By John Odhe
Chief Fred Yeitiemone Agbedi, Ph.D, is a household name, not only within Ndoro, his home community, Ekeremor, his local government area, Bayelsa, his home state of origin, but also in the National Assembly where he and his parliamentarian colleagues have been making laws for the good of Nigerians and his constituents in particular.
A one-time chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state, Chief Agbedi is currently holding sway in the green chamber of the National Assembly, efficiently and vibrantly representing the fabulous characters of Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency. For the past seven years and still counting, the small-but-mighty politician has raised the bar of true representation, spreading people oriented projects across the two local government areas that form his constituents.
No wonder jubilation and appreciation rend the air last week when dignitaries from all works of life accompanied Chief Agbedi to commission some of the many Zonal Intervention projects he sponsored and have been well executed in his constituency for the development of the area.
Spearheading the commissioning exercises was the deputy governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. While commissioning one of the projects, which is a block of three classrooms and offices in Community Primary School 2, Sagbama in Sagbama local government area, Senator Ewhrudjakpo described Chief Fred Agbedi as a worthy representative.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Bayelsa West, Dr. Churson Obosi, said this was not the first time he had been part of the commissioning of projects executed across the constituency by the parliamentarian.
His words: “Agbedi stands out in terms of performance amongst his peers. Agbedi has distinguished himself as a worthy representative unlike others who would only show up during electioneering periods and disappear thereafter. Agbedi deserves appreciation for promoting education in Bayelsa West. Apart from sponsoring physical projects, Agbedi also has many people oriented motions to his name in the Federal House of Representatives.”
The deputy governor enjoined the constituents to continue to rally support for the MP to enable him provide more dividends of democracy to the people. According to him, Agbedi abhors discrimination but evenly distributed the projects across the two LGAs, calling on the beneficiaries to protect and put the projects to judicious uses.
Another dignitary that attended the commissioning programme was the immediate past deputy governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (Rtd). The former number two man, who described Agbedi as a friend and brother, pointed out that the essence of holding public service was to serve and that Agbedi has sufficiently fulfill that truism through his selfless and effective representation of his people.
The retired military General further enjoined aspiring parliamentarians to approach Chief Fred Agbedi for mentorship, describing the people of the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency as being lucky to have him as their representative when compared to those who had held same position in the past.
The Chiefs led by the traditional ruler, the Fungeowei of Kunbowei Kingdom, High Chief Amboro Michael, the Headmistress of Community Primary School 2, Sagbama, Mrs. Eko Pereokosufa, the youths and women of Sagbama were full of appreciation to the reigning MP who has put smiles on the faces of their children by providing them with a conducive learning environment. The Paramount ruler said he has fallen in deep affection for Fred Agbedi having observed that he had never abandoned any of the numerous projects he had embarked on either in Ekeremor or Sagbama.
Also during the commissioning ceremony of a block of 6-classroom/furnishing at Community Secondary School, Ebedebiri in Sagbama LGA, it was a carnival of sort. The Council of Chiefs led by Chief Plank Egemeze, the Amanana-owei of Ebedebiri, the Principal of CSS, Mr. Aruagono Akpoeyemi, the youth president, Nelson Ayama and the women folk all received Agbedi with opened alms, expressing joy that he was the first national Assembly lawmaker to have cited a project in their community and would therefore remain grateful to him.
Their ecstasy of bliss was further expressed in a brief but scintillating symbolic drama presented by students of the secondary School which implied that they had adopted Chief Agbedi to continue to represent them in any capacity of his choice. In the drama, the character whose name was “Hon. Fred Agbedi” who came to campaign in the community was received and endorsed because of his good works while his opponent was rejected by the people because, according to them, they never saw him again until another political dispensation after he got their votes the previous time.
At Aleibiri in Ekeremor LGA where a Civic Center was commissioned, the community also rolled out the drums in honour of their son, Chief Fred Yeitiemone Agbedi, who has shown capacity and love in terms of efficient representation. His Yoral Majesty, the Pere of Alei, King Ebebi Simon, represented by the state chairman of the Founding Fathers Forum, Chief Benedict Gwembe lavished royal blessings on the federal lawmaker for adding colour and glamour to what true representation really means.
The chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Felix Alare, represented by Mr. Diploma Tekeme and the Youth president of Aleibiri Federated Community, Comrade Ibokeme Ebebi as well as the women group were overwhelmed with joy and prayed God to guide and protect the performing parliamentarian in order for him to attract more life-changing projects to them. They wished him well in his future political trajectories.
After Aleibiri, the project commissioning train piloted by the MP headed for Isoni community back in Sagbama LGA where a renovated block of 7-classroom was commissioned at the community primary school. The locals trooped out in their number to catch a glimpse of their representative who has continued to impress his constituents. The hitherto sleepy community came alive, stressing that there was no better way to show appreciation for a job well done than to come out en mass to give the legislator a resounding welcome.
The CDC chairman, Chief Super Hope, the school Headmaster, Mr. Ogunuku Solomon and the youth president, Comrade Justice Abeki who spoke respectively onbehalf of Isoni community said Agbedi came to their rescue when the primary school was wailing for intervention in a dilapidated state, asserting that after the renovation project, the elementary citadel of learning now looks stronger and better than when it was originally constructed. They believed that Agbedi had chosen the best form of development strategy by investing in education, which they said, was the hallmark of all-round development. They promised to partner with and support the lawmaker in anyway possible.
Furthermore, the commissioning exercise which spanned two working days later terminated at Toru-Ibeni community in Sagbama local government area with the commissioning of a road project which Agbedi facilitated when he was member, House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). A former chairman of Sagbama LGA, Chief Barnabas Edure and the paramount
ruler of Toru-Ibeni community, His Royal Highness Chief Binagha Serifa and members of the community witnessed the commissioning of the road and commended the lawmaker for attracting such a laudable project to their land. In his speech, Barnabas Edure called on Agbedi to pick the interest form and contest the next Bayelsa West Senatorial District election, assuring that he would get the overwhelming support of the people having proved his worth in the green chamber.
Agbedi responds
Responding to the avalanche of glowing tributes from his constituents, an elated Fred Agbedi said the gesture was his modest way of paying the people back for giving him their mandate.
On the investment in schools, the MP stated that he placed high premium on the importance of education, hence he saw the need for a conducive atmosphere for basic studies. He said “first, l will always thank you for giving me the mandate to go and represent you. The essence of representation is to give back to those who mandated you. I have always emphasized that whatever I can bring as a give back, l will safely deliver it to my people. This is one of such projects which l have brought back, not only to our people but to the development of the educational sector, our children and the future of our people.
If l was not educated to this level, l wouldn’t have presented myself to be elected to the House of Representatives.”
The Reps member also hinted that apart from infrastructural development, he had equally made substantial inroads in the area of empowerment and employment. “It is not good enough to list out names of people. I know how many persons that have been employed through my representation in different ministries, parastratals and agencies,” he said, calling on benefiting institutions and communities to partner with him to get the results of development. He also solicited their continuous support.
Other dignitaries that graced the events include: the chairman of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Commission, Chief Dein Binadoumene, South-South Zonal Secretary of the PDP, Dr. Felix Omemu, former commissioner for Women Affairs and now Bayelsa West women leader of the PDP, Mrs Martha Janakumo, immediate past Special Adviser to the governor and national vice chairman representing South-South Tricycle Owners Association, Goodwin Adokeme and a host of other dignitaries.
Meanwhile, it may interest you to know that those projects commissioned last week are just a fraction of the overall projects Agbedi had attracted to his constituency since he became a parliamentarian. So far, he has executed a total of thirty-four projects across board including training and empowerment schemes for youths and women development. He also has to his credit, five Bills and eleven Motions including a motion to stop the regular invasion and destruction of communities in Bayelsa state by the Nigerian military amongst others.
Indeed, those who refer to Chief Fred Agbedi as a worthy representative are highly gifted in precise use of dictums for that is exactly what he is. Nothing less.
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