Oborevwori: Unfolding The Ukodo As A Child of History
By Yadnom Awu — Asaba
Long ago, advanced souls – practically called mystics and spiritual leaders – held that there is more to a figure, a number, than a mere tag or nomenclature.
And this is true.
The truth of this is the underlying reason that, in spite of the strenuous efforts to dress it in the garb of mere superstition and fallacy, horoscope remains a subject of intense human interest and engagement even in today’s world of breathtaking science and technology.
And is this not true, as it has always been?
Well, whatever is anyone’s opinion on this matter of the deeper spiritual/mystical perspective to names, numbers, etc, the concept of deeper underlay is particularly prevalent and important in Africa-black Africa, that is – where the belief in cosmological link to names and numbers is a hard fact of everyday life.
Understandably, this belief in cosmology and its link to names, numbers, etc, is, in a vital way, correlated to fate and destiny, both of man and even, to an extent, his society.
For Rt. Hon. Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, the Governor of Delta State, the link can hardly be in doubt, especially with regard to his link to history – the history of his people of the Okpe subgroup of Urhobo ethnic nation, and of the state as a whole.
And this is how.
Rt. Hon. Francis Oborevwori, the Ukodo of Okpe kingdom, has, by sheer fate, become a man of history among his Okpe people – he is the first person – man or woman, and living or dead, – of Okpe background to be elected Governor of Delta State. In this sense, he broke the jinx that had made the strategic office inaccessible to Okpe indigenes, without harming the interests of either the larger Urhobo nation or the even bigger rainbow state of Delta.
This success, against the submission of renowned mystic and famous Mathematician, Pythagoras, that the number 1 (one) is the Number of God because of its strategic spiritual value and mathematical potency (it is the only number that can divide itself and every other number) is of uncommon value.
That is point number one.
Now, as Governor, he is the fifth in the history of the state since its creation (after Felix Ibru, Chief James Ibori, Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ifeanyi Okowa), and, on account of that acquired fame in poetic symmetry. Recall that Iambe, the five line masterpiece, is regarded, universally, as unrivalled and inimitable, not only in allure and appeal to the ear but also to the psychic element of humans – the soul..
This may sound exotic, and it truly, in a sense is; great minds know, understand and appreciate this fact of life and learning.
That is point number two.
Of course, as the fourth elected Governor of Delta State in the current dispensation, the Rt. Hon. Oborevwori also sits at the juncture of psychic and spiritual relevance, aside of the ordinary relevance in numeracy. And this is how: the number 4 (four) is three (representing the trinity) plus one (the figure of God). This is a pointer to the potency of the number which he occupies in the history and catalogue of elected leaders of the state. This is especially so given that the number (four) perfectly captures all of the four elements of God and Mother Nature– Air, Earth, Water and fire.
In pure human setting, these four elements represent the cradle, the inimitable foundation of modern science and technology,which is now breathtaking.
That is point number three.
Yet, that is not all that there is to the kitty of this man of history.
Again, this is how.
As a legislator, Oborevwori set the enviable record as the longest serving Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly – some six Gregorian years in all.
That is point number four.
Yet, he has more to offer with regard to history, the history of his Okpe people and Delta as a state.
Yes, Oborevwori is the only Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly – living or dead – to have been privileged to preside as substantive Speaker, over two Assemblies of the state legislature: he was Speaker of the legislature in the 6th Assembly and was reelected Speaker in the Seventh (7th)Assembly .
Unless I miss my count( which I doubt), that is point number five.
And has anyone forgotten the significance of the number five as outlined in an earlier paragraph?
Well, beyond the necessity for reflection here, let us proceed in our trajectory of x-raying this unique personality and child of history.
Still, there is one more element, a critical drape, of history with which it pleased God and Mother Nature( maybe acting acting through humans) to cloth Oborevwori with.
And it is this: it is the fact that the Rt. Hon. Francis Oborevwori is the first ( and only, yes, only) Speaker of the state legislature to be elected substantive Governor of the state. The only Speaker to have functioned as Governor of the state is Rt. Hon. (Prince) Sam Onyeka Obi (now late) who was drafted in in acting capacity, following the annulment of the election of then Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, by the Court of Appeal, Benin.
That is point number six, abi?
And then the icing on the cake: Rt. Hon. Oborevwori came into office as the only Speaker to be elected Governor of the state during the pendency of his Speakership. In this sense, he simultaneously held the unique history of being Governor – Elect of the state and also Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, until the proclamation of the House and election of its Principal officers, including Speaker.
And when you add, as the icing on the cake, that this same man proclaimed the House, you cannot but agree that, of the truth, there appears to be extraordinary elements guiding the life and fate of the street wiseman turned Governor.
That is point of history number seven.
Does anyone lack understanding of the overall symbolism and significance of number SEVEN?
Yet, there is an interesting last one.
When it is recalled that Oborevwori is the only state governor to defect from the party on which ticket he was elected to another, together with the entire structure of his government and his former party in the state, one cannot but appreciate also that the street wise man has a few things many of his contemporaries, and you may even add, predecessors ) lack: vision, courage and the extraordinary mobilisation ability to take the plunge, in the larger interest of the state and its people.
How else can one celebrate this man of history than to congratulate him and wish him many more historic feats as journeys on in life that appears programmed for historic feats?
