The Arena
One Year Of Capable Representation Of Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu
The entire mix of his noble personage has distinguished him as a man of value. An ebullient young man; urbane and dashing; noble in character with a pleasantly large heart; bright, jovial, bouncy and lively, yet modest and reserved.
Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, who represents Aniocha-Oshimili Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and currently the leader of the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives, is not one who goes about flaunting his striking credentials as a seasoned, tested and go-getter politician, democrat and legislator per excellence.
On his 55th birthday last April 15, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, in a glowing tribute described the lawmaker as “a courageous leader with sterling accomplishments.” He recalled that Elumelu’s contributions in the legislature, especially in the power sector probe of some years ago have remained remarkable.
He said of Ndudi Elumelu: “As a law maker, you have remained outstanding, and as a politician you are a leading light and a role model for upcoming politicians. As a government, we appreciate your contributions to the growth and development of our country, particularly your role in the development of the power and health sectors when you headed the committees of the House in those sectors from 2007-2010 and 2011 – 2015.
“We remain proud of your leadership role in the National Assembly, and we will continue to make supplications to God to grant you good health and greater years ahead,” Governor Okowa said.
Of course, the people of Aniocha-Oshimili Federal Constituency that he represents in the Green Chamber know him so well and acknowledge him as a man of the people; one who is passionate about the welfare of his constituents and Nigerians at large. He is zealous to provide good and purposeful representation and attract dividends of democracy for his constituents.
Indeed, it was his unparalleled track record scintillating representation for two terms in the past that spurred the people to call on him to return to the House of Representatives on their behalf.
Nothing better expressed the esteem in which the people held him. Chief Ikechukwu Okakwu, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Delta State once confirmed this, saying: We the indigenes of Aniocha-Oshimili value Hon. Ndudi Elumelu’s representation.” Another Senior Special Assistant, Hon. Adim Elue concurred. “We know that he (Elumelu) will perform. He did it before,” Hon. Elue said.
Indubitably, Ndudi Elumelu did not disappoint as he threw himself into the campaign turf, contested and won the elections, thus returning to the green chambers after four years. But how has he fared in the first year of his return to the House of Representatives?
For one year in his third tenure as the representatives of the people of Aniocha Oshimili in the green chambers of the National Assembly, Hon. Elumelu has demonstrated good leadership; he has shown great concern not only to the people of his immediate constituency, but the people of Nigeria as a whole.
As the Minority leader of the House of Representatives, he brought his legislative experience and maturity to bear in the affairs of the House. His excellent human relations and respect for people could be the key for his achievement so far as the representatives of the people.
Major Achievements of Hon Ndudi Godwin Elumelu in His One Year of Representation at the House of Representatives are listed thus and they are verifiable:
Employment:
Facilitated the employment of 4 persons at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko
Facilitated the employment of 1 person at the Federal University, Wukari
Facilitated the employment of 2 persons in Standard Organization of Nigeria SON
Facilitated the employment of 2 person in Federal Inland Revenue Services
Facilitated the employment of 1 person in Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA
Facilitated the employment of 1 person in the University Teaching Hospital, Abakiliki
Facilitated the recruitment of 9 Constables into the Nigeria police Force
Facilitated the engagement of 2 persons into the Nigerian Army.
Facilitated the employment of 1 person at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
Facilitated the employment of 1 person at the University of Calabar, Calabar.
Over 300 persons have been given recommendation letters to many Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs.)
Empowerment:
Over 242 persons engaged as Personal Assistants across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
Over 45 Million Naira worth of food items distributed across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency to alleviate the effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the people.
Infrastructure:
Facilitated the provision and installations of Solar Street lights in Ogwashi uku in Aniocha North and Atuma in Oshimili North.
Facilitated relief materials from National Emergency Management Agency for flood victims at Oko and other neighbouring communities in Oshimili South Local Government Area.
Facilitated the quick approval of relief materials for persons affected by Fire incident at the Ogbongonogo old Market through the National Emergency Management Agency.
Many other projects are waiting for award in the 2020 budget.
Bills:
Bills by Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, which have been presented to the House and are in different legislative stages, are listed thus:
- A bill for an act to provide for the establishment of the Federal University of Technology Asaba.
- A bill for the establishment of the chartered institute of health insurance and managed care of Nigeria.
- A bill for an act to establish the national health compliance audit scheme.
- A bill for an act to provide for the registration and regulations of lobbyists in Nigeria.
- Electoral amendment act bill
- National health insurance act (repeal and enactment) bill
- Data protection bill
- Nigerian metallurgical industry bill.
- A bill for an act to establish the maritime university okerenkoko.
- Federal audit service commission bill.
- Bill to Increase capital budget to 40 percent.
