Asekutu’s Landmarks In Warri North: A Good Turn That Deserves AnotherHon. Smart Yomi Asekutu
By Victor Lewis
When after nearly 30 years of its creation, the mantle of the chairmanship of Warri North Local Government Council Area fell on the Ijaws for the first time, the emergence of Hon. Smart Olorunyomi Asekutu was received with mixed feelings.
For the Ijaws, one of the two major ethnic nationalities in Warri North, it was indeed, not only a dream come true, but it was the fulfillment of a constitutional and fundamental right that has been denied over the years. The expectation was that the Egbema Ijaw area which has not received developmental attention for decades, would henceforth equitably benefit from the resources accruing to the Local Government Area. Suffice to mention that the eventual emergence of Hon. Asekutu marked the climax of joy and expectations for the Ijaws of Egbema kingdom.
The Itsekiris who had dominated the chairmanship seat of the Local Government Council over the years, exercised some latent premonition as to whether the incoming Council chairman would be friendly or antagonistic. This, perhaps, accounted for the initial minor protests put up against the emergence of Hon. Smart Asekutu in February, 2021.
But all of that had become history. The question now is that, three years after, as the immediate past executive chairman of Warri North Local Government Council, did Hon. Smart Olorunyomi Asekutu meet the expectations of the people?
Prior to his election as the Local Government Council chairman, Hon. Asekutu had served as Senior Special Assistant on Intelligence Gathering and Community Development, to the immediate past governor of the State, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Whilst holding sway in this new strategic office created by the then governor, Asekutu, no doubt, exhibited high level of experience in human relations, peace-making, unity, community development model as well as accessibility to all stakeholders across the state. This, indeed, equipped him for the task ahead as Council chairman in the course of time.
With this, Asekutu did not mount the chairmanship of Warri North as a political neophyte. Instead, he defined clearly his goals and along that path, he made promises to his people on what to expect at the end of his three years tenure.
Three years after, did Asekutu met the peoples’ expectations? Did he fulfill his promises? Has he left the Council Area better than he met it? Does he deserve a second term? The answers to these questions constitute what the people expectations of Warri North Local Government in the next dispensations.
Perhaps, a better place to start from should be the assessment of his promises to his people shortly after he was elected the executive chairman of the Council Area. In a thank-you meeting with several elders and community leaders from across the Local Government Area, Asekutu assured them of purposeful leadership as he said:
“I resumed office with a module for easy administration and the sustainable development of the Council. We promise to break new frontiers in our efforts to fast-track comprehensive infrastructural development across our communities.
“I am just the Council Chairman, but the task of leadership behoves on all of us. I need your support, I need your collective wisdom and guidance in the order of priorities in project execution. I am here to assure you that I will continue to seek your opinion and always listen to your well-meaning advice and suggestions including your objective criticism as the case may be.
“This administration will exceed expectations and we will create more Developmental roles for our community leaders as part of our holistic approach to human capital development. We are here to work and live for history.”
With the above stated mission statement of Hon. Asekutu, he set out to work in earnest, in accordance to the ‘To Do’ List which he drew up for himself and which he reviews each passing day.
In a chat with a group of journalists and Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, sometime in 2023, Hon. Asekutu stated: “I will be more disappointed in myself if I fail to accomplish the strategic goals I have set for myself to attract development, unity, love, peace, security, infrastructure and overall better life for the entire people of Warri North in my three year’s tenure as chairman of the Council.”
Three years down the line, has Asekutu satisfied himself? The answer is in the affirmative. Has he met the expectations of the people? Again, the answer is in the affirmative. And the general consensus is that: “HON. SMART OLORUNYOMI ASEKUTU HAS PERFORMED BEYOND THE PEOPLES’ EXPECTATIONS, AS THE CHAIRMAN OF WARRI NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA”.
In the area of critical infrastructure, Hon. Asekutu not only beat any known existing records but gone beyond expectations. Asekutu’s Landmarks in capital infrastructure include his construction and completion of Jetty at Ubagboro; construction and completion of health center at Ubagboro; construction of potable water system in Okogho; purchase of 200Hsp Speed boat for the local Government and the purchase of a 140Kva Generator for the Local Government council Secretariat.
