Rt. Hon Victor Ochei has obviously thrown himself up as a curious spectacle in Nigerian political studies. So he should equally accept it when analysts choose to analyse him within the framework of discourses particular to the Nigerian political environment.
The handsome Barr Ochei has sadly failed to apprehend the trends and dynamics of Nigerian politics which stipulate that every politician roughly undergoes three major seasons in his political sojourn.
He has failed to comprehend that first, there is the season within which a politician ‘reigns’ albeit through the avenue of service delivery.
That second,there is a season of seeming hibernation. Herein,the politician goes into the trenches in order to re-strategize and depending on his first outing, it is that period he attempts to convince the electorate of his readiness to return a second time in an offer of better service delivery.
The third season is one for staging a final comeback. If well handled, the politician eventually translates into the class of iconic statesmen, veterans and heroes.
Within these outlined seasons, how has Hon Ochei fared?
In the first season, Ochei was widely acclaimed a young man whose overriding hallmark was vain glory, profligacy and unbridled arrogance.
Back then were his long convoys. Alongside was that unwarranted opulence and wanton vanities of an enterprising young politician who forgot his lowly backgrounds initially cocooned or wrapped in what I might loosely term ‘mobile dealership of clothes,wears and shoes’.
Yes,Hon Ochei would not say he had any rich dad. Neither did he have any known family inheritance bequeathed or handed down to him before his incursion into Delta politics.
Yet, for a season that roughly lasted a decade, he ended up becoming one of the billionaires in town.
So when an Ochei talks about corruption in PDP, some could rightly say that he reminds one only of the moral affliction in APC where yesterday PDP men need just to go through the initiation of progressivism in order to acquire sainthood overnight.
Anyway, should the chequered occurrences that characterized Hon Ochei’ s first season be winked at casually, his carriage in the critical season 2 so far should ordinarily bother his handlers.
I recognise that Ochei is a professional politician who has once had his hands dipped greedily in the pie. Therefore, his desperation to stage a comeback is understandable. Let’s forget that his self – styled, self- effacing claim of altruism and love for his people.
When an Ochei says he cares less about who wins the Gubernatorial Primaries, he is just simply and subtly only giving vent to the inner undercurrents of his heart which suggest that wicked determination to cede the Governorship to the Urhobos as against the collective agreement of his Anioma people and Deltans for an equitable distribution of power in the State. To Ochei, anything to spite Gov Okowa is nothing but relish.
However, his modus operandi so far only betrays a poor scorecard stained with the blot of desperation,ego and arrogance.
Ever since his move into the APC, one may wish to ask what capacity he has shown in terms of organising and positioning his Party ( especially in his constituency) into a formidable force to match the PDP in any forthcoming Elections?
What has he done to reconcile the implacable factions domiciled in Delta APC like the afflictions of leprosy?
Like the warrior lost to the times and seasons of warfare, Ochei has merely continued to patronise media houses with concocted stories of an underperformed Gov Okowa. He would rather not be found labouring for fortunes for his Delta APC which is outrightly in dire need of them.
Hon Ochei would further rant that the Governor has no Star Project anywhere.
However,hasn’t he equally failed to convincingly contradict with superior facts ,the verdict of the World Bank, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, APC stalwarts like Fashola( who at his visit commended the State for being so peaceful) which all opine that Delta State is a model in economic and entrepreneurial innovations and astuteness?
Ochei is just like his midget of a Governor brother who out of sheer sycophancy and unbridled impudence contradicted Bill Gates’ economic postulations on Nigeria; yet, he has governed his blessed State with socioeconomic policies which are anathema to development and peaceful coexistence.
Further still,, Hon Ochei’s levels of contradiction and ambivalence are equally legendary.
In one breathe, he accuses the Governor of discontinuity of projects by past Administrations. In another morbid breathe, hatred and jealousy do not let him see how Gov Okowa has chosen to complete the Asaba Airport and Asaba / Ughelli dualization – obviously abandoned ‘Star Projects’ of a past Administration within which he could not exercise proper oversight functions as the self- acclaimed Speaker Emeritus.
By and large, Government House Asaba may be one big Star Project for the elitist Ochei who cannot ponder over the question of what value the construction of such possesses as evidence of very direct impact on the wellbeing of Deltans.
We all know Hon Ochei. That he craves the comfort of edifices and mansions and doth equally relish the adulation of men to massage his ego is no news.
Hon Ochei must however understand that Deltans are more pleased having a Governor who deemed it proper and necessary to meet with them to marshall out his SMART Agenda and who has thereafter,graciously been fulfilling the items to the admiration and gratitude of Deltans.
I close with this.
Hon Ochei should not forget that no one will take him serious except he descends from his self- made Olympian height to subject himself to the call for media debate.
Media debates are usually held everywhere else by media aides on behalf of Governors .Hence, Ochei’ s dithering and petty talk of being too important to engage Barr Uzum in a debate is nothing but sheer arrogance and unnecessary posturing.
Whatever Barr Ochei’ s media aides think of Barr Uzum is immaterial to the case on hand. Barr Uzum is currently the Orientation Boss and if in such capacity he cannot engage Hon Ochei, who else should?
If Barr Uzum is a fraudster, kidnapper and criminal, what else to do than report him to relevant agencies of Government than hide under such unnecessary mudslinging and distraction?
Anyway, such mannerisms are usual or characteristic of Hon Ochei and his associates.
Late last year, was Ochei not found ranting and engaging in overhyped celebration of his graduation party rather than hit the campaign field to woo voters?
Consequently, his rants of having a formidable and unconquerable party only produced or incurred avoidable losses for his Delta APC in the Local Government Election.
From all indications, will the ebullient Hon Ochei successfully and tactfully negotiate his way through his second season and into the third? The months ahead will accurately determine that.
However, I think I always admire the demeanour of Gov Okowa to the unbecoming mannerisms of his Anioma brother. The Governor has rightly showed that silence and more achievements are the best answers to such behavioural patterns of a disgruntled brother.
By: Olomu Onyiye.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not in any way represent the official policy or position of HardReporters.
