15 February 2018
Some few days ago, the Senator representing Central Senatorial District, Distinguished Senator John Owan-Enoh was in my community to commission the palace of the Kwudiden of Adun, Ovarr Patrick Arong as part of activities lined-up for his party's mega rally in Obubra LG. While I have no issues with him nor his party organising a mega rally anywhere they deem fit, I am terribly surprise that Senator Owan-Enoh could shamelessly commission a palace he knows little or nothing about how it was built.
My original intention was to keep quiet else my comments as usual would be seen as coming from his political opponents but keeping quiet will only give credence to the lies his battalion of social media aides are selling to their gullible followers hence this response.
Let it be known that, the just commissioned palace of the Kwudiden of Adun was never built by Senator John Owan-Enoh. Rather, the palace was built and roofed from the little contributions of members of 'Awon yaka' one of the three traditional families in Oderegha villages.
This is not denying the Senator, the credit of tiling the floor of the palace, painting of the building and installation of POP in the palace but for some overzealous aides to claim that the Senator built the palace from its foundation stage to completion is laughable and a lie from the pit of hell. I dare them to show us the pictorial and architectural evidence.
Some people have argued that the traditional rulers of Adun and not the Senator are to be blamed for allowing him take credit on a project his total contribution is not up to ten percent. While I agree with them, it again brings to the fore the domineering attitude of the man Senator John Owan Enoh. For him, Obubra is one of his conquered territories. For him, we are nothing but a conquered people who would at all times, do his bidding even at our own detriment. For more than 16 years, he has been in the business of abusing our collective sensibilities as a people.
For more than one year, not even the inter and intra communal clashes in Obubra that has claimed many lives and properties was enough to bring the Senator to Obubra. When he finally decided to come less than one year to elections, it is a palace that was never built by him he decided to commission. It is a party secretariat that has little or no impact on Obubra people he came to commission. It is a Mega rally that was deliberately put together to satisfy his unending political aspirations he came to grace. Yet, we watch and read on a daily basis how his colleagues from other States and even within the State are commissioning their constituency projects. How sad!
Sadly, the same man still has sane Obubra men and women who are ready to kill and maim for him because of 50,000, He has sane Obubra young men ready to write anything on social media just to justify their 30 to 50,000. The truth is that, half of Senator John Owan Enoh entire political career has been targeted at how to make an Obubra man politically and economically incapacitated. Can he explained why he is against an Obubra man been the State Chairman of his Party? Can he explained why he went for Hon Mike Etaba, a complete political novice who was doing well in his business over tested and trusted politicians and lawmakers who were in the race for House of Reps in 2015? Can he explain why Late Hon Raymond Obeten was redeployed less than 6 months after he was appointed to Ministry of Local Government as Commissioner to Ministry of Youths and Sports? Can he explained the role he played in the impeachment of late Chief John Okpa as Deputy Governor of Cross River State?
Today in the Central Senatorial, not less than ten people have indicated interest to run for Senate in the forthcoming 2019 general elections but none is from Obubra. Because our people have been made to believe that some people are more superior than them since 2003. We have been made to believe that, our role is to support and not to be supported.
Finally, it is on record that when Senator John Owan Enoh needed the support of Obubra people in 2003, it was in the back of a young Egbe Jabengo through his Heroes Movement he rode on to become what he is today, but when it was time to support his Chairmanship aspiration, he suddenly realise he lacks what it takes to be a Chairman. Fast forward to 2018, it is now getting dawn on him that he is almost loosing grip of Obubra and another promising young man in the person of my brother Dan Obo has been recruited to lead his rescue mission. Same boy he has said in many quarters that he is not as smart as he thinks he is….My prayer is that he doesn't dump him again at the end of the day.
As for me, I don't care whether he wins whatsoever he is contesting for come 2019 but I want it to be on record that, I am one of the few young men that said NO to Senator John Owan Enoh's Hegemony.
Richard Romanus is from Oderegha, Obubra LGA