*Says Uduaghan Performed Better Than Okowa
*Okowa, Not Interested In Ethnic Politics – Aniagwu
By Ovie Okpare & Onome Oghenetega
A former President General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Chief Joe Omene has accused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State of fueling the crisis rocking the apex socio-cultural umbrella of the Urhobo people worldwide.
He alleged that Governor Okowa manipulated some Urhobo politicians to create an atmosphere of confusion in UPU as well as to prevent Urhobos from speaking in one voice before and during the previous elections in the state for his selfish political gains.
Omene, who is the immediate past President General of UPU, spoke with some selected journalists recently.
He criticized the Okowa-led administration of performing below expectations, adding that the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was a better governor and performed better than incumbent governor.
The Urhobo chief also took a swipe at the State Council of Traditional Rulers for honouring Okowa, whom, he said only achievement was to appoint array of political appointees in the state that will praise his administration on social media.
According to him, “He (Okowa) manipulated the Urhobos to rubbish the UPU and it has never happened before. The only area Okowa has excelled is the number of SA AND SSA that he has appointed. Okowa should stop using the traditional rulers for his personal ambition.
“I didn’t step down. UPU was set up to foster the growth of the Urhobo people. Olorogun Taiga is somebody Okowa brought because he felt I will not support him. Actually I will not support him not because I do not like him as a person, but because UPU was set up to foster the growth of and development of the Urhobo people.
“As the President General of UPU, I cannot support a non-Urhobo if am for the growth and development of Urhobo Nation. There’s nothing they didn’t discuss with me and nothing they didn’t offer me. It’s not about money, the interest of my people must is paramount. That was why they gave Olorogun Taiga the UPU because they can control him. He (Taiga) knees before Okowa. Okowa is behind the Urhobo crisis.”
On his take on the exemption of Uduaghan from the honour list of the State Traditional Rulers Council, Chief Omone said, “I pity Ibori who says they should honor him and Okowa together when Ibori knows that Uduaghan performed far better than Okowa. Why should he accept that?
“The stomach infrastructure in this country is a problem. A situation where a former governor is thinking about stomach infrastructure again, it shows that we are in problem otherwise why will he accept to be honoured alongside Okowa?
“Now that Okowa has won his Supreme Court case, he should face governance. Go and work and impress his people. When you have such numbers of SSA and SA, you bring thugs into your government. When you have such numbers do you expect the governor to perform? What level of advice do you think they can give to the government?”
“Governor uduaghan should not worry himself about that. Many people knew that Uduaghan did his best. He performed better than Okowa. If Okowa like he should get awards from here to Jericho, it’s his performance that matters. If you put Uduaghan and Okowa down, Uduaghan is more popular and his is no longer in government.
“When Ibori goes anywhere, he’s still popular despite haven served jail terms. He is still popular if not for some of his recent behaviours. It’s the legacy you leave behind that matter. Uduaghan should be calm, not that he performed excellently, but he is a peace lover, if he wasn’t a peace lover, he would have been a senator.”
Meanwhile, the State Government had swiftly debunked the allegation that Governor Okowa was responsible for the crisis in UPU, noting that the governor was not interested in ethnic politics in any part of the state.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, stressed that the Okowa-led government is working day and night to add enduring value and build a stronger Delta.
“Well, our business (Okowa’s govt) is interested in governance. We don’t want to play politics with those who think playing politics is their part-time. Our business is to govern. Governor Okowa is the governor of the entire state. He’s not an ethnic governor to begin to determine what happens in ethnic association or groups. Even in Anioma, the governor is not one who is interested to be involved in the politics of ethnic groups.
“Any individual who begins to insinuate that is not telling the truth. We do know that Olorogun Moses Taiga is the person recognized by the Urhobo people as the President General of UPU. Any other person claiming to be the President General he should go and contest among the wonderful people of Urhobo Nation. Governor Okowa will not get involved in ethnic politics.
“Deltans know that, His Excellency, Governor Okowa is working day and night to add value to the state and build a stronger Delta State. If anybody wakes up and says we have not performed, the person is being wickedly and economical with the truth. The question that should be asked is that, has the person not been plying the roads built by this administration? We don’t want to be dragged into mundane allegations”, Commissioner Aniagwu added.