- A bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for the alteration of the first schedule section (3) part 1 State of the Federation to provide for the creation of Anioma State and other related matters.
Motions:
He has a good number of motions to his credit and some of them are also listed thus:
Motion on the need to investigate the alleged sleaze, misappropriation and non-profitability of the Nigeria Communication satellite company (Nigcomsat) limited.
Motion on the need to investigate the award of contract for the rehabilitation of the railway tract network eastern line contract 7-(km 803 to km 1443 Kuru to Maiduguri) to Messrs Lingo Nigeria limited in association with Strasky Husty and Partners limited of Czech republic.
Motion on the need for the effective enforcement of the interstate lockdown by security agents moved by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu and 9 others.
Motion on the need to investigate the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the award of contract for the emergency procurement of specialized medical personal protective Equipment (PPE) for Health workers and provision of community based sensitization campaign against the spread of Covid-19 and other communicable diseases in the Nine State of the Niger Delta Region.
Motion for the need for the Federal Government to grant operational right to Bayelsa Airport moved by Rt. Hon. Elumelu and 6 others.
Motion on the need to investigate Massrs Ninno Engineering Nig Ltd, Petrogas Specialist Service Ltd and Quintus Investment Co. Nig Ltd for abandoning the construction of Onicha-uku/ Idumuje, Onicha-uku/Idumu-Ogo road and Onicha-Uku Civic Centre project.
Motion on attempts to tarnish the image and hard earned reputation of Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank (AFDB), on trumped-up allegations.
Motion on the invasion of the Federal High Court Premises Abuja by Men of the Department of State Services, (DSS).
Motion on the need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to Place a Ban on the entry of herdsmen from other African Countries into Nigeria.
Motion on the need to investigate an SOS call that a Chinese Company in Nigeria has continued to detain its Nigerian workers since the Lockdown, in flagrant abuse of the FG’s Covid-19 regulations and others.
Motion on the need for the FGN to urgently intervene in the security breaches along Lokoja/Enugu and Akwa/Enugu axis.
Motion on the need for the FGN to interface with the management of electricity companies and the national union of electricity employees (NUEE) to avoid impending electricity blackout.
Assessing the performance of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu’s one year of representing the people of Aniocha/Oshimili, Chief Chibuzor Charles Uwaje, former Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oshimili South, and grassroots politician said: “Ndudi Elumelu has done wonderfully well. When you say that somebody has done well, it means that the person has done what people expected from him.
“Let me start by telling you about a vibrant man whom I saw in the Chambers talking about the people that he represents. He is a man that has the empowerment of his people at heart. This can be attested to in his actions during the Covid-19 Lockdown in Delta State, where he showed great and passionate concern for the people that he represents. That alone gave me great joy and satisfaction when you are talking about his representation of his people in the period under review.
“The Aniocha/Oshimili people are very pleased with him. Under this period, he has done very well. He shared rice, beans, garri, money, even above all that, he went on to empower the people, paying salaries to a good number of persons in each of the wards in the Federal Constituency every month.
Chief Uwaje continued: “If we have been having people that have been doing this, the politicians and people would not have been complaining. By his performance, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has made our work as politicians in Delta State as a whole very easy. He has made the work for PDP as a party in this State very easy for the next election.
“I am talking as an experienced politician, I have been into this party, I am a grassroots politician from the scratch to this level I am today. If senior politicians are behaving the way Hon. Ndudi is behaving, I don’t think our party will lose any election, because the dividend you give is what you will take. So Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has shown very good legacy that can carry the party into victory in the next election.
“They said that the end of every election is the beginning of another election; therefore he has done well for our great party, PDP in Delta State to the extent that his performance will surely bring about victory for our party in any election any day any time. His representation at the House of Representatives is a great plus for our people and for our great party, the PDP. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has done well and I urge him to continue to do more for his people and for the party.
“In his second year,” Uwaje said, “I appeal to him not to relent in what he has been doing. He should do more of what he is known for. We are happy and grateful that we elected him as our representatives.”
Uwaje sees in Ndudi Elumelu, a politician that is accessible; a politician that doesn’t forget you after voting for him and winning his elections. He is a man with a lot of humility, a man with high respect and regard for leaders as well as the people in general.
“When you have respect for humans, you give them listening ears. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu is a man that gives people listening ears, a great servant of the people. He is humble and calculated,” Chief Uwaje said.
For Chief Felix Nduka Ogwuda, PDP chairman, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Ndudi Elumelu’s representation of Aniocha/Oshimili has been worthwhile. Infact, he has done what his mates couldn’t do. He has no match in this area and the sky is his limit,” he said.
