By Onome Oghenetega
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of pretending not to see the massive infrastructural and human capital development that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration is delivering to the people of the state.
It said Deltans can no longer be deceived by APC as the party “does not see anything good” in the administration of Okowa thus its baseless allegation against the governor of being financially reckless.
APC had in a statement accused the governor Okowa-led PDP government in the state of being financially reckless for allegedly awarding contracts to unknown companies who end up doing substandard jobs despite the huge revenue accruing to the state.
According to the APC statement, ” The level of financial indiscipline in the governance of Delta State smells to high heavens.
“Recently, figures released by the Federal Government shows that Delta State Government received the highest Federal monthly allocations between January and November 2019. Besides the Federal monthly allocations, hundreds of billions of naira were received by the State Government from excess crude account, ecological fund, internally generated revenue and other sources.”
“While Delta State got about N214B (two hundred and fourteen billion Naira) within the aformentioned period from Federal allocations, with no tangible, landmark and/ or productive projects to show for it, States like Rivers, Lagos, Ebonyi and Oyo that received far less amount are executing landmark, quality and productive projects for their people.
“Sadly, Governor Okowa gives out contracts to unknown companies, popularly referred to by Deltans as “Umukoko, Umukoro and sons”. That is, they are companies that have no track record of good engineering works. In fact, some of the companies/firms are known for shoddy and half-baked projects. A serious minded government should not be seen patronizing such companies, except for ulterior motives!”
But PDP in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, said the administration of Governor Okowa remained prudent and accountable to the majority of Deltans massively voted for him during the 2019 governorship election.
The statement particularly described APC as a party with “people with bad temper” and pretending not to see ongoing massive construction of roads and other efforts by the Okowa’s government to revamp the infrastructural decay in the state.
According to Osuoza, “Is it not laughable that the APC is now pretending not to see advancement, boost, momentum, motion and growth speaking across Delta State? What the APC prefers to misinform the people about is reference to a so-called “financial recklessness.” It refuses to see and acknowledge the fact that Delta has become a huge construction site.
“APC, out of sheer impishness, will not see that a major work has been done in Asaba with the storm drainage work to check once and for all the flood menace situation.
“The party will not see the need to give the State a befitting State Secretariat or that the gargantuan edifice for a State Secretariat project on Maryam Babangida way, Asaba ranks in every way as a land mark project, and just to mention only one of such projects that dot the State.
“It does not see that hospitals and health centres are springing and located everywhere across the State, to bring quality healthcare to the people. No, it does not believe that money is being spent to upgrade roads, educational institutions from basic, through secondary and tertiary.”
The party posited that the Okowa-led administration through the Warri, Uvwie and Environs Development Agency has awarded the storm drainage project to two notable contractors so as to ease the perennial flooding system in Warri, Effurun and their environs.
“Through the Warri-Uvwie Development Agency, the State government has already awarded contract to two notable construction companies to replicate the success story of the Asaba Storm Drainage Project (especially in the Okpanam Road axis and environs) that has since eased the flood challenge in the areas.
“Warri and Uvwie axis are to undergo similar Storm Drainage Project work to address the flood situation in the oil city and adjoining areas. Will anyone in his right senses call effort to ease Warri of flood menace reckless spending? Maybe APC should be told that the projects are not being paid with sand but with money.
“APC should be told if they lack understanding, that the many diverse construction works across the State has kept hitherto idle and unemployed able-bodied men to be gainfully employed with ability to fend for themselves and family. Thus keeping such idle hands that would have become devil’s workshop busy thereby reducing crime rate in the State.
“This is besides the other multiplier effects that have made Delta State a delightsome destination of the throng of men and women from all walks of life coming to take advantage of the economic growth and business boom now being experienced as a result of the enabling environment created by the Okowa administration.
“As a way of exposing the deliberate acts of evil in the mind of those behind APC’s mask of mischief, it is important to inform and educate them about the strategic wealth creation and provision of jobs initiative of the government for all Deltans, a part of the, SMART agenda and building a Stronger Delta vision of the government.
“This programme amongst others has seen the taking on of and passing out of trainee batches under the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship Programme (YAGEP) and Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP). The various programmes speak of the policies, activities and programmes of the Okowa administration of job and wealth creation scheme to enable the hitherto unemployed participants become gainfully self-employed.
“For emphasis sake, the first set of YAGEPpreneures and STEPpreneurs were unveiled on January 14, 2015 at Songhai Delta, Amukpe and went through a week-long training. After which the total of 771 trainees passed out successfully and were equipped with starter parks to start their own business.
“Needless to state that the various programmes for youth employment have been replicated and continued to be replicated since 2015, with beneficiaries happy and excited about the new lease of life as gainfully, self-employed persons with potential to create employment for others. Indeed, many of them have since become employers of labour”, the statement added.
On the allegation of financial recklessness leveled against the governor, the PDP spokesman “In its latest hysterics entitled: “Your Government is Financially Reckless – Delta APC slams Okowa,” the party whose propaganda machine is handled by people without capacity, intelligence and comprehension says that it is accusing Governor Okowa of financial recklessness. Haba APC?
“Is this not the same party that instigated other cheer leaders to institute name calling by singing the chorus of Ego aria, a vernacular reference to the prudent handling of resources in the State by the Okowa administration at inception following the financial down turn of the State.
“It did not matter to APC to recall that the APC-led Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari announced to a bewildered nation that the country was in recession. No! But it pleased those behind the information that is designed to mislead in their mischief to turn derisively and mock the governor as one that is frugal and not spending money.”
