Reps member honours dead, living predecessors in Warri constituency

MEMBER representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Daniel Reyenieju, weekend, honoured dead and living lawmakers, who represented the constituency from 1951 till date, with awards.

Reyenieju said the 2017 The Daniel Oritsemugbemi Reyenieju (The DOR) symposium/awards tagged: “The Burden of Legislative Representation in Our Democracy,” was in honour of late Mrs Omawumi Udoh, member representing Warri South Constituency 1 in the Delta State House of Assembly who died in 2016.

He disclosed that having taken some deep reflections about his life after the demise of Mrs Udoh, he has decided not to only celebrate the dead, but the living among legislators who had served the constituency.

“I’ve reflected over my life after the demise of Mrs Udoh. I’ve realised that it’s difficult for a legislator to win a public opinion fight. But I determined to remember the legislators of the past in my constituency. If we celebrate the dead, we should also celebrate and honour the departed legislators. It’s not easy to represent the people, “he noted.

Reyenieju, who also hoped to be honoured while alive some day, promised to set up a foundation on December 13, 2018 that’ll be carrying out cancer awareness and tests among women in honour of late Mrs Udoh who, on December 13, 2016, died of breast cancer.

No fewer than 24 former legislators, 10 of whom are dead including Mrs Udoh, and 14 living, who served the Warri constituency both at federal and state levels, were honoured with awards.

They included late Chief Festus Samuel Okotie-Eboh, who represented Warri Division, Mid-Western House of Assembly between 1951-1954 and the House of Representatives between 1955-1966; Chief Isaac Jemide (KSS) who represented Warri North West in the them Bendel State House of Assembly between 1979-1983.

Others were Honourable D. S. I T. O. Pessu, Bendel State House of Assembly, between 2979-1983; Honourable Temi Harriman, House of Representatives, 1999-2007; and Mrs Irene Imilar who represented Warri North at the Delta House of Assembly between 2007 – 2015, among others.

Dignitaries at the symposium/award ceremony, which held at the Conference Hall of Government House Annex in Warri, included Senator James Manager, representing Delta Senatorial District, representative of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, and Delta State government functionaries.

The well-attended event, which was chaired by provost of College of Education, Warri, Professor Mary Edema, witnessed a presentation of seven papers by different academics and professionals mainly from the University of Benin, bordering on health and healthy living and politics.