By David Atarhe

I have watched with amazement in recent times why Mariere helping a commoner he met on the street to fry groundnut has suddenly become a topic of discourse among APC social media practitioners.

Ordinarily, it wouldn't have come to me as a surprised because Mariere is a candidate to watch out for among the three major contenders for the number one seat in the federal constituency race not because he is the ruling party candidate but a candidate whose antecedent has proven capability, competence and excellent content of character to blend. Mariere is a thoroughbred politician hence, such smear /charater assasination campaign against his person is much expected from the oppositions as an expression of self defeat.

But I'm disappointed at the high level ignorance displayed by the APC media in Ughelli/Udu federal constituency. Mariere is not faking by frying groundnut in the street with a constituent, he is a great farmer in Delta state. Mariere is one politician if not the only one whose major source of livelihood outside his law firm (Mariere Chambers) is farming and the Mariere farm is there at Evwreni for everyone to see. Even his house in Evwreni is built in his farm so he sleeps and wake up in the farm.

His passion for farming has endeared the highly respected throne of Ughelli Kingdom to bestow on him a chieftaincy title as the 'Oghwere r'Ovie' (the king chief farmer) of Ughelli Kingdom. Also, the NYSC community in Delta state always take their corp members on a tour to his farm. So Mariere being a well known farmer in Delta state is not in doubt. He has even delivered lectures on entrepreneurship with reference to him as a farmer during NYSC orientation course in Delta camp at Iselu Uku.

So the big question is "what is wrong with a farmer frying groundnut" that APC want to make a case with? He is just trying to show the coommon folks out there that 'look don't see me as if I'm above you, I can do this thing you're doing because outside politics, I'm a farmer'.

My problem with the APC in Delta state is that they worry more about the things that matter less and pay deaf ears to the things that matter most.

At the moment, the supporter/followers of Rev Francis Ejiroghene Waive should be more worried that the shepherd has ran away from the church, the flock of Christ are without shepherd. Someone has abandoned the high calling of our Lord Jesus Christ. If every pastor behaves like Waive who will reach the lost, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed and intercede for the peace of our troubled nation?

These are pertinent questions that Rev Francis Waive and the APC must answer. To tell you that God never support the call of Waive into politics, the moment he joined the APC, endless crisis never ceased to rock the party at all levels in Delta state. A pastor has to be rigged and imposed on the people amidst crisis by some factional cabals. It was more embarrassing during the parallel primaries that brought a pastor in as a candidate that party members were chanting "pastor ole pastor ole" after he was rigged in by some members of the Ogboru/Agege led faction with clear over voting trailing the exercise. One wonder therefore whether Tilapia and Sharks came from Obi-Ayagha river to add to the vote that gave him the supposed victory at the APC primaries. His first step on the political field betrayed his pastoral calling and he came out a huge dissapointment to the Church of God as a body.

Today, our once respected pastor has been equally yoked with unbelievers. He now plan how to rig election with federal might, if herdsmen kill his flocks today he can no longer say a word, if they rape his flocks in the bush he cannot talk. He now associate with those that promised his God's given nation that both the monkey and the baboon must be soaked in blood and no doubt ever since they came, blood has never ceased to flow in Nigeria.

One thing is sure from the Bible. God gave every man a calling, when you leave your calling, you definitely run into trouble. When Jonah left the call of God, he landed in the belly of a fish and that fish took him back were he supposed to go.

Mariere has been called by God to represent His people through servant oriented politics and he will represent Ughelli/Udu federal constituency in the federal house of representatives come June this year. Rev Francis Ejiroghene Waive on the other hand have not denied his calling to serve in the vineyard of God as a shepherd. He still answer Reverend till date so there is still enough time for him to reconnect with his God's given assignment.