gained importance in the international commodity market. The stupendous rise in the price of oil added to the problem as Nigerians struggled to get attachment to its high yielding chain. But these never transformed to the wellbeing of the people. What more, there was no noticeable improvement in the oil process. There was no noticeable indigenous input in the sector. The exploration and mining were wholly outsourced and left in the hands of expatriate companies and the modest state investment in refining either for local use or even exportation was not improved upon. What rather emerged is a cache of indigenous petrol importers and marketers who exploited the helplessness of the Nigerian people to grow exceedingly rich merely by fiddling with imported petroleum products. Curiously, they made no attempt to plough back the illicit wealth they got from this mindless exploit to the development of the sector.
The above scenario has been grown and allowed to blossom for many years now to not only make Nigeria wholly dependent on imported fuel but susceptible to the tempestuousness and vagaries that follow the international oil market. The crux of the matter is that refineries built by past military regimes have been allowed to rot away by successive governments before the advent of the present regime who have recovered some chunk of their operational capacity to ease what would have been a very messy situation. At a fully operational refining capacity of 450,000 daily, the existing refineries fall hugely short of the petroleum needs of Nigeria at present. Yes, they were built for the needs of the country at the time they were built but there was that inherent supposition that successive governments would be adding to them as the needs of the country blossom with expanding population. But nothing of that sort was done for decades now. Rather, as the corruption complex around the oil industry quadrupled in leaps and bounds, these refineries served as conduits for multi-billion Naira looting in the guise of unending turn-around maintenance contracts that never improved their lots.
As the refineries were used for massive stealing, they rotted away till they became inoperable scraps from which the present government has battled to recover some appreciable degree to support the local fuel demands. Because successive governments found it so attractive to depend wholly on imported finished products, no efforts were made to either rehabilitate the existing refinery or add new refineries. What more, fuel importation became a huge cash cow and a flowering corruption font for enriching sundry interests by successive governments. This paradoxical state where Nigeria, as the sixth largest oil producer on earth, became the largest net fuel importer gradually grew and with it, a gargantuan corruption that soon over swept the entire country and became the main business in town.
Because the fluctuations in the international crude market was bound to affect this dependent regime, it was impossible for fuel importers to consistently fiddle with fuel prices as crude prices fluctuate as this was bound to unleash chains of unpalatable social crisis, the government will have to subsidize imported fuel prices for there to be a stability in prices. This was what led to the notorious subsidy scheme, which itself became another huge cesspool of fleecing the country and expanding the frontiers of corruption. Subsidy, as a policy, would have been a non-issue if Nigeria has optimal refining capacity to ensure adequate supply of refined petroleum products for its expanding populace. The existing refineries were designed for a population of between 50 and 60 million, at optimal operation capacity. With our population at over 180 million, there is no doubt that the existing refineries, even if they were operating at full capacity, would merely meet the needs of a little fraction of our population. So there was need for regular maintenance of the existing refineries to keep them at optimal level while building new refineries for Nigeria to meet her local fuel needs but these imperatives were all abandoned and Nigeria made to depend on imported fuel. So subsidy would not have happened if Nigeria had full refining capacity and crude supplied to these refineries at tolerable local price.
So, the Nigerian oil industry was converted to a huge corruption complex and the ordinary Nigerians were structured as the ultimate brunt bearers and financiers of this massive corruption. Over the years, the corruption has been deepened. Since President Buhari came to power, there has been decisive actions to unhinge this deeply rooted corruption and this led to the expunging of the hugely corrupt subsidy regime that was so manipulated to corruptly enrich many interests that are attached to those in power. But then, without local refining capacity, it would be difficult to control the price of fuel without somehow, subsidizing the price of imported fuel in the midst of global fluctuation in oil prices. That is why we are having the supply glitches we have been having since December and the government should be bold to address it.
Methinks that a highly controlled and transparent subsidy regime, not the scrambled corrupt subsidy scheme that existed before Buhari came, would be in order. The present government should weigh in with a transparent subsidy regime that takes care of the rise in petroleum products to ensure that the present price regime is not tampered with. There is nothing wrong with a transparent subsidy process. Why Nigerians were against the subsidy regime before now was because of the widespread abuses and total lack of transparency that attended it. It got to a point the immediate past government paid a whopping N2.1 trillion as doubtful subsidy to oil marketers without corresponding supply of imported fuel. With the vastly improved transparent culture this government conducts its policies, I believe it can enthrone a transparent and open process of subsidizing imported refined products so as to ensure that Nigerians are not subjected to the whims and selfish caprices of hawkish petroleum importers.
