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Reelection-Seeking, Ailing Reps Minority Leader Leo Ogor Distributes N500 Each To 2,000 Youth

December 17, 2018

The community youth, numbering about 2,000 were said to have been led by one Blessing Elerara and Benson Apije, supervisory councillor for works, Isoko North council area of the state. SaharaReporters reliably learnt that they were mobilised to the Ozoro country home of the federal legislator through an announcement made on Saturday by hired town criers.

Leo Ogor, the ailing House of Representatives Minority Leader and member representing Isoko Federal Constituency of Delta State, on Sunday disbursed N500 each to youth of Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North local government area of the state, and passionately appealed to them to give him "maximum" support to enable him return to the green chamber for the fifth time in 2019.

The community youth, numbering about 2,000 were said to have been led by one Blessing Elerara and Benson Apije, supervisory councillor for works, Isoko North council area of the state. SaharaReporters reliably learnt that they were mobilised to the Ozoro country home of the federal legislator through an announcement made on Saturday by hired town criers.

It was also learnt that the youth were initially angry on arrival at the lawmaker's home over what they termed "abysmal failure" of Ogor and his alleged grabbing of multibillion-naira contracts for himself, family members and cronies, and his desperation to return to the National Assembly for the fifth time, were later pacified by Ogor, with the assurance that he would be made Speaker of the House this time around should the youth give him the maximum support.

Speaking with our correspondent, a former youth leader in Ozoro, who simply identified himself as Napoleon and was at Ogor's country home, said the meeting was called by the lawmaker after hearing of the grievances of the youth against him.

"The meeting was actually called by Hon. Leo Ogor, when he heard we, his Ozoro kingdom youth, were not happy with him with the way he was running the office we sent him to represent us in, in Abuja," Napoleon said.

"He thinks the office is his father's farm. In fact, for so many reasons, we, the youth of Ozoro, are not happy with him. He has failed and has been cheating us for the past 12 years. Ask Hon. Benson Apije, the supervisory councillor for works in Isoko North council, we have discussed Hon. Leo Ogor's failure and grabbing of contracts several times.

"I personally told him the grievances of the people, especially the youth, concerning Leo Ogor, but he appealed that we give Ogor this last chance of becoming the Speaker of the House. Even at the meeting in his house on Sunday, the youth told him their grievances and why he should go and rest to take care of his failing health, which should be paramount to him now rather than going back to Abuja for the fifth time. He talked and talked and talked with promises here and there."

Another youth who simply identified himself as Oghenekaro, said: "With the condition I saw Ogor in on that Sunday, he can no longer be vibrant, useful and effective as in the past because the partial strokes really affected him seriously. He's return to the House will be a waste and as good as Isoko nation not having a representative in the green chamber come 2019. However, I doubt if he can still win the election because the entire Isoko nation are sick and tired of him. The people only want his money and at the end disappoint him."

According to Oghenekaro, the Sunday meeting was mainly for appeals and the usual brainwashing by politicians.

"After the meeting, Hon. Leo Ogor, brought out N1.5million for the youths from the five quarters of Ozoro with the senior quarter, Uruto, getting the highest share of N500,000. But, very disappointing, the youth got N500 each while very few got N800 each with serious fighting and quarrelling among them. I think Hon. Ogor should follow the advice of his wife and other Isoko leaders both the old and younger and drop this ambition of his and focus on his deteriorating health."

Meanwhile, some media handlers of Ogor's have claimed that the youth used the meeting to endorse their boss to return to the house for the fifth time. This, some of the youth have debunked, saying there was no time the federal lawmaker was endorsed for his fifth term ambition.

It would be recalled that last month at Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South local government area of Delta state, during the official inauguration of the campaign council and committee of Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, APC candidate for the Isoko Federal House of Representatives, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the candidature of Ogor.

The PDP members added their voices to that of his wife, Peace Ogor, and other sons and daughters of Isoko nation advising him to focus on his failing health and shelve his fifth term ambition.