By Emeka Nwokocha
My visit to Patani, the administrative headquarters of Patani local government area of Delta State etched in my memory a lasting image of a super Nigerian, an exceptional politician of the ljaw stock, Hon. lsaac Aguanah, Executive Chairman of Patani Local Government Council. He is a quintessential leader of repute, imbued with a carriage of modesty in political office – a rare virtue among Nigerian political clouts.
Suffice it to say that prior to meeting with Hon. Isaac Aguanah, l had been privileged, as a journalist, to interacting with the mighty and the low at different fora across the federating states of Nigerian political entity. Interestingly, personalities from the political class form a larger bulk of the people l had met and intaracted with in the course of my journalistic duties spanning a decade now. On the other hand, it is exciting to note that my interactions with these calibres of personalities exposed me to the fundamental dispositions underpinning human nature. On this note, l would recall the shoddy reception one would encounter any time there was urgent need to see the Executive Chairman of a local government council in Nigeria, or other honourables at the upper echelon of political leadership.
At these corridors of power one would recall that impunity, lack of empathy, vulgar behaviour, egoism, and violent political culture reign supreme and form an appurtenance of political offices.
However, on Thursday 8 April, 2021, a different scenario played out in Patani local government Council, when l had the privilege of meeting with Hon. lsaac Aguanah. On that memorable day, l accompanied a team of officers from ACOMIN, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), to see Hon. Aguanah in respect of a free health intervention programme that would be taking place in Patani and other local government areas in Delta State in the coming months.
When we arrived the Council’s Secretariat, we met the front desk officer, a well behaved and coordinated lady who warmly and professionally guided us to observe the Council’s visitation formalities – registration of our names in the visitor’s register to which we humbly obliged without a whimper. Following which, she offered us seats and softly told us that the Chairman was with some visitors, that he would attend to us as soon as he rounds off his session with the visitors. While at the reception, one fact continuously resonates – there was no delays at all as the dutiful front desk officer was up and doing, coupled with the fact that other “help hands” (young men) were also handy to run brisk errand, just to make it easy for visitors to see the Chairman at any given time. We waited about 20 minutes, then a young man beckoned at us and we rose from our seats with excitement, walking majestically while he led us into an office.
As we stepped into the office, the Chairman, Hon. Isaac Aguanah, a handsome looking young man, rose from his seat and warmly ushered us in. The Supervisory Councillor for Health in the Council, Mrs. Omafuvwe Asiuwhu was in the office too. The Chairman was modestly dressed with a good sense of humour. He was exceptionally humble and impressively receptive – a disposition not common among the honourables of today’s clime.
At this juncture, the leader of our team, Mr. Austin Uwede began his introduction and subsequently briefed Hon. Aguanah our mission – a non-state sponsored free malaria treatment slated to take place in Patani local government area and other local government areas in Delta State.
Our discussion with Hon. Aguanah was very friendly and fruitful as he continuously expressed his commitment to support any programme or project that would be of benefit to his people. Hon. Aguanah would reiterate that he places high premium on the welfare of the people of Patani local government area, stressing that whatever would enhance the well-being of the people would be given full support.
Without mincing words, my meeting with Hon. Aguanah reminds me of a vibrant young man on a mission to turn around the fortune of the people of Patani local government area. His expression of love and rock-driven commitment to lift his people out of poverty is unparalleled.
Whenever Hon. Aguanah speaks, his voice resonates untainted patriotism and commitment to better the lots of his people. He is a well cultured young man profusely blessed with wisdom, a crusader of social justice, a humanist, a servant-leader, a true patriot and an advocate of good governance.
Hon. Aguanah’s rapport with the workers at the council is unrivalled. l could see the zeal and enthusiasm with which the workers go about their duties. ln other words, bureaucracy is watered down at place of work to pave way for mutual relationship between the workers and the office of the Chairman. There is no gainsaying the fact that work activities at the Patani local government Secretariat is carried out in an atmosphere of cordiality spurred by motivation, as opposed to victimisation, bullying, and slave labour which are commonplace in the contemporary Nigerian work circles.
Hon. Aguanah is a silent achiever and would not trumpet his achievements in the fashion most Nigerian politicians do.
He has the intellectual depth, self-discipline and ideological clarity needed to liberate Patani local government area from shackles of underdevelopment and actualize the potentials of his people.
It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who said, “Carve your name on hearts, not on marbles”. Hon. Aguanah is carving his name on hearts by shoring up his modest capacity to berth unprecedented achievements in Patani local government area.
I like him and admire his intrepidity and uncommon commitment to improving the well-being of the people of Patani local government area through deployment of deft “statecraft” in tackling unemployment and underdevelopment head-on.
In a nutshell, the good people of Ijaw nation, Delta State and indeed the Nigerian nation will continue to reap bountifully from his wealth of knowledge, leadership acumen, dynamism and humane disposition, as he advances the frontiers of knowledge, innovation and achieving unprecedented infrastructure and economic development that will shape the peoples’ future.
Comrade Emeka Nwokocha, Journalist and Human Rights Activist, writes from Warri, Delta State…
T: 08162747837
Email: emenwokocha@hotmail.com
