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<p><strong><em>Peeved by what he describes as “a poorly crafted propaganda and baseless hogwash&#8221; against Governor Okowa’s government in Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza, PDP State Publicity Secretary, Delta State, in this statement made available to OpenLife, addresses some of the issues raised by APC against the party and Okowa’s led administration.</em></strong> <strong><em>His statement is reproduced below unedited</em></strong></p>



<p>Our attention has been called to a press statement from
the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State alleging invidious
acts in the governance style of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and casting aspersion on
the integrity of our respected traditional rulers.</p>



<p>For us in Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, our
decision is to denounce the APC tirade for what it is, a poorly crafted
propaganda and baseless hogwash, which sadly reflects once again, the long-term
amnesia now synonymous with the APC and most disturbingly the coarseness,
contempt and discourtesy directed at our revered traditional rulers and
institutions.</p>



<p>We are not surprised by the wrong-headed disposition of
the APC, except to express PDP’s dismay at the frustration and dementia induced
by the serial election defeats the APC has suffered over the years, have led
the party to engage very colourless and unimaginative spin doctors whose crass
lack of imagination and articulation is sadly a true reflection of the
confusion that has bedeviled the APC in all its political nomenclatures in
recent times. ;</p>



<p>Indeed, The Delta PDP is truly disappointed with the tone
and content of the recent APC press statement titled: Your Approach To
Governance, Invidious TO Deltans. Delta APC Tells Okowa, issued on 23rd
December, 2019 and signed by Barr. Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina, Publicity
Secretary, APC, Delta State. We would however, in the spirit of the Yuletide
season, resist the urge to join issues with Mr. Imonina at the pedestrian level
of his baseless hogwash propaganda, but it is imperative to set the records
straight as regards some of the misinformation contained in his
statement. ; ;</p>



<p>First, let&#8217;s talk about the recent and very commendable
employment programme which absorbed close to 500 bonafide, properly Identified
and certified Deltans into our very robust and highly motivated civil service,
especially at a time when most States are even still grappling with paying the
old minimum wage. ;</p>



<p>With all due respect to the status and pedigree of the
principal figures involved in the said 2015 employment saga, we wish to state
categorically that fundamental to every employment process is the laid down
procedural guidelines defined and established by the civil service extant
rules. Those who witnessed what happened at that time will quickly concur that
that employment process was flawed from the onset and shrouded in all manner of
discrepancies. ; ;</p>



<p>We do not wish to delve into the unsavoury shenanigans
and clandestine misdemeanors that hijacked the programme, including the
arbitrary impunity of employing persons who never attended any of the screening
processes or the gross and monumental fraud of impersonation of bonafide
Deltans by persons intent on shortchanging and denying eligible sons and daughters
of Delta State from their entitlement to gainful employment in their own
State. ;</p>



<p>We will also not dwell too much on the amazing governance
wisdom and political calculation that informed the absorption of about 3,000
persons into the State work force, less than two months to the expiration of an
eight years tenure, especially when it had already been confirmed that the
Federal and State governments were even borrowing money and collecting bonds
from financial institutions, to pay salaries to the existing workforce in the
last few months of that tenure. ;</p>



<p>We were all living witnesses to the strangulating
recession that gripped the entire Country and indeed the strategic management
ineptitude of the APC Federal government which we are still suffering till
today. But thanks to the visionary, astute and focused leadership of Governor
Ifeanyi Okowa, the fortunes of Delta State were not only turned around for the
better, our State remained one of the very few in the country that paid
salaries regularly and eventually addressed the pensions and local government
workers funds and emoluments successfully and satisfactorily. ;</p>



<p>Today, Delta State has not only employed over 1,000
teachers and absorbed the screened and certified persons from the list of
suspended civil servants, but Governor Okowa, the Ekwueme of the universe, has
already directed that Delta workers will start receiving the new minimum wage
from this December 2019. Suffice it to add further that employment is an
ongoing process and we are confident and fully assured that every avenue of
employment through which eligible, qualified and properly screened Deltans,
including the highly successful YAGEP, STEP, PPSP, the dynamic Development
Agencies and other great initiatives of the Okowa administration, which will
compliment the periodic civil service employment scheme, will be explored and
strengthened in capacity to accommodate all Deltans in the course of building a
&#8216;stronger Delta&#8217; in this second tenure. ;</p>



