The Holy Bible tells us that, “When the righteous are in authority, and become great, the people rejoice…” Prov. 28:2. This, the member, representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive is living out, as he prayerfully and dedicatedly carries out his legislative duties of representing his Constituents in the Green Chambers.
As the Reverend gentleman that he is, and a ranking member of the House, Hon Waive has kept to his longstanding reputation and virtues of honesty, simplicity, diligence, transparency and the fear of God in representing his people.
It was not therefore a surprise that, last week Thursday, over 1,000 Clerics, drawn from his constituency, and all the blocks of the Christian body across Delta Central gathered to pray at the 2025 edition of Rev Waive’s Annual Day of Prayers.
At the event, information in the public domain has it that the Clerics were deep in prayer of intercession on his behalf and full of praises for him for his good and effective representation of his people in the House.
The Annual Prayer Day, which held at the Ughelli Kingdom Hall, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, had in attendance, Christian leaders from all the five blocks of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) – The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Christian Council of Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), OAIC and ECWA/COCIN.
What was particularly unique and striking at the Prayer Day was that, the Clerics commended Hon Francis Waive for sustaining his integrity in politics, and his developmental strides in his constituency, which led to the declaration of their unflinching support for his political aspiration.
Hear them: “You have brought no reproach to the name and body of Christ in your political career. We are proud of the positive impact you have continued to make, not just in your Constituency, but in the country at large.”
While urging him to continue to be strong and do greater exploits, Rev Sunday Oghenechovwe thanked God for keeping His servant-Rev Francis Waive, and expressed faith that God will continue to keep and sustain him. And for another, Rev Emmanuel Eredoro, he urged Rev Waive to continue to raise the bar in quality representation and good governance.
In his response, Hon Rev Waive, in his characteristic humility, and clear voice, expressed his gratitude to the men of God and the Christian Community for their unwavering support, and assured them of his commitment to better representation and good governance. “Your prayers and encouragement inspire me to continue to serve our people and raise the bar for effective representation,” he added.
Before I disclose my personal encounter with him some years ago, can’t remember the exact the year now, permit me to put it on record that, Hon Rev Waive’s love for God, and use of His name as a spring board to show his penchant for community/grassroots development began long before he won election into the House of Representatives.
Graduating from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, he worked as an Accountant in Oceanic Bank, now Ecobank. Thereafter, he had a calling to work in the Lord’s Vineyard when God used him as a vessel to found Church of The Anointing in Warri, Delta State.
As the Founder and Pastor of Church of The Anointing, he floated a Non Governmental Organisation, called, Riverine Communities Health Organisation, RIVCHO, one of the 25 NGO’s back then in Nigeria that won the European Union financial grant for community development projects.
Hear what Rev Waive, who was also the Executive Director had to say about RIVCHO back then: “Our organisation, RIVCHO started as the social outreach arm of our Church-Church of The Anointing as a means of planting Churches in the Island of the Niger Delta. We discovered that basic infrastructural and developmental needs were lacking in these areas.
“The poverty of the rural people burdened us, as we felt their plight. To bring a change in their living condition, we extended our humanitarian efforts from the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the physical development needs of the people. This brought about what is today known as Riverine Communities Health Organisation, RIVCHO.
“It is on record that the NGO has conducted several free medical outreaches, placed several rain water harvesting tanks in various communities, trained scores of village health care workers and traditional Birth Attendants, done capacity building of Community-based organisations, carried out several HIV/AIDS interventions and WATSAN projects, as well as undertaken numerous monitoring and evaluation for implementing partners and funders in the Niger Delta.”
Now, my personal encounter with Rev Waive in the course of his spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and engaging in community service.
We had set out on a boat from Ughoton, a small community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, in company of RIVCHO officials, community leaders, and two EU- INSIDE officials, namely: South- South monitor, Lenaha Bob- Emmanuel and Mr. Hary Udo, South- South and South- East monitor. Our mission was well known to all of us, which was to commission a pipe- borne water project at Otoghele, a riverine community, located in the creek of Warri River, Warri South Local Government Area.
This was in keeping with the vision of RIVCHO, in partnership with EU- INSIDE to ensure good health and reduce poverty in the Niger Delta Region, particularly in the riverine communities.
The voyage from Ughoton to Otoghele was about one hour, and was indeed a lonely one in the creeks, with very large mangrove forest. Once in a while, the thought of possible attack by the much dreaded militants came on my mind, and I said a brief silent prayer, “God, lead us safely”.
About 35 minutes after we’d set out, we found ourselves in the heart of the mangrove forest, meandering through a number of creeks with very narrow path ways. Minutes after, what was before us was a small, but peaceful Island. It was Otoghele Community. There was no jetty to enable us cross over to the community land with ease, so we took our time to ferry our way in.
Otoghele painted a picture of a typical remote community in the riverine area of the Niger Delta Region. It was a pitiable case of a community and a people surrounded by so much natural resources for wealth creation, yet so impoverished. One found it difficult to believe that in the 21st century, there was still a community on the oil rich Niger Delta without portable water, no electricity, no market, no health care center, yet, oil exploration by oil companies went on there .
On entering the community, the indigenes rolled out the drums, sang and danced to the praise of RIVCHO and EU- INSIDE, at the end of which the 8,000 liters of water project was commissioned. It was indeed a dream come true when RIVCHO, in partnership with EU- INSIDE sank a water borehole in the community, and in the words of the Community chairman, “We prayed to have portable pipe- borne water for years, and RIVCHO and EU- INSIDE have made it possible. We pray that they grow to extend this kind of gesture to other communities in dire need of water.”
Rev. Waive expressed gratitude to the European Union for setting up the INSIDE programme, under which non- state actors like RIVCHO had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the society.
He capped the day with a soul searching and emotional statement, “We didn’t engage in this project for money making. I pray that this water project would outlive us, and when I am long gone to my maker, someone would pass this way and say: Here is my little contribution to humanity. On that day, I saw the humility and a man, committed to the work of God and service to humanity in the man, Rev Francis Ejiroghene Waive. May God bless him.
