The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has blamed Nigeria’s woes on the greed and selfishness of a majority of the country’s political leaders.
Speaking at the Literary Swansong and Day of Tributes organised in honour of the late paramount ruler of Tombia community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, Christian Otobotekere, at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, on Thursday he stated that every progressive nation had leaders who were not only patriotic but selfless.
The deputy governor, who spoke as the special guest of honour, described the late traditional ruler and educationist, popularly known as ‘The Poet King’, as a man of integrity.
He urged the political class to emulate people like Otobotekere, father of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Didi Walson-Jack, to make a positive impact in society.
He noted that the lifestyle of the departed 98-year-old Bayelsa monarch, whose remains would be interred on Saturday, was devoid of greed and selfishness which enabled him to lead the Tombia community for about 50 years and his native Ekpetiama Kingdom as clan head for 14 years without recording any major intra or inter-communal crisis.
Ewhrudjakpo said, “Selfish countries are less progressive. Nigeria is not progressing because of the greed and selfishness of most of her leaders over the years. The less selfish a country’s leaders are, the more progressive it becomes, and vice versa. Our father, whom we have all come to honour today, clearly lived an impactful life.
“He was not greedy. He was not also selfish. And so, we really have to imbibe and follow the footsteps and positive legacies of people like him for us to be able to make good progress in this country.”
He applauded the deceased for contributing immensely towards the intellectual development of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region in general through his outstanding literary works, adding that he deserved to be immortalised.
The chairman on the occasion, Dr Seiyifa Koroye, acknowledged Otobotekere’s contributions to literary development of society, with several anthologies comprising no fewer than 400 poems.
In his 30-minute book review, Prof Kontein Trinya of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, stated that although Otobotekere’s creative writings had not been streamed in the global literary screen, his works were quite outstanding, especially in the genre of poetry.
Trinya, who was represented by Prof Saviour Agoro, cited several works of Otobotekere such as ‘Live Two Lives’, ‘Beyond Sound and Voice’, ‘All Around About’, among others, saying “he was a contemporary poet of revered ancestral order.”
