By Francis Sadhere
To many, Dr Michael Tidi, Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, is a man of peace and this he has demonstrated by how he has been able to maintain peace in the volatile council area with many different ethnicities. To others who do not understand the man Tidi, they claimed he is not a man of peace when he contested for Warri South, Constituency 11 position at the recent Delta State House of Assembly primaries.
All Dr Tidi wanted was to bring more development to his people at the grassroots and not thinking of ethnicity. Before nursing the idea to contest for the Warri South Constituency 11 seat in the Delta State House of Assembly, he had done his homework. He knew that a lot of people are going to raise eyebrows because of what he was going to do, yet he set out to do it because he knew his people will benefit from it.
As a man who has always played his politics in Warri South Constituency 1, he knew that he was going to stir up the hornet’s nest when he decided to change his voting point to Warri South Constituency 11. But as someone who wanted to unify the council, he went ahead with his plans even when some people told him that it was mission impossible.
His declaration for the seat made many to be jittery so they whipped up ethnic sentiments to thwart his ambition. In the process, a lot of things went under the water from the glaring eyes of the public. But as a man of peace, he held his ground and remained calm even in the face of provocations.
This is the story that many people did not know. There were people who were ready to spoil for war if he had won the primary elections. On the day of the primary election, plans have already been etched to disrupt the exercise if Tidi had been declared the winner. He was even prevented from entering the venue of the primaries, just to provoke him.
But, Tidi, as a man of peace kept his cool and pleaded to his teaming supporters to remain calm in the face of all provocations. He knew, as the Chief Security Officer of Warri South Local Government Area, that the enemies have planned to cause chaos at the venue of the primaries. But like former President Good luck Jonathan, he knew that his ambition does not worth the blood of any person in the council area.
Though he might have lost the Delta State House of Assembly election, Dr Tidi defeated those who had wanted to thwart his peace effort in the council area. He knew that if he had allowed the plans of the enemies to come to pass because of his ambition, posterity will not forgive him.
If there is anything the Dr Michael Tidi-led Administration has been able to do very well, is keeping the peace we have in Warri South Local Government Area. Without peace in the council area, there would not have been a conducive atmosphere for the development the council is enjoying today. Dr Michael Tidi is truly a man of peace.
•Sadhere is the Special Adviser on Media to the Chairman of Warri South Local Government, Dr Michael Tidi
