FOR those who know him well, the current Commissioner representing Delta State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barr. Val Ada Arenyeka, is not new to controversy and subject of rumour-mongering, particularly within the three oil-rich Warri (South, South-West and North) Local Government Council Areas and Delta State as a whole.
            His recent action of adding ‘Justice of Peace (JP)’ to his name, is generating debate among his learned colleagues in the legal profession. These days, his full name is: Barr. Val Ada Areyenka (JP).  Most lawyers contend that it is demeaning for a lawyer, who knows his onions to accept or add JP to his or her name.
            The argument is that being a lawyer is already above the Honourary title of ‘JP,’ since the functions of a JP in the society is already embed in the duties a qualified lawyer of a notary public standing. Any serious-minded lawyer ought to be a notary public within his first six years of practice. Does Barr. Val know this? Let’s live this to legal and indeed public opinion, particularly when the issue is not the focus of this report.
            Arenyeka is in another quagmire but this time in far away Lagos State. Sources close to him claim that his present predicament is threatening to tear apart his matrimonial home in Ugbuwangue, Warri.
            The story this time is that Arenyeka, obviously suffering from bad spirit of infatuation, left his legitimate wife at home in Warri, dashed to Lagos only to engage in illicit and indiscriminate sex, with a lady (name withheld) said to be a known face in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
            Some months later, the lady, who is also from Delta State, was said to have intimated Arenyeka that she had missed her period, and that she was carrying his baby. This, we gathered, shocked Arenyeka, who swore to have had unprotected canal knowledge of the lady only once before the development.
            Arenyeka, whose eyes now became clear, subsequently advised the lady to go for an abortion “in the interest of his marital home and general peace.” The lady, however, would hear nothing of such because with her age (late 30s), she would not endanger her life to please a randy Arenyeka. She insisted on having the baby to the chagrin of Arenyeka, whose legal wife at home, we gathered, was also pregnant as at then.
            For her insistence to have the baby at all costs, Arenyeka cut-off communication link with the lady. The lady cared less, particularly with maximum support and care from her parents, who were desirous in carrying their grandchild.
            Days roll into weeks and weeks into months, and finally, sometime in December last year, the lady was delivered of a bouncing baby boy, less than 48 hours after Arenyeka's legal wife at home was delivered of her own baby in far away United Kingdom (UK).
            Just as expected, not long after the lady broke the “joyful” news to Arenyeka, who though sounded unhappy but nonetheless re-opened communication channel with his mistress. The lady also hooked up with some relations of Arenyeka based in Lagos. They were said to have mounted pressure on him (Arenyeka) to, at least, take up some financial responsibility for the baby. This, he grudgingly did by sending certain amount for the baby's upkeep, other sundry matters inclusive.
            After some months, Arenyeka resolved to go and see the baby himself for the first time. This, he decided to do with some of his friends and close political associates, including discredited Chairman of one of the three Warri Local Government Councils. The visit became the first step at reducing the doubt in Arenyeka's mind as to the paternity of the baby boy.
            On arrival at the lady's home, who lives with her parents and after the “inspection” of the baby by Arenyeka and his entourage, it was unanimously agreed that based on physical characteristics, the baby was Arenyeka's; and as such, he should accept full responsibility. Those who had gone to see the baby, claim he is everything Val Ada Arenyeka.
            However, Arenyeka would not just give up, easily. He insisted on a paternity test via DNA, which he said must be done abroad. The lady initially refused to subject herself and baby to such a test, which she regarded as an insult to her integrity. But after pleas to her by Val himself and with a promise that he would do anything for her and the baby if the DNA test confirms the baby as his own, the lady agreed, and underwent the test with her baby.
            We have it on good authority that medical experts came from abroad to take the blood samples of the lady, her son and that of Arenyeka for the test, which was carried out in Europe. The result had since been released to Arenyeka.
            Though he has refused to disclose the result to his mistress, sources close to him (Arenyeka), told Warri Mirror that the test confirms that the baby is about 97 per cent Val Arenyeka's son. The remaining three per cent was perhaps left as normal errors in such medical tests.
            It is not clear whether with the positive result coming from the DNA test, Arenyeka would now transform into marrying the lady as his second wife. His attitude towards mother and child ever since, has however somewhat been positive. An allowance is now more regular, and he, indeed, sent his aunty in Lagos to go and formally name the child.
            At his matrimonial home front, it is not also clear how his legal wife is taking the whole development or indeed how Arenyeka is handling the matter with a view to calming down the obviously jarred nerves of his wife. Sources close to them, however, squealed that Mrs. Val Arenyeka was not finding the whole development funny.
            Arenyeka is not new to controversy. Before he finally married his present wife, he had put a lady in the family way. That lady today can be located in Sapele with a child, the fruit of her unholy union with Val Arenyeka.
            Similarly, during the first tenure of former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Arenyeka found himself occupying the position of Coordinator of the three Warri Local Government Council Areas in the Federal Government Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP). Those who should know alleged that rather than use his position to alleviate the glaring poverty of indigenes and residents of the three Warri Councils Areas as designed by the Federal Government, Arenyeka alleviated his own poverty. The first house he built in Ugbuwangwe was rumoured to be the dividend of his romance with the PAP programme to the detriment of the masses. He is also said to have done nothing meaningful for the Itsekiri, and indeed, the entire State, since he was put in his present position by a combination of Ibori and his uncle, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was then Secretary to the State Government.
            Arenyeka is also reputed for his pride, particularly after he started using his various Government positions and party (People's Democratic Party) patronage to acquire wealth. He once demonstrated this pride when he shunned an invitation extended to him by the Mr. Alison Ayida-led Itsekiri Leaders Forum (ILF). He was then newly appointed NDDC boss in Delta State, and ILF merely wanted a parley with him to work out ways Itsekiris would benefit during his tenure and indeed help him with ideas, free of charge. But he was quoted as saying ILF never appointed him, and that it was not just any kind of meetings he attends. ILF has as membership other Itsekiri heavy weights like Mr. J.O.S Ayomike, Chief Isaac Jemide, Chief Hope Harriman, Justice J.E. Eyiangho, Prof. Itse Sagay, among others.
            To further confirm his pride when Warri Mirror contacted him for comments, he replied via an SMS message: “Blackmailers like you cannot make money from me. You are talking to the wrong guy.” He, however, refused to answer the following questions posed to him by Warri Mirror: “What plans do you have for your new baby boy (from a mistress) and the mom in Lagos? Any plan(s) to marry her or is it another away-match that hooked? How did your legal wife at home take the news of this new arrival to the family? Are you now a polygamist? Why did you insist on a DNA text?”