All said, the tremendous promises of the Dangote refinery, which promises to start operation next year, should gladden the hearts of Nigerians that somehow, a Nigerian has come to the rescue from many years of official ineptitude and corruption. The Dangote refinery is expected to end this cyclical embarrassment of total dependence on petroleum products and the businessman needs commending for this giant intervention. Is it not curious that the many other people that made huge gains from the corrupt twists in the petroleum industry never deemed it proper to invest the loot they got from the oil sector into developing the sector as Dangote is doing? He deserves our kudos but before his refinery comes on steam, the government must develop a supply template to keep the product available to Nigerians while not increasing the price to reflect international crude pricing. The only option is a transparent subsidy regime that will take care of the difference between the present landing cost of imported fuel and the existing controlled price of petrol. There is no way out of the crisis than this.
Aniocha North Chairman, Chuks Oseme with his Councillors
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Chairman of Aniocha North Local government Area, Hon. Chuks Oseme has sworn-in and inaugurated Councillors who will man the activities of the Legislative arm of the Council for the next three years.
The event which took place today at the council’s secretariat, witnessed the oath taking by the 14 lawmakers who were declared winners by the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) in the just concluded Local Government Elections in the State.
This inauguration as marshaled by the Chairman, has rendered the initial inauguration of Monday 15th January, null and void which was allegedly supervised by some State actors who were reported to have hijacked the democratic process in the council.
It will be recalled that on the Tuesday January 16, 2017, pandemonium was averted as fracas broke out between supporters of two PDP groups at the council’s secretariat which was swiftly brought to halt by officers of the Police Force.
Investigations revealed that, for the timely intervention of security agencies, crisis would have engulfed Aniocha North as some PDP faithfuls loyal to various cabals in the Area were gearing to take on each other following the inauguration of 10 Councillors on Monday without the input of the Council Chairman.
Hon. Oseme while administering the Oath of Office, charged the new Councillors to abide to their oath and bring their wealth of experience to the development of the council.
The Chairman thanked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the opportunity given to them to serve in a democratic setting. “it is the first time we are having back to back administration without caretaker committee. Our Governor is a man of wisdom who believes so much in democracy. What we are doing here today, after God is our amiable Governor’s hand work. He gave us the platform to do it”. Oseme extoled.
While enjoining the Councillors to go back to their respective wards and reconcile with aggrieved members of their great party, PDP, Oseme urged them to remove sentiment and rancour in politicking, noting that where only unity and love are, development abounds.
Earlier, the Special Assistance on Media to the Chairman of Aniocha North local government area, Comrade Anazia Matthew condemned orchestrated reports on the purported inauguration of the legislative arm of the council area.
In a statement as obtained, Anazia said that the executive chairman of the council, Hon. Chuks Oseme never proclaimed any letter dated 15th January neither did he direct the Deputy Clerk of the House to read or preside over the inauguration as it was reported in the Pointer Newspaper and an online portal using his name for the inauguration.
According to the published report, it read that, “the Inauguration of the Local Legislative Arm was sequel to the proclamation for the inauguration by the Executive Chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Chuks Oseme, through a proclamation letter dated January 15th, 2018 and read by the Deputy Clerk of the Aniocha North Legislative Arm, Mr. Michael Monye, who presided over the ceremony”
The media assistance who described the story as untrue, mischievous and capable of misleading the people of Aniocha North, urged the people of the council to discard and disregard such report that is capable of destroying the local government.
Female Councillors in Aniocha North Local Government Area
Continuing, Anazia stated that, Hon. Chuks Oseme was not aware of any inauguration of the councillors and never directed anybody to represent him, saying that the purported inauguration was null and void and unconstitutional.
“Hon. Oseme is a law abiding citizen of Aniocha North and a respecter of law, whose council’s interest is his priority. Oseme has said over and over again that his personal interest will not override the interest of the people of Aniocha North, and urged the people to drop their personal interest and consider public’s interest for the development of the area”, he emphasized.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Peace Corps of Nigeria has decried continuous harassment of its members by officers of the Nigeria police in Lagos. The Southwest Zonal Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Mutairu Habib who stated this while speaking with Newsmen in Lagos said there is a court judgment which rule against the police on the harassment of its men.
He appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi and other police officers to desist from harassing its officers across the state. Habib said thirty-four Peace Corps officials were illegally arrested by the police and arraigned at a Magistrate Court in Oshodi but were acquitted by the Magistrate for want of diligent prosecution on Thursday. He said the Peace Corps was hit with utmost shock and trepidation when on Friday, 22 September, 2017, 34 of its officers who were on their way to attend a function to commemorate the World Peace Day 2017 which was celebrated worldwide the previous day were arrested and detained by men of the Nigerian Police.
Habib added that the 34 officers were summarily arraigned the following day at the Lagos State Magistrate court, Oshodi, on three count charge of impersonation, conspiracy and breach of peace. “The matter came up before the magistrate court at four different sittings, at each sitting, the police always failed to appear or bring up witnesses to buttress the three count charges against our officers. The matter came up again on Thursday 18 January, 2018 for trial for the fourth time, all the defendants being present in court as usual. But the police were absent,” he lamented. According to him, the court eventually struck out the charges against the defendants and discharged all the 34 defendants based on the application of the defendant counsel for want of diligent prosecution.
Source : Grassroots Publishers
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer international football star George Weah was sworn in as Liberia’s new president on Monday, in the country’s first transition between democratically-elected leaders since 1944. Weah, 51, took over from Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who spent 12 years at the helm, steering the West African nation away from the trauma of a civil war.
He was sworn in as president by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Francis Korkpor.
The ceremony took place at a packed sports stadium near the capital, Monrovia, with several African heads of state in attendance, along with friends and former colleagues from Weah’s football years.
Crowds queued for kilometres (miles) to reach the stadium, singing, dancing and waving the Liberian flag as they waited. Weah has vowed to make prosperity and job creation the hallmarks of his presidency. Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking a mere 177th on the 188 countries in the Human Development Index compiled by the UN Development Programme.
[dropcap]“T[/dropcap]he true worth of a man is in the way he treats people who are absolutely in need. If you care about people in need, you are actually making a contribution to the development of the nation. We need to give life back to the people; democracy is important in governance. We need to see how we can use the available resources for everybody; create opportunities for all and care, especially for those who are truly in need. The gap between the rich and the poor should be bridged. Those of us blessed with material resources need to share with others. We must strike a balance with our resources.” This is the Philosophy of our principal Hon. Esewezie according to Dr Ruth Nkeaka.
Hon. Innocent Esewezie
“TEAM ESEWEZIE” has practically described Hon. Innocent Esewezie, their principal as a good leader, with the character of humility, passion for service, respect, fairness, accountability and a model others can follow. Hon. Innocent Esewezie is a quintessential leader and gentleman. He is the embodiment of cerebral articulation, the essence of unparalleled philanthropy, the epitome of intellection and breathtaking simplicity, the personification of undiluted humanness, the perfect example of leadership symbolism, the paragon of idealism, the soul of humanity, the heart of warrior, and a perfect gentleman.
Indeed, some leaders are born, some achieve leadership, and some have leadership thrust upon them, while only very few have all three embedded in them. Hon. Innocent Esewezie is one of those very few good men; a true philanthropist, an accomplished Politician, a man of valour, the bringer of rain. In the gallery of great leaders and great men, he is without doubt, a rare masterpiece. Hon. Esewezie is elegant and unblemished in the magisterial lithe and athleticism of folkloric Kings and heroes, with unfettered, excellent diction and oratory; his brilliant smile like sparkling sun radiating from crystal clear eyes and he cuts the dapper, debonair figure and personality of the complete man he has truly metamorphosed into in the last Fifteen years.
In this interview with the Grassroots Publishers, members of “TEAM ESEWEZIE” discussed extensively on the antecedents of their principal and why he is the one to beat in Oshimili North Local Government House of Assembly race come 2019.
Excerpts:
What is “TEAM ESEWEZIE” all about?
“TEAM ESEWEZIE” is a name culled from our principal’s name, Hon. Innocent Esewezie. It can also be referred to as “Ozigbo-Ozigbo (Sharp-Sharp) Team”. The team is made up of people of integrity, men and women of great valour, vibrant youths who have made mark in their various areas of careers. We have Medical Doctor, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs and so many others. We came together to form this team because we believe in our Principal, his ideology, and antecedents.
Grassroots Publishers in a group picture with “Team Esewezie” during the interactive section
Who is Hon. Innocent Esewezie?
