So sometime late last year, and earlier this year, I happened to be in Asaba, Delta state for some personal business, which just wouldn’t wrap up on time. Within this period I was there, I also had cause to travel to several other places across the length and breadth of the state- from Warri, Ughelli, Agbor, Effurun, the University town of Abraka and Asaba itself.

It was a worthwhile experience as Delta unwrapped its allure infront of my very eyes. The place is a beautiful place no doubt. It is perhaps one of the few states in the country that is not a one city state: it has several city-towns within its boundaries, asides the capital.

This diversity gives the residents more latitude in terms of what to do and where to go. I noticed several things while traveling across this heartbeat of the nation and I bring them to you here.

1. In Delta, everybody has ‘boys’
This is a veritable source of political patronage- your ability to raise a small rag tag army of youths within the blink of an eye makes you important. ‘If I just give signal now now, you go just see 700 hundred boys assemble for street.’ This is the only way most of the men there get stipends from government- the higher your disruptive tendencies, the higher patronage you get from government or from the political elite.

2. Godfatherism, is everywhere, but in Delta it has been elevated to an art
Without a powerful godfather in Delta, you are as good as dead- you won’t get anything from that state, or oil companies, even as an indigene. Not a contract, not a job, no patronage- in short nobody will listen to you. The only way you are trusted with anything reasonable or sensitive is if they know where you are coming from, whose allegiance you bear, which big name you have behind you- ‘ah, this na Ayiri boy o,’ or ‘these na Tompolo boys’ or Clarke boy– that’s the only way whoever is infront of you is awed enough to give you audience.

While you may not work directly for these godfathers, the fact you enjoy their goodwill or can be vouched for, by them, makes life very easy for you as you try to progress in life

3. Delta is the home of the war lord
Delta is a fiefdom- every community is controlled by a fief- a local kingpin- without whose word or consent, nothing happens. Nothing happens in that community without his input, knowledge or say so. If Shell wants to embark on a project, he must be settled and appeased, if the government wants to set up a community social responsibility, he must be consulted.

If you want to put up something as simple as billboard, his boys must be in the picture, else by the next morning, you will see it pulled to the ground.

4. Delta is land of the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Jeez, seeing a fine girl in Warri is like seeing an apparition. So, there a few fine ones, and those ones remain basically indoors, but the vast majority? Damn! While Asaba has some of the most beautiful girls in this country, Warri is the complete opposite. It is a city flush with oil money, so you will expect it to be a confluence of beautiful girls on the lookout for a fast buck, right?

Wrong. Yes, there are a lot of runs girls in that town, but majority of them are ugly. If Delta boys and girls were to act the movie- Good, bad & The Ugly, the good must be the beautiful girls of Asaba, the bad will be represented by the restive boys of the creeks, while the ugly has to be the ugly girls of Warri & Effurun.

5. Ibori’s word is still Law
Eight years after he left office and almost four since he has been doing time in Her Majesty’s jail, the Ibori influence over Delta affairs has never waned. While Uduaghan is the most hated of all Delta Governors, Ibori is the most loved, majorly because of his then propensity to dispense largesse and favors. The jury is yet to be out on Okowa.

From Prison, Ibori still decides what happens in Delta. When he anointed Tony Obuh for Governor last year, it seemed a given that the next occupant of government house would be its former Permanent Secretary. However, when Ibori pulled the plug on this Agbor technocrat’s ambition and swung support to his kinsman, Edevbie, at the PDP primaries at the last minute, it seemed a fait accompli that this Urhobo man would succeed Uduaghan in government house.

Alas, this was a feat too much for even Ibori to pull from prison at such short notice. Though Edevbie came second, Okowa picked the ticket and subsequently went on to win the governorship. The people however compensated Ibori by pushing his daughter into the lower house at the National Assembly.

6. It is our ‘oyel’ mentality waxing stronger
To the average Niger Deltan, the world should stop moving because oil is drilled from his backyard. Most of the youths there feel they should feed, clothe and live large at the expense of the oil companies, just because they have oil. That is the entitlement mentality that is prevalent around there.

It doesn’t matter whether they have gone to school, it doesn’t matter whether they have a skill, and it doesn’t matter whether they are productive. The mere fact a young man is from an oil producing community means he thinks he must subsist on the bill of the oil company, operating in his neck of the woods. Infact if he sleeps with a LovePeddler, Shell should be able to meet her 10k bill on his behalf. If the oil companies wont do it, well, then the politicians must. This is the sort of mentality that has given rise to restiveness in those parts

7. Asaba is just a ceremonial capital- nothing happens there
Asaba is merely the seat of government, for bureaucratic red tape- Warri is where it happens. This town is the nerve centre of the state and is also where the oil companies are- Shell that is. The big deals are close there, the night life is hyper there- in short, Warri is the livewire of the state.

Because the state has several major cities that are equally lively, many Deltans return to these places over the weekend to be with their kith and kin in their won neck of the woods. Asaba then becomes like Abuja- lively during the week, deserted on weekends and only shored up by traders and business men of Onitsha and the girls who cross the bridge on bikes to ply their trade in the capital.

