By Sonia Somuvie
(Special Adviser on Environment)
_History does not lie; people do._
Senator Ned Munir Nwoko is not a coincidence in Nigerian politics. He is a deliberate force whose relevance to this nation has already been tested and recorded. From his role in the House of Representatives during the critical 1999 period that followed the Paris Club refund -a moment that helped stabilize Nigeria’s economy – to the quality, depth, and seriousness of bills he has sponsored in just one senatorial tenure since 2023, his record is difficult to ignore. This has set him apart from his colleagues, and though a first-time Senator, he has gained the respect of the assembly and nation for his foresight and national contribution.
_So we must ask ourselves:_
Do we judge leaders by facts, or by feelings?
Delta North has produced leaders before, but rarely one with this combination of vision, access, courage, and persistence. As a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Ned Nwoko ensured that the Asaba Airport became a reality for Delta North, despite opposition and the existence of Osubi Airport at the time. The Ogwashi-Uku Dam, initiated under his earlier tenure, has since been handed over to the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, positioning it for completion, a project whose relevance remains undeniable, yet which has struggled to move forward without his presence. This project alone promises clean water access, food security, and sustainable livelihoods. Tell me again, are his desires for his people out of place? Should we talk about the Okpai power plant?
Senator Ned Nwoko has taken unprecedented steps to actualize the long-abandoned step-down of 100 megawatts from the Okpai Independent Power Plant to Delta North, through motions in the Senate and direct engagement with the Minister of Power and the Transmission Company of Nigeria. He has confronted funding bottlenecks that stalled the 132KV transmission line, pledging to facilitate budgetary approvals to finally deliver electricity to a region that hosts one of Nigeria’s most significant power-generating assets.
Today, as Senator, his record speaks loudly: empowerments, trainings, the construction and rehabilitation of roads, schools, police stations, mini-stadiums, to say the least. Do you see these as just campaign promises, or footprints already left behind?
_The question is not whether work is being done,_ but are we willing to acknowledge it?
It is true that one cannot get the support of everybody, but there comes a time when unity has more value than discord. Anioma State is not a joke or an emotional ambition. It is a historic opportunity. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a people who are a majority yet treated like a minority due to geopolitical displacement and years of inconsistent leadership, costing Delta North dignity, leverage, and national relevance.
When has it been heard that the pursuit for the creation of Anioma got this far? Can’t you see its happiness already? Can’t you feel the pride and independence in the air?
Should ego make us lose dignity?
Should personal ambition deny future generations their rightful place?
Why listen to people willing to cut their nose just to spite their faces?
What is greater? Anioma creation, or the desire of a few oppositions to appear right?
_History offers painful lessons._
The Israelites murmured against Moses, even as he led them out of Egypt.
The people of Athens turned on leaders who could have stabilized their democracy.
Even John F. Kennedy, whose policies transformed the trajectory of Black Americans, faced resistance, yet unity ensured that the vision outlived the man.
Every great leader had people who claimed their missions were personal ambitions, but who truly gained in the end? How have we come to see the impact of these leaders on future generations?
So we must ask:
Will Delta North remember what it has before it loses it?
Will Delta North be remembered as the people who recognized their moment, or the people who destroyed it from within?
Every true leader attracts resistance. Hyenas always gather where progress is near, laughing out loud, mocking, eager for scraps. Their laughter, like empty drums, draws attention for a while but offers no direction, no solution, no sacrifice.
This pattern is as old as leadership itself.
But wise people learn to separate criticism from sabotage, and questioning from destruction.
A second tenure for a performing Senator should not be controversial. Development is not instantaneous. Lasting progress dies when people abandon growth halfway.
Dear Delta North,
Do not be carried away by eloquence that leads nowhere, or confuse emotional agitation with strategic thinking.
Do not dismantle the bridge while still crossing it. What hurts one, may hurt all.
There is a shift coming, not just for Anioma, but for the entire Delta North. Something bigger than one man. But this progress requires alignment between leadership and the people.
The Black community did not scatter when JFK called for courage; they joined forces, and history changed.
This is that moment.
Support what works.
Protect what is building.
Stand with your own.
The future is not built by perfect leaders, but by united people who know when progress is in front of them.
