He was the number two man in Benue State for eight years. He had authority over millions of people. He sat in council with commissioners. He was addressed as "His Excellency". He represented his boss then, Chief George Akume, at Federal Executive Council meetings, presided over by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
That was in the past. While Akume is now a Senator of the Federal Republic, Prince Ogiri Ajene, the former deputy governor, has just picked Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship form to contest the local government elections next month. He will now be one of the many councillors in a council with a population of less than 100,000. But he has the massive support of the people of his area, Obarike-Ito in Obi Local Government area of the state.
The former member of the House of Representatives in the Third Republic swayed everybody who was present at the party's state secretariat when he appeared to collect the councillorship form, accompanied by a large crowd of his supporters from his home village and within Makurdi, the state capital.
THISDAY investigations revealed that the former deputy governor was the only one from his ward to pick the councillorship form based on a consensus arrangement of his people, and he is now confirmed as an unopposed candidate of his party to contest the forthcoming council elections.
Confirming the development, the state publicity secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Zaka said: "For now, we can say that the first councillorship candidate that has emerged unopposed and is awaiting our screening is Prince Ogiri Ajene," adding that the state leadership of the party feels proud of the display of humility by the former deputy governor to serve his people at the lowest point in the local government.
Mixed reactions have, however, trailed his aspiration. While some applauded his resolve to come down so low to serve his people after serving the state for eight years as deputy governor, others have argued that the aspirant may have an ulterior motive other than coming to offer genuine service to his people.
Some remarked that Ajene is a true servant of the people who has the zeal of service and not haunted by the desire to struggle for what he could gain from serving the people, while others are of the view that he may be after something different that may not be to the benefit of the people but to himself.
One Mr. Joseph Akeh said: "This must be surprising to anyone who hears this but to the man, it is just natural. I never knew Nigerians could still boast of people like this; coming down from the high horse to share the travails of the commoners. I still can't believe this but it has really happened.
"Even if he had opted for the chairmanship position of the Obi Local Government council, he could have got the ticket on a platter of gold with the overwhelming support from his people. But just imagine him going for the councillorship position. God will continue to bless him for the true display of good leadership quality for others to emulate."
Agbochini Mark insists that the seemingly sacrifice to serve his people at the lowest cadre may not actually be the aim of the former deputy governor. He however cautioned whoever emerges as chairman of the local government council after the forthcoming elections to risist any attempt to be stampeded into any financial misappropriation, through wrong guide.
Chief Ajene's resolve to represent his people at the lowest strata in the local government may not be unconnected to the preaching by the state Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswam, on the need to sanitise all the local government councils in the state with a view to entrenching abundant dividends of democracy among the various communities.
allAfrica.com
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