By Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi
It is with a heart shattered by sorrow and a spirit bowed by the weight of grief that I pen this tribute to a sister, a patriot, a fearless lioness of Delta North, and a true daughter of Ebu Kingdom, Chief Shimite Bello, The Akpeli Ugo Fufu 1.
She was bold. She was fearless. She was focused. Shimite was not just another voice in the crowd; she was a force, a storm that knew no retreat, a woman who stood tall in a world that often demanded she kneel. Her life’s work was never about personal enrichment or the easy path. No. She had one mission, one consuming passion, the upliftment of her people in Ebu Kingdom, in Oshimili North, Delta North and Delta state as a whole and for this cause, she was ready to pay the ultimate prize. Indeed, she paid it.
In a world where it is easier to conform than to confront, Shimite chose confrontation when the truth was at stake. She could have had the easy life. She could have danced with power that be and turned a blind eye to the betrayal of her people. She could have lived lavishly, turned her back, and watched from afar. But she chose otherwise. She stood her ground, even when the ground was shaking. She spoke truth, even when silence was safer. And she bore her cross, knowing the cost, yet never flinching. Like all shooting stars, her life dazzled us in brilliance. She came, she conquered, and just when the world began to cheer, she vanished, bright, breathtaking, and all too brief.
I remember my brief but unforgettable encounter with her during my senatorial run in 2023. Shimite was instrumental in what many thought impossible, securing the endorsement of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta Stata in favor of the PDP gubernatorial ticket, the first political party in the state to do so. Within hours she was able to set up a meeting both with the then Governor, H.E. Senetor Okowa and then Gubanitorial Candidate Elder Sherriif and later with his Deputy His Excellency, Chief (Sir) Monday Onyeme through one of her staff, Ms. Chinoye. Her strategic brilliance, her deal-making acumen, and her unapologetic belief in doing what was right and not what was convenient will remain etched in my memory. I recalled vividly during one of our courtesy visits to promote Diaspora Football outreach in delta state, she surprisingly raised the issue in a gathering of major senior PDP stakeholders, when she argued that political commitment should be sacrosanct and such issue should not be swept under the carpet. That was Shimite for you. fair, fearless, and forward-looking.
She never minced words. She never bowed to intimidation. She stood like a colossus, a true Akpeli Ugo Fufu, the eagle of her people, whose wings shielded the vulnerable and whose eyes saw far ahead of her time.
Now, we mourn her, not because she lived a life unfulfilled, but because she left when she was most needed. But perhaps, that is the nature of greatness: to leave us wanting more, to remind us that legends never truly die instead they echo in our hearts, in our stories, and in the path they cleared for others to walk.
Adiós, Chief Shimite Bello. You may be gone, but your footprints will remain indelible in the sands of Delta North’s political history. Your legacy is not in stone monuments but in every woman who dares to dream, in every grassroots entrepreneur you empowered, and in every truth you dared to speak.
You have transitioned, but you will not be forgotten. Rest in power, my sister, my comrade, my Chief. The people of Ebu Kingdom, Delta North, and Nigeria will remember you. Always.
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi is the former Senatorial Candidate, Delta North (2023)
