Swears-In His Spokesman, 16 Others As Commissioners
By Eseoghene Emuke
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has reacted to the outburst of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, saying that the erstwhile minister attacked him because of his commissioner’s appointments.
Okowa said Orubebe took to pages of newspapers and social media to attack him because he (Okowa) turned down the former minister preferred commissioner nominee from Burutu Local Government Area of the state.
The governor spoke on Tuesday during the swearing-in of his former spokesman, Mr Charles Aniagwu and 16 others as commissioners and members of the State Executive Council where he urged political leaders to apply decorum in their utterances to avoid heating up the polity.
He challenged the former minister to tell the people of the Niger Delta and Burutu LGA his achievements as a minister.
Okowa said his administration in the last four years has brought physical development to riverine communities in Orubebe’s LGA, adding that he was ever-ready to account for his did and the funds accruing to the state.
According to him, “It is truly unfortunate that one of our leaders (Orubebe) has been insulting the office of the governor on the pages of newspapers and on social media. It is very unfortunate that this type of situation took place and I wish that the criticism was based on real facts.
“But, I do not think that the criticism was on a mistake on my part, because, the fact that a leader makes a request to appoint a commissioner and it is turned down is not enough for such a leader to go to the newspaper or social media to criticize the government of Delta state.
“More so, when such a leader by all standards and from all available information in the state cannot be said to have contributed enough to say the kind of things that he has said on the newspapers.
“Only yesterday (Monday), my attention was drawn to the fact that he has asked the government to account for the monies we have received in the last four years and I think that Deltans appreciate the much we have done within the limits of the resources we have and I am aware that in Burutu local government alone a lot has been done and will still be done.
“Just a few weeks ago the Vice President of this nation was in Burutu to commission the Obotobo 1 and Obotobo 2 to Sekebolo to Yokri road which is a 20.76km road for which our people were happy; only last year we commissioned the Burutu township roads and I know that the people in Burutu town and the local government area are very happy with the jobs; and I am aware that the road moving from Tuomo to Torugbene is on-going as I speak.”
He continued, “I am aware that we are continuing the bridge in Ayakromo and so many other projects that we are undertaking; so, when such a person from that local government is asking us to give account, I will say that I will want to start to give the account from his local government area and I urge him to tell us what he used his position to do for the people of Burutu.”
“Fellow Deltans, as many of you can imagine, sifting through the long list of potential appointees, most of who are eminently qualified, can be quite exacting and draining and it took weeks of broad-based consultations, geo-political considerations, rigorous scrutiny and quiet contemplation to come up with this second and final list of commissioners.
“We may not have satisfied everybody to be honest, and I don’t think we can; but, I dare say the choices largely mirror the wishes and aspirations of a broad spectrum of leaders, relevant stakeholders and the populace in the various local government areas as we did our best to carry everybody along as has been our approach to governance since the first tenure of this administration.”
The governor, while congratulating the commissioners, urged them to put the interest of the people above personal interest in the development of the state.
Among those sworn-in are Sir FidelisTilije, Mr. Lawrence Ejiofor, Barry Pere Gbe, Julius Egbedi, Mr Churchill Amagada, Mr Arthur Akpowowo, Hon. Martin Okonta, Mr Charles Aniagwu, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyanga and Dr Mordi Ononye.
Others are Mr Ovie Oghoore, Prince Emmanuel Amgbabuba, Mrs Gbubemi Ikolo, Mr Matthew Tsekiri, Hon. Christian Onogba, Mr Omamofe Pirah, and Chief Henry Sakpra.
