Outbursts Over Omo Agege’s Appointments Not Necessary

                                                                          

                      Ovie Omo Agege, Deputy Senate President                            

 The disapproval expressed by certain persons from the Urhobo Nation, Delta Central of Delta State and the South-South geopolitical zone of the country over the recent appointments by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo Agege is not necessary. Senator Omo-Agege recently appointed Dr. Otive Igbuzor as Chief of Staff, Mr. Yomi Odunuga as Special Assistant, Media and Publicity and Ms. Lara Owoeye-Wise as Senior Special Assistant on Electronic and New Media. Dr. Otive Igbuzor is an Urhobo like his boss while Mr. Yomi Odunuga and Ms. Lara Owoye-Wise are Yorubas. Those who expressed disappointments over these appointments include but not limited to former executive assistant to Governor Okowa on communications, Barrister Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe and former publicity secretary of Urhobo Progress Union, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Martis Onos. They are of the opinion that DSP Omo-Agege should have chosen his media aides from his ethnic Urhobo Nation, saying that there are qualified, competent and capable hands in the Urhobo Nation that could do the job instead of choosing persons from the Yoruba Nation.

Those who are not disposed to these appointments are of the belief that prominent Urhobos occupying key positions don’t like to help other Urhobos. This is not true because the Urhobos help themselves. Is Dr. Otive Igbuzor not an Urhobo? Has he not helped by being appointed as Chief of Staff? Rhetorically, they asked if there were no qualified persons from the Urhobo ethnic extraction that could work effectively as media aides. Without argumentations, there are qualified, competent and capable Urhobos who can perform effectively as media aides to Senator Omo-Agege. I am one of such Urhobos. I sleep and wake up in the media, I swim in the media, eat and drink in the media-I am very active in the media.

Though, Senator Omo-Agege based the appointments of his media aides on merit but it is widely believe that he made these appointments as a detribalized Nigerian. This can’t be disputed because Senator Omo-Agege, who rose from being an executive assistant to former governor James Onanefe Ibori, to becoming commissioner for commerce and industry and Secretary to Delta State government, knows the implication of playing ethnic politics. Delta as a multiethnic state is the microcosm of Nigeria. Ovie Omo-Agege succeeded very well in the above mentioned positions he held in Delta State because he shunned ethnicity in all his dealings with the various ethnic groups in the state-he treated everybody equally irrespective of their tribe or ethnicities. This is exactly what Senator Omo-Agege has transferred to the politics at the national level and he should be commended for his nationalism and detribalization rather than being vilified. Again, this is the first set of appointments, others are coming that will include more people from the Urhobo Nation. 

Of a truth, many Nigerians play ethnic politics. Since the country returned to democracy in 1999, many political leaders have always chosen their kitchen cabinet and media aides from their ethnic tribes. The immediate past Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu chose his media aide from his Igbo ethnic nationality. It wouldn’t have been an offence if Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has chosen his media aides from his Urhobo ethnic nationality but if all Nigerians pursue tribal preferences how will the unity we all craved be achieved? If every political leader in the country can come out of their ethnic cocoon and prison and emulate Senator Omo-Agege by making mixed appointments then the much mouthed unity will be achieved soonest. It is not enough to shout “unity, unity, one Nigeria, one Nigeria,” yet we do things that divide and disunite us-how can there be unity in the country? Thus, Senator Omo-Agege should be eulogized rather than being criticized.

Again, this opportunity must be seized to inform Nigerians and the entire world that nationalism and detribalization are not peculiar to Senator Omo-Agege alone-it is a common DNA that runs in the veins of very Urhobo. Urhobo Nation is noted for her detribalization. Recall, when Chief Michael Ibru of blessed memory, the doyen of the fish industry and the patriarch of the Ibru Organization, established Superbru Limited in 1979, a brewery which brewed Skol lager beer, it was a Yoruba man he appointed as the first managing director. Again, when he established the defunct Oceanic Bank in the 1990s, he also appointed a Yoruba man as the first managing director of the bank. The Guardian Newspaper established by late Alex Ibru has produced more editors outside the Urhobo Nation. The Federal Palace Hotel and Sheraton Hotels and Towels which are under the management of Ikeja Hotels PLC and owned by Goodie Ibru have also produced more managing directors of non-Urhobos. The list of Urhobos who have appointed persons outside the Urhobo Nation to oversee their companies is endless. This attribute of not pursuing sentiments and detribalism by the Urhobos is a major factor that has endeared them to other Nigerians across the country.

It must be pointed out that those appointments were not made for lack of qualified Urhobos-no they were made for the simple reason that the Urhobos have large hearts, accommodative and detribalized. And this is why companies owned by Urhobos usually stand the test of time and thrive because they are managed by the best hands recruited within and outside the Urhobo Nation. It is evident that companies that are managed solely by family members, friends and people from the same ethnic group are usually mismanaged because of nonchalant attitude and wrong notion of “this is my brother, sister, uncle or tribe man’s company. It is our company, I can do and undo.” With such wrong notion on the mind-standards are not adhere to, and international best practices are never observed. This is why organizations or companies run solely by people of the same ethnic group collapse so easily. Many newspapers have come and gone but the Guardian Newspaper is still standing. Many hotels have come and gone but Federal Palace Hotel and Sheraton Hotels and Towels are standing and prospering. 

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has done well by once again discarding tribalism by making mixed appointments. He has simply replicated nationalism and the detribalized nature of the Urhobo ethnic nationality. It is difficult to come across persons like Senator Omo-Agege in Nigeria. Senator Omo-Agege should be praised for shunning tribalism rather than being scolded. We need more Nigerians who will make mixed appointments to ensure unity in the country.

Victor Anya, a Public Affairs Analyst and Publicist.