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Ben Murray-Bruce, Senatorial Ambition, And Campaign Tours

By EDITOR
20 February 2015   |   11:00 pm
Chairman of the Silverbird Group and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Bayelsa East, Ben Murray-Bruce has been campaigning with tumultuous crowds cheering the man they call the Obama of Africa. Traversing seas, thorny paths and deep forests, Murray-Bruce looks like a breath of fresh air in the midst of wallowing poverty, disease…

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Chairman of the Silverbird Group and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Bayelsa East, Ben Murray-Bruce has been campaigning with tumultuous crowds cheering the man they call the Obama of Africa. Traversing seas, thorny paths and deep forests, Murray-Bruce looks like a breath of fresh air in the midst of wallowing poverty, disease and hopelessness among the waterside people of Brass East. Excerpts:

IT was mid-morning and the party was about to begin. The entourage proceeded in a motorcade to the Ogbia Jetty on sea to Twon Brass.  Ben Murray-Bruce, the PDP Senatorial candidate for the Brass East Senatorial District elections, is running a race against time; his reflexes define his zeal to get things done for the sake of posterity.

 His campaign team were in Twon Brass where he joined the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor and Deputy Chairman State Presidential Campaign Committee, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtd), with other State and National Assembly candidates. The waiting crowd of idle youths roared and cheered to welcome this black man who looks and speaks like Barack Obama. Murray-Bruce responded with a victory sign in the air.

  He straightened up and waved to the crowd once more, walking in quick steps and calculated gait to the waiting gunboats ready to ferry him and his team across the creeks to Twon Brass.

 All around the swampy vicinity, antiquated looking huts with obsolete zinc sheets silhouetted against the offensive water provide the backdrop of the downtrodden human habitation. This is the true face of the Niger Delta, the oil producing people of Nigeria. The potential voters hanged around the pathway ask for nothing but cash which for them makes more of a difference than the promise of empowerment through good education and job creation, Murray Bruce’s mantra in this election period. Where no cash exchanges hands, the angry crowd, some semi-deranged from abuse of drugs or alcohol, cursed and threatened continuously. 

 But the party has to proceed as Ben Murray-Bruce shielded from the thickening crowd manages to disengage from his guards to speak of hope and a future that can make a difference if only they will be part of his deal with the youths of Brass East. While some applauded the wake-up call, others want immediate gratification which was indicative of their restless moves and shuffles.  They seemed to almost want to jump into the waiting gunboats but the presence of the soldiers and the smoking guns of the boat repel them. 

   At 40 nautical miles per hour, Lance Corporal Efegi Padiki sets his throttle eastwards defining his destination against the backdrop of the roaring water.  An hour and thirty minutes later, the Murray Bruce campaign was on ground at the Yenagoa Jetty with an equally vote for cash crowd of young men and a sprinkle of young women, mostly teenage mothers with their love kids strapped to their backs. 

Somehow, it was fun to welcome the man they have heard of, seen on television and celebrated by newspapers and magazines home and abroad.

    It was not very clear at what point the decision to run for public office became an issue and a feather to add to his already festooned cap of achievements. What is known about his early life was that Ben Murray-Bruce was a Senior Prefect in his days at St Gregory College, Obalende-Lagos.  He was already an organizer of events and played a role in the making of the famous Ofege Group.  They were St. Gregory’s students whose music and stagecraft patterned after the Jackson Five who ruled the airwaves in the 1970s.

  Later in life, Murray-Bruce’s encounter with Jessie Jackson during his Presidential campaign and African tour made quite an impression on him as he toured some African states with the black civil rights leader. He was obviously influenced by the powerful politician, orator and preacher as is evident in Murray-Bruce’s style.  Having studied in the U.S., Murray-Bruce saw the power of those who offer to serve rather than be served.  In modern times he must have been intrigued by the enigma of a black President Barack Obama anointed by the Kennedy clan.

  Ben Murray-Bruce served his apprenticeship in public life as director general of NTA, and now chairman Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), campaigning for Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.  As media mogul, successful in business and showmanship, his ability to charm his audience is masterful.

  Shortly before he embarked on this journey, he told his admirers, he wanted a hero figure from the African continent; somebody that connects with modern governance and not tainted by the spoils of office. That man turned out to be Paul Kagame, the Rwandan warlord and administrator who is fast turning his country around.  In recent times Rwanda was the focus of global discourse, genocide but is now noted for being the least corrupt country in the region by Transparency International. Apart from uniting the people, Kagame, whose fighting force and arsenal may well be the best in the continent did not disappoint Murray-Bruce. 

