THE POLITICAL ADIABATIC STINT OF RT.HON. LARRY ODEY AS ACTING GOVERNOR: A WASTED OPPORTUNITY TO THE YALA NATION.

Nowadays, I've changed in such an appealing fashion of not picking to pieces or deride personalities whom by God's grace or providentially ascended some high and lofty positions or being entrusted with the peoples' mandate of carrying out certain tasks— albeit elective or appointive portfolio.

This I resolved for personal reasons. Be it as it may, I've infrequently in diverse circumstances and times attempted buying a pig in a poke which many of my readers mistaken me for a critic. Well, if by any means, my pellucid and candid opinions and critical observations criticizes any fellow, then such a person remains criticized.

In a nutshell, the person in which this extrapolation piece focuses on, personally invited me to join his gubernatorial campaign organization prior to 2015 general elections and I can vaunt by saying devoid of mincing words that I did contribute my quota in no small measure to the team. But the principalities in government decided otherwise and his aspiration rocked the iceberg and sunk in the turbulence of political deluge. Therefore, let no one accuse me of trying to pull anyone down.

Ladies and gentlemen, behold His Excellency, erstwhile Acting Governor of Cross River State for approximately three months and Honourable Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA), Rt. Hon. Larry Okwori Odey. Mr. Larry Odey for short is an eminent statesman in the annals of our politics. He's a distinguished teacher per excellence. A man of noble spirit, slow and meticulous in speech; an attentive listener and self contented man. His believes for democratic principles and high 'moral' integrity has won for him the admiration and affection of few. To add to the following, let it be known that he's not a dogged fighter. Yes, he's not!

The essence of writing this epistolary is predicted upon a tripartite scenarios of which Mr. Larry Odey was  (is) directly or perpendicularly linked to.
The first scenario happened recently to my chagrin seeing incumbent Hon. Speaker of CRSHA, Mr. John Gaul Lebo fixing roads in his Ekureku ward 1&2. I was stunned and saddened because we were meant to understand and believe that a speaker of House of Assembly cannot fix a deplorable street because their legislative votes are quite insufficient to fill potholes with, even two trips of wheelbarrow of chippings. But here's John Gaul Lebo proving otherwise.

The second scenario happened when Larry was Speaker. On two different occasions through the cause of my visit to the Assembly complex, I witnessed Mr. Larry Odey disbursing and presenting bursaries and scholarship grants to some extract of Abi local government students. Mr. Larry was always invited by John Gaul to spice the occasion as either chairman or ... Surprisingly, no member of his {Larry} constituency benefited from such programme and he didn't copy such valuable idea from John Gaul. Hey, Hon. John Gaul wasn't a speaker  then! He was just a 'mere' Honourable member.

The last scenario was the experience that ensued via conversation with friends and brothers in my penultimate home visit. I was at home for the yuletide and I went to Ugaga , the political ward of Larry Odey. It was lpùólé Ùgāgā to be specific.

While driving through the dusty, bumpy and untarred road, we got to a spot where there's a big culvert {you might call it bridge} at Okpā Aprìjā { devil's or Satan's stream}. We de-accelerated to avoid damaging the car's exhaust pipe because erosion had separated the culvert from the road. We lamented and complained over the poor state of the road and negligence by the government and political leaders from that ward.

I was told that the said culvert was constructed by the then ward councillor during the reign of Mr. Larry Odey.

Now hear this. His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Larry Odey for eight years as member of the State House of Assembly is from Ugaga ward. Out of the eight years, he spent four years as Speaker of the House. He was Acting Governor for about three months. He couldn't use his influence and capitalise on the many opportunities he had to repair this few kilometres road from Okuku (warehouse). Sincerely, this road could've been simply macadamized.

It's on record that during his stint as Acting Governor, he demonstrated unflinching commitment to the step aside Governor. He was steadfastly loyal to His Excellency, Sen. Liyel Imoke like a submissive bride does to her money-bag lover.

He performed the constitutional duties accidental to his office with the fear of Liyel Imoke. After the conduct of the by-election, Imoke was reinstated and he returned to his speakership post adiabatically. For my non-scientifically enlightened readers; adiabatically {adverb} or adiabatic {adjective} is a phraseology used to describe a process {thermodynamic} occurring without gain or loss of heat.

I've searched around by using a bifocal lens of conscience if I could see the benefits of Yala having a Speaker of CRSHA; I didn't see any dividend. I didn't see any project to hold to as succour. I used political telescope; all I saw were tiny suspended particles of no economic or political values.

The greatest achievement of his being an Acting Governor was to return forte of power to Imoke. And amazingly, Mr. Larry Odey opened a new chapter by entering into history as the first CRSHA speaker to leave the Assembly without political job: either elective or appointive.

Perhaps, they's anyone thinking that three months in Acting capacity is too short for any person to etch his or her name on gold; such person should wait awhile. Well, I beg to differ. Did you remember the one-day Governor in Lagos State? During the dispensation of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Governor, the First Lady of the state, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu usually organize spelling competition for pupils in the state and the grand prize for the overall winner was to govern Lagos state for a day.

On such a day, usually once in a year, the Governor abdicates his office and the a-day Governor is inaugurated as the head of government. He or she perform the duties of a substantive governor. Decked in the finest brocade and gaberdine in a traditional Yoruba's fashion. He walked and talked majestically in line with the paraphernalia of the office. I enjoyed the elegance.

He visited television and radio stations. Signed documents and gave approvals. I remember how an indigent woman was given an employment to work in Governor's office at Alausa by a-day Governor.

From the foregoing, we need not debate whether three months is sufficient enough for any agent of government to carryout any meaningful projects.
Larry Odey failed his ward, Ugaga nay the entire Yala nation. His second term reelection was on the brink of collapse in favour of his opponent in the race, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, the incumbent DG of Due process and Price Intelligence of Cross River State until the then Yala council chairman, Hon. Gabe Ugor changed the equation with the votes from Yache.

Yala had speaker that was neither hot nor cold; didn't effect positive changes or envisioned innovations; didn't pave the entrance for new political entrants and less concerned about those that glued to the pew of power.

We must consciously weigh our current representatives both in the state and federal levels on political beam balance to know their weights of stewardships. The best service we could render to our local government is replace those that weighs low.

Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko
12 New Market Road,
Okuku Yala.