By Ilobi Austin
When Honourable Peter Abugewa was elected last year as the Chairman of Uvwie local government area of Delta state, very few, amongst whom, includes this writer, gave him any chance of success, in piloting the affairs of the “most restless LGA in Nigeria”.
This pessimism was underscored by the fact that, it was one LG that, before his coming, had not known real peace since its creation y the Abacha regime; moving from one youth – factually, these are mostly men with excessive taste for worldly goods, stimulated upheaval to another.
But upon his inauguration, he had immediately moved to stem this tide which had seen businesses relocate to nearby communities by putting out a very strong lightening bolt which has prompted some, one never thought would ever have bothered to earn their keeps, to now take up jobs, which before now, they would have simply sold off and gone back to the same company to forcefully demand that they be made “ghost workers”.
With the obvious peace that this measure heralded, some sceptics still reckoned he was only hammering his opponents to the ground. But his response to the fire incidence of Sunday 4th January, at the Effurun main market finally removed all doubt his personal determination to chart a new course for the LG.
On getting information while still in the Church about the incidence, he had immediately stormed the market in his white garment to help co-ordinate efforts geared towards putting out the fire and salvaging goods. But this was not without first mobilizing, in intimidating numbers, the entire security agencies-Army, police, CIDS, etc, with units within the LG, not forgetting, the fire service, whose response, was with all alacrity- very surprising. His conduct during and after the incidence and his statement of reassurances to the affected traders have no doubt, won him more converts.
One personage whose presence in the market immediately he got the news that morning, would forever be cherished by the traders, is the new traditional ruler of the Uvwie kingdom, King Abe, the first; a very urbane and detribalized royal father.
One only wishes that his type would be allowed to populate the LG’s in the country and even state houses including the rocks of Abuja.
Ilobi Austin, www.vibratingaustin.blogspot.com , an eye witness writes from warri.
ilobi austin
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/effurun-market-fire-incidence-there-is-definitely-still-hope-for-a-better-nigeria-722064.html
David Drummond, Senior Vice President Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer speaks at the inauguration of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin.
From Kenneth Anger’s 1954 short….with music by Czech opera composer Léos Janàček (1854-1928).

