By Anthony Awunor

It is now self-evident that God’s fingerprint has been all over Harrison Gwamnishu since he was born many years ago at the hilly serene community of Enugu-Iyi, Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

From when he was wrongfully sent to prison where he spent solid four years till earlier this year, when he became Obidient, God had shown great upliftment to this young man.

So it was a divine arrangement in 2015, when the High court Judge discharged and acquitted Harrison from prison of all count charges.

Little did we, the mortals knew that the Almighty God was packaging him for a greater job ahead.

Walking out of prison, people thought that he may not have anything to offer any longer. In fact, many people were skeptical if the young man will ever make it in life again.

Those thoughts were not for Harrison, instead he put himself together and took the bulls by the horns. Against all odds, he strove to be independent and never a burden to anyone. How he summoned this rare courage came with great wisdom only a Rabbi could accomplish.

Immediately, he was released, he sought for job and got one. His first job was a volunteer staff in Stephen and Solomon Foundation.

As a driver then, his duty was to drive home released inmates and also follow up on their rehabilitation programmes.

With a wealth of prison experience, he co founded Behind Bars Rights Initiative (BBI) in 2017 along the line.

With BBI, Harrison swung into action and since then, he has successfully connected legal practitioners to indigent persons where over 2000 indigent wrongfully detained persons have regained their freedom.
He is known for his doggedness in dealing and solving problems that concern people he does not know from Adam.

With consistency in his human rights activism, Harrison, a two-time recipient of the prestigious Ubulu Ezemu Awards became everybody’s servant. He would do anything for anybody, anytime, anyplace. If there was a financial need, he also gave.

He dabbled into many people-oriented intervention projects, using the social media as his major tool. Some of these interventions were targeted towards the sick, the oppressed, the poor, the vulnerables and even the rich and those in high places. They were all executed successfully.

Prison matters are not only Harrison’s call. He is also an advocate for the end of child marriage in Nigeria and successfully retrieved several young women married at too early ages.

Added to these were the laudable roles he played in fighting for the masses, just as he was able to glamourise human rights advocacy with the active support of his BBI team. Eventually, he was able to mobilise and organise his team in such a manner that the organisation gained prominence globally. The consciousness and attention generated by Harrison’s human rights initiatives together with massive supports he dished out to the needy know no bounds.

He has therefore, paid his dues as far as positive contribution to the society is concerned, not only in Delta State but in other parts of the country.

Politics is not about goodness, though, but by all standard, Harrison has the popularity, recognition and the carriage to pull through his political ambition as the 2023 Labour Party Candidate for the Delta State House of Assembly (Aniocha South Constituency) election coming up next year.

I say so because, apart from Harrison’s robust pedigree and achievements, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has become a blessing for the party in all the states of the federation. For that reason, most people in Delta State seem to be facing Labour Party as it stands.

With the Obidient Movement, Labour Party member strength has doubled up to 100 folds more than what it used to be. There is no place you go in Delta State now you don’t see multitudes clamouring for Peter Obi and Labour Party. So, it is a complete movement and the bandwagon among the youths who seem to have embraced the Obi message is massive.

As for Harrison’s party: Labour Party, from all indications is growing stronger and stronger among the children, mama and pikin.

Even though they don’t give “shishi”, the party seems to believe in human beings somehow. They have equally demonstrated this people-oriented stance with the party logo of ‘Mama, Papa and Pikin’.

I am sure this is what Harrison saw in Labour Party before he made up his mind to contest for the State House of Assembly under the platform. After all, there are many political parties outside Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

If he continues the way he is going, there is no doubt, that the human rights activist will surely muscle his way into the Delta State House of Assembly next year