By Onome Oghenetega
The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru says ongoing moves by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to recall sacked 3000 civil servants employed by his predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2015 is a sign of his looming defeat in the forthcoming governorship election.
Ogboru, who blasted his opponent –Okowa, said the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeing that he has been defeated even before the election, has resulted to lobbying for votes through any means ahead of the poll.
The APC governorship candidate in a statement issued Mrs Stephanie Osama-Agho (Member of Ogboru’s campaign media team), hinted that the governor’s action is a clear show of panic and defeat ahead of the election.
The statement questioned why the Okowa-led government had to wait till the end of his administration before making a U-turn on the sacked workers if not win votes “he (Okowa) will never get at the March 2nd governorship poll.
Ogboru, in the statement boasted that the era of impunity by the PDP-led government was over, adding that the handwriting on the wall is clear for Okowa that Deltans were feed up the present administration.
The statement read, “It is clear that defeats is imminent for Okowa and PDP come March 2nd, Delta state PDP-led government have become desperate hence they are resorting to panic measure by going back to eat their vomits.
“Is it not the same Okowa-led government in a political vendetta that sacked the over 3000 Deltans who went through a rigorous screening exercise and were lawfully engaged but their promising career was cut short by ill-advised decision of this current government.
“Deltans are not fools and cannot be taken for granted for politically motivate policies few days to an election that will decide the fate of PDP in the state, so, the panic and desperate move of the government will not save them from defeat because Deltans have rejected the PDP.”
It could be recalled that former Governor Uduaghan at the twilight of his administration had employed over 3,000 workers into the state civil service but the staff were sacked when Okowa assumed office as governor citing alleged irregularities in their recruitment process.
However, Okowa in swift move barely 21-day to governorship and State House of Assembly elections, has set up 9-man Committee to revisit the scrapped recruitment exercise and restate the sacked workers.
A statement signed by the Head of Service, Reginald Bayoko said the state government has set a 9-man Committee to re-examine the 2015 recruitment exercise.
The statement reads: “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public particularly Deltans that in fulfillment of his earlier promise to revisit the 2015 recruitment exercise which was suspended due to alleged irregularities, His Excellency, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, has approved the commencement of a screening exercise to review the suspended recruitment with a view to lifting the suspension.
“The screening exercise which is to be handled by a 9-man Committee is expected to be concluded within three weeks.”
