By Francis Ewherido
The University College, Ibadan, was established in 1948, before it became a full-fledged University in 1962. The University of Lagos was established by the Federal Government in 1962. A year earlier, the Western Regional Government established University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). By 1963, before Midwest Region was created out of the Western Region, the region had three first class universities all sited in Yoruba land. But the first graduates produced in Nigerian universities from Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri and Anioma all schooled in these universities. Admissions of students and even staff of the universities were not restricted to Yorubas.
It was not until 1970 that the Midwest Region, which was part of the Western Region got its first University. It started as an Institute of Technology and was accorded the status of a full-fledged University by Nigeria “National Universities Commission” (NUC) on the 1st of July in the 1971. In April 1972, the then Military Governor of Mid-West State, Col. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia formally announced the change of the name of the Institute of Technology to the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Ogbemudia is from Benin.
In 1981, the Bendel State Government wanted to set up a state university. Many of us born in the 60s grew up to meet College of Education, Abraka. Naturally, we thought that the university will be sited in Abraka. Abraka started as a Government Teachers’ Training College during the colonial era and some years into the post-colonial era. It became a College of Education that was awarded the Nigerian Certificate of Education (N.C.E.) from 1971. That was even before Uniben was established. Before we knew it, we started hearing of one village called Ekpoma. Very few people, apart from those in that part of Bendel State, had heard of that name before. The Urhobos and people of the other leg of Bendel State (Delta Province) argued that since University of Benin was already in Benin Province, Delta Province should have the University since there was the College of Education and all it needed was an upgrade to a university. Alli had other ideas, he wanted to open up his part of Bendal State and bring development there. He had his way. Bendel State University, Ekpoma was born. `Before the university started, Ekpoma and its surrounding were all rural areas. Vehicles scarcely plied the roads Alli constructed. Instead the farmers spread their farm produce on the roads to dry them. They did not need to bother about vehicles because they were non-existent. Today Ekpoma is a city.
Outside siting of universities, when Ogun State was created, Sagamu looked like the natural state capital, but it went to Abeokuta. Of course President Olusegun Obasanjo was military head of state and he is from Owu-Abeokuta. Ibrahim Babangida was supposed to create Delta State and Anioma State. He chose to create one state, named it Delta State and put the capital in Asaba, a border town in Anioma. His late wife Maryam Babngida is from there. What Former Governor James Ibori did in Oghara and what the current Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is doing in Owa-Alero are fresh and need no repetition. Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is still being mocked by some Itsekiris and even non-Itsekiris for not doing enough in Itsekiri land when he was governor. It is our nature to treat our people specially. Charity begins at home.
My late brother, Sen. Pius Ewherido will tell you that you cannot be a good Nigerian or Delta man, if you are not a first good Ewhu man or Urhobo man. Had he lived much longer, he had a blueprint to transform Ewhu into a city, without neglecting other parts of Delta State. For instance, I knew he had a plan in place to tackle the erosion problem in Agbor. When he became a senator, the reconstruction of Ewhu-Edjekota Road was among the first few projects he attracted to Delta Central Senatorial District.
That is why I am amazed at the personal attacks and controversy over the siting of the federal polytechnic in Orogun, where the Deputy President of the Senate and governorship candidate of the APC comes from, HE Ovie Omo-Agege, hails from. We have been hearing of the federal polytechnic to be located in Delta State for a long while now. It is indisputable that Omo-Agege sponsored the bill, got it passed and got it assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari. Go and ask or read about the rigours involved in the process of passing a bill into law. After all these hard work, the man influenced it to his town, you are condemning him. There is an English word called EMPATHY, which means putting yourself in other person’s position. It gives you a broader view of life instead of your myopic perspective. Now put yourself in Omo-Agege’s position; where will you influence the polytechnic to be sited in? I would have fought my late brother, Sen. Ewherido, if he did not site such a project in Ewhu. Ewhu has the land and other necessary requirements to host the polytechnic. If I feel this way, why should I grudge Omo-Agege for influencing the polytechnic to Orogun?
If I may ask, if not Orogun, where? If not Omo-Agege, who championed the signing of the polytechnic bill into law, who? If not now that he is the deputy president of the senate and is vying to the next governor of Delta State, when? Obasanjo, Ambrose Alli, Ogbemudia, Ibori and Okowa did it, what is wrong in bringing development and changing the lives of people in your community? Are they not part of Delta and Nigeria? Though in Oghara, patronage of the teaching hospital is for all Nigerians, Dennis Osadebay University has many Urhobos as lecturers. In fact, Prof. Ben Oghojafor, an Urhobo man is the vice chancellor. Same way, the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, is for all Nigerians; students, lecturers and non-teaching staff from other parts of Delta and Nigeria will benefit from it. Let us leave trivialities and face more germane issues.
When you govern or represent a big entity, you have to work hard to touch all areas. You will need their votes during elections, but remember on election day, you are restricted to your town or village. This is significant. You need to win your polling unit, ward, village, constituency, senatorial district and state as the case may be. Without these, what kind of politician are you? All politics is local. I do not have issues of endearing yourself to your immediate constituency by attracting projects there. At the end of the day, there will be resources to enable government touch lives in all parts of the state if the resources are well managed.
