By Onome Oghenetega
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Wednesday revealed the major reason why he dissolved and sacked all members of the State Executive Council on Tuesday.
The governor stated that he decided to sack members of the council comprising the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief of Staff, Commissioners and Special Advisers to avoid distractions in his administration.
Okowa spoke on Wednesday with journalists drawn from across the state during the quarterly media interaction at the Government House, Asaba.
The sack of the appointees is coming as political activities in the state ahead of the 2023 governorship election have intensified.
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He said he had observed obvious distraction among some members of the cabinet leading to the dissolution.
The governor who commended members of the dissolved State Exco for their support for his administration, scored them high in their performance.
According to him, “At some point in time in the course of an administration, there are always reasons to take some actions. If I tell you that there is no reason, then I would have fooled myself; then why did I have to dissolve the Exco?
“Of course, there are reasons. I believe that I have been on in this administration in the past six years but two years in this tenure while two years to go. Obviously, there has been a lot of distractions among some members of Exco.
“And in the distractions, while they have been working effectively and strong and so many of them have been very useful to me and I must thank them as I did yesterday; I must acknowledge that a lot of them have worked with me to be able to achieve that which we have achieved.
“But the fact is, in the last two years, we need to be able to ensure that we reduce the level of distractions in governance and if we do not take that action, I may have an Exco that may be divided in the next two years and that will not enable me to achieve my vision.
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“So, I thought that there was need to rework the Exco in such a manner that we will operate within the least stress where those in Exco will know that their minds is focused more at what we are able to achieve in the next years rather than in their private ambitions and beliefs.
“And that was a key factor otherwise, the gentlemen that worked with me which also includes the ladies were very good, they worked hard, they meant well for the administration and I truly thank them for all that we have done.”
Governor Okowa, however, explained that the position of Southern Governors Forum on the ban on open grazing in the region was for the good of all Nigerians.
“They were not decisions good enough for the South only, they were decisions that will help to unite us the more.
“Decisions that will help to bring further development and decisions that will help to improve on the security situation in this nation and decision to reaffirm our belief in the unity of this nation.
“And I believe too that they were decisions that will stir hope to our people across Nigeria.” the governor stated.
