Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –By Emmanuel Esegbue- Bertrams– 

Ndokwa National Union, NNU also known as Ndokwa Neku, the apex socio-cultural ethnic nation of Delta State, recently held its general conference where a new executive body was elected to oversee the affairs of the body for a new term. The event which held at the Utagba-Ogbe Sports Stadium, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday, 28th of May, 2016, attracted an unprecedented crowd of delegates, members, and observers from the three local government areas that make up Ndokwa ethnic nationality in Delta State.
The coveted office of the President General, which was zoned to Ndokwa West Local Government Area, following the expiration of the tenure of Chief Enebeli- the outgoing president from Ndokwa East Local Government Area, attracted four eminent sons of Ndokwa nation from Ndokwa West who contested for the position. The four contestants are; Chief Kaine, a Port Harcourt based business man from Utagba Uno; Chief Johnson Opone, a Gubernatorial aspirant in the 2015 Governorship election in Delta State under the auspices of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and a chartered Accountant; Professor Ojieh, formerly of Delta State University, Abraka and Chief Ananyi, a financial executive from Utagba-Uno.
The open secret delegates election kicked off with accreditation of delegates as early as 7:30 am and the accreditation lasted between 7:30 am to 12pm. While the election proper commenced at 1 pm. It was indeed, a very peaceful election with the results won by Chief Johnson Opone, generally accepted by all.
Similarly, the office of the First Vice President which was zoned to Ukwani Local Government Area was won by Chief Chiekem Daphey, an Engineer and community Leader from Obiaruku.
While Professor Mrs. Ogwu, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Delta State University, Abraka was voted into office as Woman Leader, Pastor Jonathan Dike, a Civil Servant with Ndokwa West Local Government Area, was returned unopposed as the Secretary General of the Organization.
How Johnson Opone Emerged
Although the Ndokwa Neku Election was adjudged to be peaceful, some delegates assert that certain intrigues were believed to have played out to propel chief Johnson Opone into the exalted office as the President General of the apex Ndokwa socio-cultural organization.
Some delegates to the election who spoke to Oasis Magazine’s correspondent on the conditions of anonymity claimed that Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, may have had more that casual interest in who emerges the socio-cultural leader of Ndokwa nation.
The delegates opined that extra-ordinary efforts to project Johnson Opone may have taken effect during the accreditation of delegates for the election. They argued that the accreditation of delegates list was wrongfully compiled in only one master list which took too much time for the accreditation to be completed and as a result, all the delegates could not be accredited to vote before voting commenced at 1:pm,
They further noted that it was more than mere coincidence that the delegates registered by Chief Johnson Opone were accredited first, while delegates registered by other contestants, especially the delegates registered by Chief Kaine, whom they believed was the most popular of all the contestants, were accredited last, by the election umpires.
This anomaly, they asserted, resulted to a situation whereby a lot of delegates registered by other contestants could not be accredited before voting started at 1:pm.
They also alleged that when accreditation was also going on, and non accredited delegates were banned from entering the reserved voting centre, a number of SUV Vehicles with dark tinted glasses where allowed to ferry in V.I.Ps and some unaccredited delegates into the voting certain and these may have been to the advantage of the candidate who has been programmed to win the election.
Task Before Opone’s NNU
Ndokwa Neku Union has largely been perceived as a toothless bulldog which has been unable to summon adequate courage and authority to organize and aggregate Ndokwa nation and represent it’s social, cultural, political and economic development interests.
During the tenure of Prof. Steve Okecha, the apex organization was criticized for having a loud voice to shout, without any tooth to bite. However the efforts of Pharmacist Enebeli, the immediate past President-General went along the same powerless path as the effort made by the organization then to sanction politicians who were found wanting for their failure to support an Ndokwa son for Governor in 2015 election, was unsuccessful.
As the new exco led by Chief Johnson Opone comes on board, Ndokwa people still insist that the apex body must be proactive in uniting the people and communities of the three Local Government Areas, aggregating their collective interests and opinions and ensuring that such interests and opinions are effectively promoted and protected to bring about a new era of Ndokwa nation, where it would get its fair share of development from the Commonwealth of Delta State in particularly and the federation of Nigeria in general.
New Interest In Ndokwa
It is noteworthy that Ndokwa people are demonstrating stronger interest in the affairs of the apex body and the great level of participation of the people, including contestants, delegates and observers in the last delegates conference that ushered in a new executive body for the organization, are strong indications that a new dawn is setting for Ndokwa nation.
In the last (2015) Gubernatorial election, Deltans watched with utmost envy as Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the umbrella organization of Urhobo ethnic nation in Delta State, fought with zeal and patriotism as the leadership battled to ensure that an Urhobo man emerges the governor of Delta State.
However, notwithstanding the fact that the Urhobo for Governor 2015 project did not materialize, it is obvious that the UPU achieved great milestones in uniting Urhobo people politically and the organization also succeeded optimally in raising the political profile of Urhobo nation in Delta State and Nigeria in general.

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