Chief Melford Okilo Memorial Day And Its Significance By Comr Oki Tony

While I commend my brother and good friend Deacon Tari Agai and his group, the Bayelsa East Senatorial Youth Assembly for remembering Chief Melford Okilo in their own little way, am also curious to know why the Ogbia politicians and stakeholders could not celebrate this great Ijaw Icon.

Apart from the quality leadership he gave us, Okilo, Pere Ajuwa and I think one other Ijaw man I can’t remember again, were the first set of Ijaw men who aspired for the office of the President of Nigeria, giving us the spirit that yes, the Ijaw man too can become President of Nigeria and eventually in that same spirit Goodluck Jonathan emerged.

I can not begin to tell us who the man Okilo was because some of us know far better than me, but my concern is why are our brothers in Ogbia not celebrating this Hero. I got more disappointed to see that even when the Bayelsa East Senatorial Youth Assembly organized his Memorial Lecture in Ayalla Hotel Conference Hall, no Honourable or Prominent Ogbia man was in attendance, is it that they were not invited or is it true that a prophet is never honoured in his own town? Tari Agai you have to answer this.

This is the Ogbia that has the biggest and mightiests, the Ogbia which he gave his best by building them a new town named Ogbia Town, the first Gas Turbine Power Station in Nigeria and a lot more.

My advise for the Ogbia people is that, if you don’t blow your trumpet, nobody blows it for you, the legacy Okilo left behind is too loaded to be suppressed. Lets celebrate Okilo. Am very sure the Restoration Government is very ready to support and that’s why they visited Okilo’s family in last year’s remembrance. Pls do something, as youths we have so much to learn from this great man.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely those of the author. The article was originally titled Chief Melford Okilo Memorial Day And My Comment by same author.