By Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John
The senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Patrick Moro PhD needs no introduction in Nigeria of today. His name rings bell in many households across the country. While he is the Ogigo’mebe K’Idoma (The mirror of the Idoma nation), he’s also the Ukonu K’éwà (mouthpiece of the masses) in the Upper Legislative Chamber. He’s the shoulder on which people from across the country come to lean and get succor.
I have been with Senator Abba Moro for more than five years now and can, to a large extent, describe his personality, tell his likes and dislikes, and what he stands for. The Senator is an open-minded person who doesn’t speak with his tongue in cheek. He speaks the truth always, without minding whose ox is gored. He always stands by what’s right and never shies away when he needs to speak out. He’s bold, outspoken and says the hard truth at all times even as that has been misconstrued by some people as ‘arrogance’. He doesn’t know how to say that black is white or white is black. He says it the way it is and that has endeared him to many people, especially those who love the truth.
Senator Moro is a defender of the defenceless and the voice of the voiceless. I’m yet to see a politician that’s so concerned about others like the senator. He’s so passionate about helping his people that he makes himself so available for them to access easily and table their problems before him. These problems, which include feedings, rents, school fees, medical bills, burial expenses, unemployment, community needs, etc drain him a lot but he doesn’t ever complain. Many times he even borrows to solve problems for his people. To him, leadership is all about the people, the people and the people. He says he’s not in politics for any personal interest but to make a difference in the lives of his people. And very unlike typical politicians, he doesn’t announce what he does for people.
I once made a post about a medical bill he paid for someone in Makurdi. A huge amount of money. He saw the post and called me on the phone and asked if it was necessary. I told him it was necessary, to soar his popularity. I told him all politicians engaged in such propaganda. He laughed and said he wasn’t a man of propaganda, that he does nothing to be praised but to satisfy his conscience. He asked that I pull down the post, which I did without further delay. I have not made such post again even as testimonies abound of his humanitarian gestures all over the place most of which, if not all, he doesn’t tell anybody around him.
Everywhere in Benue South and Benue State at large, Abba Moro’s name rings so loudly. The name rings for one good thing or the other that he has done. In the Senate, he continues to represent the voice of the masses by sponsoring bills and motions that have direct impacts on the people.
For example, his motions on age barrier for job recruitment, unwarranted tariff hikes by pay TV and affront on democratic structures at the local government level in the country continue to receive accolades across the nation. His bills on power rotation, local government autonomy and establishment of North Central Development Commission are bills which, when passed into law, will address a lot of problems in the country. These are bills and motions that have direct impacts on the lives of the people and that’s what Senator Moro loves to do. Yes, he was elected by the good people of Benue South Senatorial District and representing them but his representation has gone beyond his constituents to all Nigerians as he continues to touch on issues that directly affect them.
On constituency projects, Senator Moro has been consistently going out of his ways to facilitate legacy projects for his people. His projects are everywhere in Benue South. If you don’t see his roads you will see his electrification project, or boreholes, or school buildings, or healthcare centers, or transformer. Etc. You must see something the senator has done or is doing.
On youth empowerment, Senator Moro is replicating what he did as Minister some years back. He has been exploring opportunities everywhere to give jobs to unemployed youths and he’s massively doing that but, like his other humanitarian efforts, he doesn’t like to talk about that or showcase it in the media. When those he has secured jobs for come to appreciate him and seek to take pictures with him, he always turn them down. He doesn’t even appreciate it when they come back to thank him.
A few days ago, I stepped out of my own office into a sea of uniformed men who flooded the senator’s waiting room and outside waiting to see him. They all had heavy ranks on their shoulders. I inquired to know who they were and their mission. One of them with an Eagle on his shoulder said to me, ‘All of us you see here were helped by your Principal to be who we are today. The number you are seeing is a small fraction, this office won’t contain us if we all turn up for the visit. We are here to congratulate him on his election as Senate Minority Leader”, he said.
I became speechless and emotional. How the man has helped so many people in life and hardly talks about it is a mystery. Politicians even claim credit for what they didn’t do yet here’s a politician who doesn’t want people to know what he’s doing for his people.
During the Christmas period, Senator Moro was going to share thousands of bags of rice and 100s of cows to people to celebrate the yuletide. I only got to know about the food items from a third party; the senator wanted to distribute those items away from the camera. I had to seek permission from him for my media team to cover the distribution for us to make a little report out of it, a request he reluctantly granted. To him, when you give food to people, the camera should be kept away.
Senator Abba Moro is a unique personality. You can’t be a rational human being and dislike him. No wonder he’s loved across party lines. He’s a man of the people. He has a clear understanding of the needs and wants of his people across Benue South and Benue State at large and is working day and night to make life better for them. He has promised that before he leaves the stage, as a senator, every council ward in Benue South must have a project for which he will be remembered. He’s committed to this promise and working assiduously towards achieving that and even surpassing it. He stays awake, sleeps and wakes up with the thought of what next to do to make people happy. To him, it’s all about the people, nothing about self. Indeed, he’s a humanist!
As he works himself out for us, what’s expected of us is to keep supporting and praying for him. He never failed in his previous positions and will not fail as a senator and whatever position he may find himself tomorrow through the help of God and the people.
Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John is the media adviser to Senator Abba Moro, Senate Minority Leader