8. In Delta, the Fear of Tompolo is the beginning of wisdom
Yes, there are several strong men in Delta, the Ayiri’s, the Clarkes, Ibori’s and the likes, but the czar of Gbaramatu kingdom tops them all. I mean, if you single handedly installed a chief executive of the largest maritime agency in Africa, are you to be taken lightly?

If you boasted clearly that Delta will be on fire if your candidate does not emerge governor, and then went ahead to bulldoze everybody out of the way and installed him as governor? If after installing this your crony as Governor, you highhandedly installed your cousin as a deputy governor, are you then, not in control of government house and the till of the largest allocation in the country bar Akwa Ibom?

Within the creeks, Tompolo’s word is law and all over Delta, his influence cannot be under estimated, even as he also successfully installed his brother as chairman of his local government council.

If you don’t believe, simply remember when the President wanted to commission the oil & gas free zone there? Remember, the security agencies, the military and state government had given the all clear to the President to come? It only took a phone call from Tompolo to the President for the President to cancel the trip.

What did tomplo say?
‘ Bros eh, if you like yourself ehn, no come here, no near here at all. Boys dey vex, blood dey dia eye. I no fit guarantee your safety o. I don teh you my own.’

The rest is history.

9. In Delta, money talks, bullshit....


Read more at: http://www.intercityadventures.com/10-things-i-noticed-while-traveling-across-delta/

Nice

This is really cool...thumbs up op but wetin warri girls do you na

stan241:
This is really cool...thumbs up op but wetin warri girls do you na

Lol..nothing. just saying it as it is

The third picture is that of students going to Abuja motor park in UNIPORT, Port Harcourt.

9. In Delta, money talks, bullshit works
This is perhaps the richest state in the country- by disposable income in the hands of the residents. It is a place, flush with oil money and proceeds, from the industries it sires- bunkering inclusive. Everybody is getting paid- those that have just small sense, that is.

The bunkerers are smiling daily, political elite are ‘sharing the money’, the palms of Chiefs and community leaders are being greased by the day, the restive youths are being settled all the time, even the girls are not left out as the boys are paying.

So, in Delta, the mantra is ‘get rich or die trying’. If you have money you are fine, if not, you either hit the creeks or the streets because as the common refrain goes- ‘Abeegi, na talk I go ‘shop’?’


10. Despite all this, the place is peaceful
Yes, you will think with the war lords, restive youths, bunkers, the place will be a hotbed right? Wrong. Much of the place is serene and quiet and Asaba is a particularly good and quiet place to stay. If you would rather keep away from the hassle and bustle of Warri, then Delta spoils you for choice on where to visit, work or even live.

They are blessed, all I can say

No comment

let me read it first... am coming

#minutes after reading

was expecting to see something new,tantalizing or different... nothing special

Although this is quite true, but I feel the OP has highly exaggerated some points sha

Shout out to ma people.
Area f representing
@op,why u no enter pele na?

True but OP for you not to notice that their women ride motorcycles and bikes I doubt if you were really in delta state.

Plus you didn't notice their BIG tv screens at their roundabouts.


Delta state is quite developed, I currently stay in ughelli but the level of crime is appaling

AREA!

Op you lied! I mean lied! Am not sure you even visited warri becos seriously waffi babes fine die..maybe your glasses weren"t properly adjusted.

otokx:
The third picture is that of students going to Abuja motor park in UNIPORT, Port Harcourt.

lol dis aint abuja park na...
Dat building could nt have been dat of the gymnasium(looking frm mandela) nor mama abuja (looking from the faculty of humanities)
i stand to be correctd

LOOK AT THE WAY...

Delta-feeding nigeria

prettyjo:
let me read it first... am coming

#minutes after reading

was expecting to see something new,tantalizing or different... nothing special

What does that "jo" in your moniker stand for?

Lol....your beef on warri babes reminds me of a friend who says there is no fine person from Warri

Nice one

True! Warri is the unofficial capital.

Smh very very messed up state.

Jollyjoy:
Op you lied! I mean lied! Am not sure you even visited warri becos seriously waffi babes fine die..maybe your glasses weren"t properly adjusted.

Shut up where d fine babes dey, dose gels wey de get muscle na e u de call fine

Lols a little bitt true...but some flaws..1st and foremost warri get fine babes die maybe you go wrong area..also an average warri boy is an hustler nobody waits for oyel money any longer..

dem stil de go italy?

The last paragraph funny die tompolo to presido.... Bros..eeh...

Oh please. We are not so ugly in warri.

Oyel money ... Good money

Jollyjoy:
Op you lied! I mean lied! Am not sure you even visited warri becos seriously waffi babes fine die..maybe your glasses weren"t properly adjusted.

my sister,op de fully on point.
Warri babes Wogly finish. As in wowo + ugly = wogly.

To a very very large extent you're Damn correct!