  According to Murray-Bruce, President Kagame and the Rwandan Constitution have zero tolerance for corruption. They also have a strong vision to offer Rwandans the best life possible which has driven the economy to being counted as one of Africa’s leading investment destinations. Going forward, Murray-Bruce advocates that we must pick someone who is best for the future of Nigeria; a country which someday under the PDP, must be corruption free with nobody in public office, repeat, nobody standing as custodian of the public treasury, stealing such funds and getting away with it. This will not be accomplished through the current stance of both political divides pointing accusing fingers at each other. No, he said, all hands must be on deck, and we as a people must move the country forward through our collective decisions.

   It is about everybody agreeing that anyone who wants to serve the people must not be caught napping, helping himself to the treasury of the commonwealth and getting away with it.  He should be a hero to an impoverished people.

“What Murray-Bruce has promised his Senatorial Zone is that there is no way his presence in the Senate will be for the purpose of enriching himself or negotiating away their common patrimony for a mesh of porridge,” said a popular chief during a church service to welcome Murray-Bruce and his campaign organisation led by Austin Dresman, a former Vice-chairman of All States Bank. 

   “Here in Sangana, our son, listen and listen carefully, ecological funds that will help fight erosion has been embezzled by someone or a group of economic renters and self-seeking politicians.  Look at that place, far into the horizon, far, far across the sea. That was the extent to which this town, your mother’s place was known. Today, see what erosion has done to us. You sent us something to help celebrate our centenary and we thank you. But I tell you at the rate the sea is eating up our land, this may be our last centenary and we will have nowhere to call our own. We need your help.”

  Perhaps for Ben Murray-Bruce, going into public office is to serve and do good things. Mrs. Philomena Hammond, first daughter of the patriarch William Murray-Bruce captured the true essence of it all when she spoke forcefully on this current assignment. Ben, she admitted, wants quick results.  He insisted that we did not do enough to pray for a miracle when he first indicated that he wanted to run for governor. 

 In Sangana, the people presented Murray-Bruce with a lit florescent lamp as a symbol of his guardian angel leading him and chasing away dark alleys and evil spirits as he proceeds to fight their cause. 

  Back in Twon Brass, after resting at the palace of King Serena Dokubo, he proceeded to the home of Beimo Spiff Cameron, a former commissioner and PDP chieftain before mounting the podium to address the ecstatic crowd too eager to hear him speak.  “No man, I repeat, no man was born poor or illiterate except for the circumstances piloting the affairs of such men.”  Therefore, he insisted, “let no one imagine he cannot be what he wishes to be. There is a need to create the right environment to help each one of us to get to his God driven destination. Silver and gold have I not,” he tells his crowd, “but when I get to Abuja I will mobilise my friends in the two parties, my friends across the north, south, east and west to pass a bill legalising all illegal refineries and with loans which have been lying idle at the Central Bank, you will be empowered to build modular refineries. You should be able to create jobs for the thousands of your brothers and sisters who walk aimlessly because there is no work to keep them busy.  I will get the NNPC to sell crude oil to you and there will be no more cases of pipeline vandalism and illegal refining of crude oil.”

 “Let me re-state, I chose not to drink or smoke but to follow the path of sanity so as to remain sober and think clearly. That is why I am here today and if you listen to me the sky will be your limit. Trust me.” 

  Out from the loudspeaker, the music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti boomed and Murray-Bruce told the crowd, “That is Rhythm 94.7 based in Yenagoa from the Silverbird station serving the people of Bayelsa along with Rhythm 93.7 and Silverbird Television in Port Harcourt.” He quickly made some job offers for a skilled engineer from his Senatorial Zone and a male and female broadcaster for the radio station. The crowd goes wild with joy and he responded in a baritone voice of “how’re you doing?” “Grreeaat,” came the thunderous response.

  Murray-Bruce is reminded that King Ebitimi Banigo, grandmaster of merchant banking in Nigeria, has put everything in place in his palace at Okpoma Brass 2 to give this unique visitor a befitting royal welcome in his kingdom.  In his absence, the King’s most senior chiefs welcome the businessman/politician to the palace with royal gifts which was reciprocated with gifts from Murray-Bruce. He received prayers and blessings and was asked to go and conquer.

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