Hon. Innocent Esewuzie is a vibrant young man is who started his political career from the grassroots who is solidly rooted and grounded and he has successfully served in various capacities. He was appointed Transition committee member representing Ward 5 (2002-203), duly elected Councilor, Ward 5 in Ibusa (2004-2007), appointed as Oshimili North Coordinator in Uduaghan Vision Movement in 2007, appointed political aide to then State PDP Chairman, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi (2008-2010), appointes Special Assistance, Political Affairs to the former Gov. Uduaghan (2011), appointed Chairman, Oshimili North Transition Committee (2012-2014), appointed Oshimili North Campaign Coordinator for 2015 election, appointed Coordinator of Okowa’s Senatorial Campaign Organisation in 2011, Coordinator, Oshimili North PDP Campaign for 2015 election (delivered on all elections), presently he is the Delta North representative in Directorate of Orientation since 2015 till date, Coordinator of Oshimili North Laison Officers (2017), Director-General, State Community Youths Association (2017 till date). He is a grassroots mobilizer, philanthropist, and a man of integrity.
Why the choice of your principal, Hon Innocent Esewezie?
Hon. Esewezie is a grassroots politician who has been with Peoples Democratic Party since 2002. A very loyal fellow who has been given several opportunities to serve the people in the past. He has always delivered in any assignment he was given to carry out. For example, he has served as a Councilor, Transition Chairman of his L.G.A and has equally served in different capacities as Senior Adviser (SA), Personal Assistance (PA) and currently he is holding three appointments in the Gov. Okowa’s administration. This is due to his proactiveness and hard work. So, I must tell you confidently that Team Esewezie is already out to make sure our Principal gets to the right place come 2019 for the grassroots to start enjoying the dividends of democracy and that is why we are creating the awareness for the good people of Oshimili North LGA to vote for him as our next Delta State House of Assembly Member because our people need a vibrant voice and a quality representative.
What can you say are his achievements as a Councilor, Transition Chairman and currently as the DG, Delta State Community Youths Development, Member representing Delta North in Directorate of Orientation?
Hon. Esewezie, when he was Oshimili North Transition Chairman, he left a landmark which no one has beaten even till today.
• He organized a free medical care for both the Ibusa axis and the North-North axis of which hundreds of people were beneficiaries. He repaired a lot of damaged equipments in Ebu Health centre.
• During his tenure as the Transition Chairman also, social vices especially cultism was brought to its barest minimum in Ibusa, Illah, Okpanam, and the entire Oshimili North.
• He also set up a security network with various security agencies, Nigeria Police Force, Vigilante Group, hunters to ensure utmost protection of lives and properties and that is why during his tenure, the issue of kidnapping, robbery, cultism was drastically reduced.
• In collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, he built a skills acquisition centre fully equipped with modern facilities and one year internet subscription for the Ibusa youths.
• He used his good office to convene, coordinate, collaborate and support several Youths-Oriented programmes in the local government and across the state in general, one of such programmes is “Cultism and the Nigerian Child Youth” programme.
• During his tenure as Transition Chairman, over four hundred women were also empowered as they were employed as sanitation officers during which they worked twice a week and get paid at the end of the month.
• As a Transition Chairman, he completed the abandoned Ultra-Modern Eke market (Ashia Eke) at Ibusa with a sound-proof 100kv Generator set to power the market and same with Ebu market.
• When Sure-P programme came on board, a lot of people benefitted from the empowerment; Cars, Sewing machines, Grinding machines, etc were given out to entrepreneurs, artisans and so on to enable them start up their own business. Hon. Esewuzie also donated chairs, tables, textbooks, novels, etc to schools. He also installed street lights in some parts of Ibusa.
• He also reconstructed the Ogbe-Owelle town hall, and rebuilt the Ibusa Palace (Nkata) in Ibusa.
• As a Transition Chairman, he was able to settle the long Omu dispute in Ebu and later placed the Omu on a monthly salary. He also played a major role in settling the long dispute between the Obuzor of Ibusa and Diokpa before his tenure expired as a peace maker.
Why is it that most of these projects he established are grounded and abandoned by the present administration?
Well, as we all know that government is continuity and there is no way he will leave office and still be taking care of those infrastructures he provided; that will amount to interference. His successor is expected to continue from where he stopped. For example, the Eke market at Ibusa which was abandoned was completed by him when he came on board as the Transition Chairman.
For the past 12 years, Hon. Pat Ajudua has been representing Oshimili North Constituency in Delta State House of Assembly. What makes you think that your Principal can unseat her?