It also include the purchase of a 500Kva generator for Tsekelewu community; renovation of the Local Government Council Lodge; provision of street lights in Gbokoda and the provision of hospital equipment for health centers across Warri North.
Others include construction of one Storey building at the local Government Council Secretariat; the fencing of the local Government Council Secretariat;
the construction of Canteen at the Local Govt council Secretariat and the renovation of the local Government Council Secretariat.
The above listed and many others which are at various stages of completion speak volume of Asekutu’s super achievements in Warri North.
But it was not all about capital infrastructure. Asekutu’s Landmarks achievements clearly factored in the restoration of peaceful co-existence between the Ijaws and the Itsekiris of Warri North. Little wonder on assumption of office, Asekutu convened a meeting of royal father’s in Warri North where he sold his message of peaceful co-existence to the monarchs.
Asekutu, on mounting the chairmanship seat, convoked a meeting of traditional rulers and regents in Koko, headquarters of Warri North where a joint committee was conceived to strengthen existing peace and relationship between the two ethnic tribes in Warri North. This accounted for the peace that prevailed all through the tenure of Hon. Asekutu. According to him, “there is the need for good collaboration between government, traditional rulers and security agencies so that information can be easily communicated to government at various levels.”
Warri North Local Government Area is one of areas in the State that is naturally blessed with crude oil. Hence there are some crude oil prospecting and producing companies such as NPDC and Elcrest joint ventures.
On several occasions, Hon. Asekutu has brokered peace in disputes between the oil companies and communities in the Council area, a situation which had ensured a sustained communal peace and security in the area. This again is a landmark legacy of Hon. Smart Asekutu, the Moulder.
In all of these, power did not at any time made the Egbema-born politician drunk with pride. He remained humble, accessible, open-handed and loyal to recognized leaders from both ethnic tribes. All throughout his three years in office, Hon. Asekutu had paid homage to the Warri monarch, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri kingdom for his royal advice and direction, a situation that provided wisdom for the chairman to succeed. It was on record that the Warri monarch at a time openly acknowledged the effort of Hon. Asekutu in promoting peace and development in Warri North.
Asekutu also enjoyed huge support from Hon. Michael Diden (aka Ejele) a top PDP leader in Warri North amongst others, during his three years tenure as the chairman of the Council.
“My emergence as Chairman is an act of God and I thank God for his love. I went through a lot of back and front challenges, and Hon Michael Diden was always there for me, he stood for truth and fairness. The peace we have enjoyed, did not come cheap, we made a lot of sacrifices to achieve it”, Asekutu was quoted as saying in a New Year message to usher in 2024.
He was also quoted as showering appreciation to a top Cleric, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor whom he said expressed his love and recognition for the leadership of the Council.
As the three years tenure of Hon. Asekutu terminated in February, the race for another chairman has just began. However, as much as it lies on the people of Warri North to, as usual, make their choice for who becomes their next chairman, there is no rule that prevent the immediate past Council chairman from indicating interest for a second tenure.
Hon. Smart Olorunyomi Asekutu has thrown his hat in the ring for a second tenure, ostensibly to enable him have a chance to complete his lofty plans for the development of Warri North Local Government Area. He might need little or no stress in selling himself to the people. This is because his landmark legacies from his first tenure speak volume for him. He is also need to come back to further promote development of the area under the platform provided by the M.O.R.E Agenda of the governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
Asekutu is also greatly advantaged as he remains the only Ijaw-born politician in Warri North who is occupying just one of the numerous political offices available to the people of the area.
So, in strict consideration of balance of political powers in Warri North between the Itsekiris and Ijaws, equity and fairness demand that the Ijaws should still have the next turn at the Council chairmanship since all other political offices are presently being occupied by the Itsekiris. For example, the two Commissioners positions that emerged from the Council Area are presently occupied by the Itsekiris while the House of Assembly position for Warri North Constituency is also occupied by an Itsekiri.
Asekutu is a unifier, a moulder, a peace maker, God-fearing, a promise keeper, equity-conscious, humble, accessible and detribalized. He is a tested, trusted and consummate Leader of Warri North. Indeed, it is a good turn that appropriately deserve another.
He has demonstrated all these attributes in his three years and he is prepared to re-enact them to further lift Warri North Local Government Area to another level
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