Matters arising from Ejele’s marriage promise to Isoko women
By GbaramtuVoice Editorial Board
Evang. Michael Diden aka Ejele, is a household name in Delta state politics. Currently, he is the Chairman, Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC). He was also a former Member of the Delta state House of Assembly (DTHA), where he headed the House Committee on Security. He is an Evangelist and the General Overseer of the Mega Praise Church of Christ, Sapele in Delta state.
Also, at the Delta South Senatorial primaries of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in the last quarter of 2022, at Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state, Diden emerged the party’s senatorial candidate by polling 176 votes out of 272 votes cast by delegates to defeat other aspirants.
Despite these lofty achievements and political milestones, there are indeed reasons for GbaramatuVoice Newspaper to ask whether Ejele understands the true meaning of public leadership or representative democracy? There is equally reason for the people of Delta South to worry as to whether Ejele will give them quality representation or deliver the targeted democracy dividend?
The above fears by the newspaper cannot be described as unfounded looking at Ejele’s recent debasing statement made to Isoko women during his ward to ward campaign in Uzere in Isoko South Local Government Area
He stated in part; “Isoko wado! Isoko wado! I want to tell una one story today, I marry one Isoko woman. When I marry the Isoko woman, she dey work for NTA, her name na Ajiro-oghene. I marry her for almost 15 years, throughout our marriage before she retire from NTA, she nor born.
“If to say she born pikin, sometime today for here, Na the pikin for dey run up and down, up and down. E pain me o, but this senate wey I dey go so, this senate wey I dey go so, I go look for one Isoko woman and that woman, go be from Uzere here. You nor go say, when you come there, your sister nor dey. Your sister go dey there kampe. In those days, if man dey abroad, dem dey take fine woman dey find am. I came today to challenge una, make una look for the fine Uzere woman wey go follow me go Abuja. Ishegware ooo!,” Ejele concluded.
Looking at the above comment coming from a highly placed public office holder in the state, GbaramatuVoice is alarmed that instead of Ejele telling the people of Isoko what he tends to achieve, projects to attract to the good people of Delta South, development-focused bills to formulate if elected, he got preoccupied with plans on how to marry a new wife of Isoko origin.
Again, as a highly placed public official that currently aspires to represent his people at the red chamber, his latest derogatory statement on his former wife will elicit the question as to whether Ejele is going to the senate to make laws or to marry more wives? Is he saying that the only campaign promise he has for Isoko people is to marry their daughter?
Why must he debase his former wife by coming out in the open to tell the world that he married her for 15 years and she failed to give birth? Is that not humiliation in the highest order? Is Ejele saying that child bearing is the only yardstick for measuring successful marriage?
If Ejele could openly humiliate his former wife by telling the world that they married without bearing a child, what gives the Isoko women assurance that he will not treat the yet to be married Isoko wife in a like manner?
Viewed broadly, when did marriage become a campaign promise in the country, or a condition for a people to gain access their elected senator?
While GbaramatuVoice mourns the dearth of leadership and how off track Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government in the state have taken Deltans, the newspaper, will on the other hand calls on the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Groups and women’s right protection groups to rise up and condemn Ejele’s latest utterance.
GbaramatuVoice calls on Ejele to learn how to respect the rights of women particularly, as women to the newspaper’s understanding are not commodities that must be traded on for political gains.
Looking at the spiraling development, the newspaper also calls on the people of Delta South, traditional rulers from the zone and opinion leaders to cast a critical look at the credentials and manifestoes of the aspirants angling to represent the district at the senate in order to make informed decisions.
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