Thank you very much. You know our Principal, Hon. Innocent Esewezie is a grassroots man, a political mobilizer and loved by everybody both young and old. So, the only man who has the antidote to dethrone the incumbent is our Principal, Hon. Innocent Esewezie. We have earlier talked more on his achievements in the various positions he has held both in the past and present. Our political Agenda name “Ozigbo-Ozigbo” means swinging into action immediately and that is our principal for you. He is one man who does not wait for even a minute to implement his plans to produce positive results for any assignment given to him. If you witnessed the last Council election held on January 6, 2018 at Ibusa, when he came to vote at his Ward, both youths and aged were cherished him and they were all all calling on him to rescue the Local Government come 2019 as the local government needs a total liberation because of his antecedents and acceptance by the grassroots. Recall that as Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Youths Development, he was basically on every news item that relates to the youths not only in Oshimili North but the entire Delta because he operates an open door policy rather than a family venture. We should not also forget in a haste that based on his inherent passion for service and flare for hard work, His Excellency, Governor Okowa appointed him as Director-General of Community Youth Associations in the state. This goes to show that he is hardworking, understands the grassroots politics of the state and surely delivers on all assignments given to him by his leaders. We therefore state categorically that it will be a great disservice to the good people of Oshimili North if he fails to listen to the voice of the masses by dethroning the incumbent because Oshimili North needs a positive change and a vibrant voice.
With reference to 2015 when the “Asaba Kpoi Agenda” came on board, the masses were so happy with the development and thought their messiah has come but were dismayed when suddenly your principal withdrew from the race reason being that the political leaders have directed so. I hope the same story will not repeat itself this time?
No. Not at all. We strongly believe that PDP is democratic in nature and will not allow the same story to continue repeating itself. Aside the PDP political leaders, the Oshimili North elders and youths have also endorsed him not because of political interest but because of his antecedents. He is widely accepted in the council because even the last state council election made us believe more that he is really a man of the people because as jubilation were ongoing over his supporter’s victory, people were congratulating him as if he was the one who won the election. So, our leader, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi has promised all aspirants of level playing field so it is no longer business as usual. All contestants should work harder for their votes to match our Principal while we eagerly await who crosses the finishing line first. I can assure you that “Ozigbo-Ozigbo Agenda” is the man to beat come 2019.
What can you say about other aspirants and what do you have to tell the electorate?
Well, anybody is free to contest for any position of his or her interest. As an action man, our principal is ever ready to go for the contest at primary level and hopefully at the election proper and we also enjoin other aspirants to come on board for the contest and whoever emerges winner at the primary level according to the people’s choice go ahead with the election proper. The electorate should also not be afraid to support a man, who is ready to make a change; who has the interest of the grassroots at heart. I know that other aspirants are afraid of our Principal, Hon. Innocent Esewezie because he is a grassroots man and mobilizer.
Are you assuring our people that the “Ozigbo-Ozigbo Agenda” is battle ready to defeat any opponent?
(Laughs) We know what we have; we know our principal’s antecedents. The “Ozigbo-Ozigbo Agenda” is not in war with anybody. The upcoming election is just a race not war but we strongly believe that the masses are much awake and exposed now. It is no longer going to be business as usual. The masses will decide.
How ready is your Principal financially as you that election in Nigeria these days is money?
Well, my Principal is fully ready to finance all his campaign and we want to assure you that the electorate are wiser now, so if any aspirant is thinking or planning of buying the electorate over, he or she is making a mistake because we need a voice and not a concur member and you know that our Principal, Hon. Innocent Esewezie does not fall in that category.
What is your message to the good people of Oshimili North?
People should know that we need change at this time and should not be bought over with money as it has always played out in every election period. They should look out for the most popular candidate who will give us a voice in the House of Assembly and take us to the next level.
Grassroots Publishers in a group picture with “Team Esewezie” during a courtesy visit
What is your Principal’s assurance to the masses as regards security?
Well, he has done it before and he will do it again. I want to remind you that when he was the Council Transition Chairman, he fought cultism and crime to barest minimum and equally engaged the youths who were into those social vices. We also want to use this opportunity to advice the youths not to submit themselves to be used as electoral thugs or cause chaos during elections. They should remain instruments of peace and harmony and ensure they vote the right candidate for the Delta State House of Assembly come 2019, which is Hon. Innocent Esewezie.
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