Chief Ogwuda further observed that this is the first time that constituents are paid stipends on a monthly basis, as nobody has done that before in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency since the advent of representative democracy, “but that is what Hon. Elumelu is doing now. He has performed, and he has been performing even before now; he has no match at all and we are honestly praying for him so that he will continue to do the best for the people of Aniocha/Oshimili and Delta State in general.”
Still extolling the virtues of Hon. Elumelu, the Oshimili North PDP Chairman added: “He has so many projects lined up, that I am privileged to know. If not for the Covid-19, by now he would have kick-started them and we know him to be a representative of the people who does not promise and fail to fulfill his promise. That is the more reason people stacked out their heads for him. Anytime he calls, people respond. He is one of the best we have in Delta State and Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in particular.”
While noting that farming is the mainstay of the people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency and urging Hon. Elumelu to ensure that farmers are well taken care of as he enters another year of representation, Chief Ogwuda appealed to the lawmaker to support them to improve and enhance their farming capacity and output in the coming farming season.
“However, let me specially thank him for the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme that he introduced to our people. I am happy that they have started calling some people with a view to collecting the loan facility. It is a great plus to Hon. Ndudi Elumelu,” Ogwuda noted.
He charged Elumelu to keep doing what he is doing “and bring more development to our constituency. We know him to be intelligent, anything good and beneficial to our people that he sees in Abuja, he brings to us,” Ogwuda disclosed.
For the prominent leader in Aniocha/Oshimili, Chief Nkem Okwuofu, Chairman, Delta State Civil Service Commission, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has done creditably well in the sense that in many ways he has touched the lives of many people within his constituency, including the fact that he appointed over 240 liaison officers that receive about N25,000 on monthly basis and they are very happy.
She said: “Within this period under review, Hon. Elumelu has provided and installed Solar lights for our people at Ogwashi-uku, he has been able to initiate two different types of CBN Loan facilities for our people for his Small and medium Entrepreneurial programme, ranging from N100,000 to N200,000 for the lower grade, and for the higher grade where you have N5million to N20 million.
“He also organized a comprehensive training on the programme for our people where forms were given. I am aware that background work is on for the disbursement of the fund. He has done well for the people within this period,” said the phenomenal leader, popularly addressed as Mother of Government (MOG).
Chief Okwuofu continued: “During the covid-19 lockdown not too long ago, he was one of the first to think strongly about the suffering and welfare of his people; how they are faring and he did not hesitate at all in sending palliatives worth over N45 million to his people within the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency. Among the items were 150 bags of beans, 150 bags of rice, 120 cartons of tomatoes, 50 bags of onions, 75 cartons of groundnut oil, 75 bags of garri were give to each of the four local government areas in the constituency for distribution to the very vulnerable in the various communities.
“He has approval already for the construction of four palaces for four traditional rulers in the constituency. In many ways, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has done superbly well and the people know it and are very happy”.
Pointing out that Elumelu’s local government area, Aniocha North has benefitted from his representation in so many ways, including a good number of roads rehabilitated for easy connection and accessibility among the various communities, Chief Okwuofu in answer to a question said:
“When you want the people to rejoice, you put somebody who will care for them on the throne and the people will rejoice. Definitely, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu is one of such and his people within his constituency are rejoicing. He has done very well.
“I pray for him and urge him to strive to ensure that he attends to such area he has not attended to; and I advice him to accomplish all his promises to his people, which he has already started doing.
“He has done well, but there is always room for improvement; he should never forget the background that he came from so that he will continue to have a focus on where he is going to. Let him carry all his people along in his journey to wherever God is leading him,” Chief Okwuofu said.
In his own assessment, a notable leader in Aniocha South Local Government area, Elder Ben Nwadiashe, former Chairman of PDP in the area, rated Hon. Ndudi Elumelu’s performance in his first year high, describing him as a true representative of his people.
“Hon. Elumelu is a down to earth man. When I say down to earth, I mean that he is highly gifted by way of leadership. He is calm and sees every situation like his own problem. He is everywhere and knows the problems confronting his people and he is always proffering solution to them.
“He behaves like the present Governor of our dear State, His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, because he knows everybody and he is down to earth in dealing with them.
“He has done well and I must say that the people are happy with his representation; he has not in any way disappointed us. He is a man that loves and responds to the need of the downtrodden. He has saved situations here and all that he has been doing are obvious before the public. He is a leader, a God sent leader who has continued to use his gift to serve and uplift the people.
“I call on him to do more by way of touching the lives of the people because they are the ones that make up and give us the votes. He is a true representative of the people and he is always at peace with the grassroots, he is a grassroots man and I will want him to do more for them, let him not relent,” Elder Ben Nwadiashe enthused.
