Normally when an incumbent is running for a second term in office, he takes for granted a lot of things on the presumption that the power and prestige of his office are enough tools to return him to power hence refrains from the rigours of road travels and other energy sapping demands.
That was exactly what then incumbent US president, Gerald Ford, did in 1976 when he was campaigning to return to office that his opponent, the then little known Jimmy Carter had to cry out that Ford was using a “Rose Garden strategy” to get himself back to the Oval Office.
Since then, the term has come to assume a life of its own meaning an incumbent taking advantage of the power and prestige of his office to help him run for re-election.
But for Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the Rose Garden Campaign strategy is a no-no and one that should not be employed by any serious politician.
While campaigning for a second term in 2019, it is on record that Wike not only went round but used projects he had executed and scattered all over the state as evidence of his capacity to deliver and he was duly returned to office.
Even now that he is about exiting, he has adopted the same strategy of hitting the road to campaign with projects to promote his would be successor.
In that regard, Governor Wike and the Honourable Member representing Ado/ Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, Dr Francis Ottah Agbo have something in common.
They both believe that campaigns are not avenues for rhetorics and mouthing of empty platitudes but an opportunity to present to the public one’s report card.
When Gov Wike met Dr. Ottah Agbo in Otukpo yesterday he acknowledged that fact by saying, “Francis, I see your handiwork in the media and I am happy that you are making your people happy. Recently I saw Gen Marwa commissioning your project somewhere. Remain focused”
To that the Honourable Member popularly known as the Ozigizaga and Moving Train of Enone replied, “I am following your footsteps, Your Excellency!”
At a recent radio interaction with constituents, Dr. Ottah explained the concept better when he held that while other candidates are campaigning with promises, “I am campaigning with solid achievements on ground. Where they say ‘ ‘I will do this’, I say, ‘I have done these and I have the capacity to do more.”
The Lawmaker who has won many prestigious awards in the last three years due to his excellent performance, has gone far in that regard to design a different kind of strategy for his campaign.
It is a strategy that resonates with the masses in his constituency which instead of the usual noisy jamborees will involve going round to say thank you to the people for their cooperation and support while allowing the projects he has done, the positive impact on the lives of many through employment, skill acquisition, empowerment of widows and the less privileged and other good works speak for him.
Sample: Upon his election as Honourable Member, the Lawmaker ceded his salary to orphans, widows, and the vulnerable in his Federal Constituency. Consequently, on the 30th December, 2019, he openly disbursed the sum of N10m to this category of persons at Okpoga.
He also instituted the Free JAMB Registration Scheme in which he annually enrols all Enone youths willing to sit for JAMB.
He has built two blocks of six classrooms in St. Bernard Primary School, Okpoga, LGEA Primary School, Watuolo, in Utonkon and Wesley Central Primary School, Camp, Utonkon.
In the agricultural sector, Dr. Ottah Agbo shortly after his swearing in, in July, distributed three trucks of fortified vitamin ‘A’ Cassava Stems to farmers in his Federal Constituency and has consistently trained farmers and provided them with inputs.
In the last three years, he has been sponsoring the training of women and youths of Enone in skills acquisition as well as giving them starter packs in order to be self-reliant.
During the novel Covid 19 pandemic, the Lawmaker was one of the Frontline leaders that provided succour to the people and also lobbied the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to provide assorted food stuffs and relief materials to people/communities ravaged by natural disasters in the last three years.
The Ubagidi as he is fondly called also launched what he calls Operation Light Up Enone Scheme promising to provide electricity to the 11 old Idoma districts and communities in Enone.
Today, Ichama District in Okpokwu LGA, which never had electricity now enjoys power courtesy of Dr. Ottah Agbo. Similarly, he linked Ijigban District and Ulayi District in Ado LGA to public power.
Also, Royongo ( Utonkon) the largest indigenous Ward in Ado, which has never had electricity has been provided electricity by the Talk-Na-Do Lawmaker.
And for the first time, the Izzi people would have reason to smile as Dr. Ottah Agbo has hooked Onuebor Izzi to electrification, while work is ongoing for the electrification of Owukpa District in Ogbadibo LGA and Ekile Ward in Ado LGA.
Both Otukpa new and old branch in Ogbadibo LGA which have been under darkness for years now sing a new song as the Lawmaker has restored light to them. The story is also the same with Camp, Dispensary, Igumale Ward 2 as it now enjoys steady power supply courtesy of the 500 KVA Transformer he provided for them.
Dr. Ottah Agbo also procured and distributed brand new 500 KVA Transformers to communities such as Otukpa, Igumale, Ekile, Ijokoro, Ojenyo, Eke Olengbecho, Izzi etc.
Similarly, over 100 All- In-One Solar Panels have been procured and mounted across the 35 wards that make up Enone.
The Parliamentarian has initiated and constructed Primary Health Care Centres (PHCC) in Ijigban, while the PHCC in Nsura Izzi and Ekile are under construction. The PHCC in Ulayi is renovated and waiting for commissioning.
Known also as Mr. Project, Dr. Ottah Agbo has equally sponsored and commissioned the 20-kilometre Igumale-Ulayi-Ijigban Road Project, built the legacy bridge linking Ogege Ward in Utonkon District with Ekile Wardz while the construction of the Bridge across River Okpokwu in Ijigban Ward has reached advanced stage.
The construction of the Ring-Road in Avarichi in Utonkon town is equally progressing.
In the area of drinking water, Dr Ottah Agbo has sunk many boreholes across the Federal Constituency, including the reticulation of the Orokam Greater Water Works in Ogbadibo LGA.
In the last three years, Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo has facilitated the employment of about 300 youths in Enone into federal agencies and ministries for which the beneficiaries are eternally grateful and through the Enayi Ottah foundation which he set up, the Feed Back parliamentarian has awarded scholarships and distributed materials to indigent students, orphans and widows in Benue South.
No surprise that he is not given to the Rose Garden Strategy as he is the Talk -Na-Do parliamentarian!
Agbese is media adviser to Rep Francis Ottah Agbo.
