One of the quanlities that defines the credibility of a political leader is his ability to carry his constituents along and meet their aspirations through faithful implementation of his electioneering promises.
This attribute, largely lacking in Nigeria’s political system, is what endears the politician to the electorate. Unfortunately, electioneering promises often ladden with rosy pronouncements have become the bait that the average Nigerian politician employs to work on the psyche of the electorate, making them believe that their welfare will be a priority in his political agenda if elected.
But quite often, the reverse is the case as the masses whose votes are sought with fervent plea are shut out of the politician’s gate and denied communication contacts once his ambition is fulfilled. However, in the multitude of political Actors, there still exist quite a good number whose tracks are ladden with appreciable measure of service delivery spurred by patriotic zeal to serve humanity.
One of such politicians is the lawmaker representing Yala/Ogoja at the National Assembly.
The political ascendancy of this young man has some lessons in tenacity and moral principles for the present and up-coming generation of politicians.
Hon.JARIGBE Agom may not wholly come under late professor Chunua Achebe’s classification of those whose palm Kernels were cracked for them by benevolent spirit.
His entry and meteoric rise in politics were a combination of divine favour, hard work, commitment, loyalty and a burning desire to render service to humanity. These attributes solidify the pivot on which his political pendulum swings.
What distinguished Jarigbe’s political career from the vast majority is its grassroots support base. He is one politician whose fame is bolstered by the massive goodwill he had showered on those he had impacted their lives through his humanitarian gesture and service delivery.
The uncontrollable urge and enthusiasm to render service on a broader scale propelled him into partisan politics, where he started first as a grass root political bulldozer.
At the approach of the return to democratic rule in 1999, Hon.Jarigbe joined the People’s Democratic Party PDP in 1998 after serving as leader and Cross river North co-ordinator of the Grassroot Democratic Movement .
He also served as the Cross river North co-ordinator of the Imoke’s campaign organization and was a voice of the Transition committee that ushered in Imoke’s administration .
Jarigbe’s emerging political visibility, exemplified by the key roles he started to play in Cross river State politics accelerated the strategic role he occupied during the Imoke’s eight years tenure .
Jarigbe’s wise counsel and contributions in his strategic role in Northern Cross river, no doubt assisted the Imoke administration in stabilizing the polity with the attendant prevalence of peace and harmony in the multi-ethnic and politically volatile Cross river state.
His impressive grass root involvement during Duke and Imoke’s administrations bear testimony to the influence he wielded at the executive councils of the two regimes.
In 2015, he was elected into the green chamber to represent Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency.
Hon.Jarigbe’s entry into politics after a spell in business was not accidental but a decision widely perceived as divinely programmed. His passion to render service beyond the scope of a business man compelled him to drop his chemistry equipments a graduate of Chemistry for politics.
His constituency projects that cut across various sectors including roads, bridges, education, electricity, agriculture and Information Technology spread across the communities that constitute his constituency are visible evidence of thorough execution of schemes under the watch of a political leader.
These are complemented by his empowerment programmes where choice of materials distributed to beneficiaries such as tricycles, sewing and grinding machines, photocopying machines, deep freezers, computer sets and high roof buses for primary health care agencies, all worth millions of naira reflect the basic requirements of the needy in Cross river state urban and rural settlements.
Perhaps, the basic values that have enhanced Hon.Jarigbe’s political visibility and endeared him to a broad spectrum of the electorate are his non-violent approach to politics, humanitarian disposition, commitment to service delivery as well as his receptive attitude to both the high and the law.
A man driven by action rather than garrulity, his belief that a man’s actions should reflect his words earned him the popular name “Talk and do” literarily meaning a man who does what he says. The free medical services he rendered to the poor in his days as a grass root political mobilizer remain indelible in their hearts.
His emergence as the People’s Democratic Party PDP Rep candidate for Yala/Ogoja in the 2015 general elections also attests to his political popularity. Having served as
a grass root political mobilizer and currently Hon, JARIGBE has diligently navigated the murky waters of Nigerian politics which have fully equipped him for occupation of any top post in the political arena.
And if his achievements and pedigree are to form the basic criteria for public assessment of his political vision and agenda, he stands tall above his fellow contestants in the race to the green Chamber in 2019.
Written By Jarigbe's Media team.
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