SOUTH-SOUTH CITIZENS IN THE DIASPORA SEEK FOR VOTING RIGHTS.

Comrade Ochuko Patrick Otoba, President, South-South People and also, the President, UPU Chapter in Burkina Faso is an industrialist, Human Rights Activist, Author, is a concerned indigene of Delta state whose passion and desire for better and purposeful leadership that will provide an improved society for all Deltans.

With the general elections in Nigeria coming up in 2019, political stakeholders and politicians alike, have commenced strategizing and alignment of forces across the political divide.

But then, what is the fate of Nigerians in the Diaspora as it concerns their voting rights?

Many Nigerians in the Diaspora have over time, being disenfranchised through their inability to vote for the candidates of their choice in almost every election and this has resulted in candidates without grassroots support, emerging as winners in elections whereby, duly qualified candidates are left aside despite acceptability by the electorates.

This unfortunately, has become the bane of Nigeria and Nigerians but, Comrade Ochuko Patrick Otoba, President of the South-South people in Burkina Faso is of the opinion that, the time has come for the government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to seriously consider the fate of Nigerians in the Diaspora in future elections in the country so that they can actively participate in choosing whom their leaders should be.

Comrade Otoba, an industrialist, Human Rights Activist and author, is also the President of the Urhobo Progress Union; the umbrella body of the Urhobo people worldwide of Delta state, Burkina Faso chapter who has also worked with the likes of Chief E.K. Clark and Chief John OdigieOyegun under the South-South Movement, was also part of the support team that mobilized for Dr. Peter Odili from the Diaspora.

According to the President of UPU, Burkina Faso chapter, the Urhobo nation and the good people of Delta state, deserves the very best in terms of quality leadership and the delivery of genuine dividends of democracy to the people.

“Since the tenure of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, as Governor of Delta state, the fortunes of the citizenry has witnessed some dismal changes and things have moved from good to bad as the elected leaders have sought to divide the people against themselves through selfish and tribal differences, means to pitch them against one another”.

In the elections for who becomes the governor of Delta state, Comrade Otoba says that, sentiments aside, the time has come for the people of Delta state to reenact the support that they gave to James Ibori in 1999 by giving  same support to Olorogun Great Ovedje Ogboru, come 2019.

In his words; “Ogboru has the leadership qualities that will truly give Delta state the expected economic, infrastructural and developmental growth to positively rank it among the best in the comity of states in the country”.

“We in Burkina Faso are prepared to give our collective support and votes to Great Ovedje Ogboru in 2019 and this is why we are soliciting and calling on INEC to seek ways for Nigerians in the Diaspora to vote in future elections in Nigeria”.

Comrade Ochuko Otoba however called on all Deltans, irrespective of tribe, to join the train and support the “Ogboru 2019 Support Movement” for a more prosperous Delta state.

As he puts it, the “Ogboru 2019 Support Movement” is not about tribe but for the emancipation of Delta state from the clutches of persons who do not want the progress of the state”.

“Delta state is rich in human and financial resources and one sees no reason why salaries of its workforce should be owed for over ten (10) months by government when the state enjoys enough revenue either from the Federation Allocation or, its internally generated revenue sources”, says Otoba.

“We are of the strong belief that, if given the support in his quest to become governor of Delta state, Chief Ovedje Great Ogboru has the potentials and prerequisite knowledge to deliver true and qualitative leadership to Delta state and therefore enjoins all; including prominent sons and daughters of the state to support the “Peoples General” actualize his ambitions of becoming “Governor of Delta state, come 2019”.

Ochuko P. Otoba appealed to prominent leaders of the state to consider the present plight of the state; the poor economic fortunes, the poor security situation which has seen killings of worrisome magnitude which seems to have overwhelmed the state governor and government.