FEATURE: Hon. Owhefer – When Lawmaking and Experience Meet In One Personality

Hon. Kome Tim Owhefere

Hon. Kome Tim Owhefere (KSC), is a fourth term lawmaker in the Delta State House of Assembly, who has continued to raise the bar of law making on the floor of the House.

As a successful journalist who rose to become an Associate Editor (production) in the defunct Daily Times Newspapers and Production Editor, Republican Newspaper. Many, particularly his admirers described him as a lawmaker to be watched, if not for anything else, for his simplicity and tact in making his presentation on the floor of the House.

With over 12 fruitful years of being a lawmaker, he is said to have brought his wealth of experience to bear on the business of law making. One of my collegues who has the penchant for going to the state House of Assembly complex to watch the proceedings, once told me this about him. “watch his charisma and insight in the hallowed chambers, the simplicity with which he makes his argument and his logic, yet you feel the force and weight of his points and with that natural mild smile on his lips, that is a mark of his identity;he captures your attention and before long you are convinced and won to his side.

But Hon. Owhefere has had his own challenges in politics, having contested elections into the House of Assembly in the state in 2003 and lost to the late Rt. Hon Young Daniel Igbrude. But he pressed on and in 2011; he made another attempt and won to represent his people. Having done well in representing his people, in 2015 he contested again and won with 45,837 votes to defeat his opponent, who scored 6,477 votes.

In 2019, he took another bold step to contest election into the House of Assembly for the fourth time and won convincingly. It was, indeed, a tough contest but by the grace of God, he came out victorious and I remember putting a call across to him to congratulate him on the well deserved victory and he replied saying as usual, “ Thank you Charles”.

As a distinguished lawmaker, a lawyer and one who has paid his dues in lawmaking, this God-fearing man and a free giver has served in different capacities in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly. He was once chairman, House Committee on Housing and Development, Chief Whip which is the fifth position in order of hierarchy in the House and Majority Leader and Chairman, House Committee on Information (the third position in order of hierarchy).

Now that he is serving his fourth term in the House and automatically back as Majority Leader, he has set a sounding record of being the first lawmaker in the state to occupy that position in two consecutive times.

For those who may not know, Hon. Owhefere has life outside lawmaking, as he still makes out time to discharge his philanthropic obligations by being a helper to the helpless and a voice to the voiceless in the society. Beyond that, he has humbled himself in the God’s vineyard; hence he is a knight of St Christopher in the Anglican Church.