<p>As for the ridiculous bellyaching by some sponsored
wailers on whose bleatings the APC&#8217;s mumbling propaganda machinery has
temporarily found a muffled whimper of half hearted disapproval, we can only
say that it is extremely hilarious for the opposition to even suggest in Barr.
Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina&#8217;s words that Governor Okowa &#8220;inveigled and
did cow some of our Traditional Stools into hurriedly putting up an award
ceremony for him and some members of his political family, thereby desecrating
the age-long revered Traditional Institution&#8230; It is preposterous that
Governor Okowa was given an award and/ or declared the best in a race, he is
yet to finish&#8230;&#8221;</p>



<p>It will indeed be preposterous to even attempt to join
APC in their tepid, monolithic mindset and discourse on the role and critical
importance of traditional rulers and institutions in the established symbiosis
of collective governance module which has evolved over time and attained even
greater relevance and centrality, given their natural and divine ordination as
the custodians of the cultures and traditions of our people in a fast
democratizing polity where power structures are now been determined and
endorsed by the people. ;</p>



<p>Traditional rulers and institutions have transformed into
integral stakeholders with the evolving and deepening of our democracy. Nigeria
is predominantly an ethno-cultural society. Elections are campaign based and
robust election campaigns by serious political parties are basically conducted
at the grassroots were traditional rulers and institutions hold sway. Political
power belongs to the people and those who genuinely desire to lead the people
must first enjoy a cordial and harmonious relationship with the custodians of
the very essence of their cultural and traditional identities. ; ;</p>



<p>Perhaps, we need to remind the APC that their &#8216;own&#8217;
President Buhari has played host to countless traditional rulers from different
parts of the country including those from Delta, led on such visits by
recognized APC political chieftains. He has even received political
endorsements for his presidential ambition from prominent traditional rulers
across the geopolitical sections of the country and Delta APC made political mileage
out of all these meetings with President Buhari and even some recent meetings
with their new found political leaders. ;</p>



<p>We also wish to put the Awards of Excellence to their
Excellencies, Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, Deputy Governor Dcn Kingsley Burutu
Otuaro and former Governor Chief James Onanefe Ibori in proper perspective.
According to a statement by the Delta Traditional Rulers, the monarchs in
deciding to give the honour, commended the trio for what they described as the
excellent leadership they have provided in human capital development, peace
building, infrastructure development, security and general harmony in the
State.</p>



<p>Virtually every adult Deltan who witnessed the tenure of
Chief James Ibori, will attest and concur with the collective opinion that he
is generally regarded as the architect of modern Delta State and the
consolidation on the solid foundation laid by Odidigboigbo has continued to be
improved upon by successive administrations after him. ;</p>



<p>And of course we have all been privy to the bold and
courageous visitations and interventions of His Excellency, ; Dcn Kingsley
Burutu Otuaro, as he spearheads and drives the peace building and
reconciliation agenda of the Okowa administration, with a dedication and
commitment, which has not only contributed tremendously to sustainable peace in
the Delta creeks and ensured increased oil production, but has also shored up
the fortunes of the country, boosted our overall revenue and equally created an
atmosphere of peace and stability which has greatly addressed the restiveness
in this region and encouraged investment in Delta State. ; ;</p>



<p>Let us state here and categorically too that our dear
Governor and leader Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, after receiving his Award of
Excellence from the traditional rulers, exhibited great statesmanship and
magnanimity when he made it abundantly clear and acknowledged the contributions
of his immediate predecessor who took over from Chief Ibori, to the growth and
development of the State. Ekwueme who further charged the political class,
never to trample on traditional rulers in the State, also used the opportunity
to remind Deltans that the stools, which the various kings occupy were created
by God and appealed that politicians and other stakeholders who have issues with
any traditional ruler should take steps to resolve such for the peace and
progress of the community.</p>



<p>It is on record that the PDP has always held our
traditional rulers in the highest regard and esteem and accorded respectful
reverence and recognition with the greatest humility to our traditional
institutions over the years. We have been unequivocally sincere in our
appreciation of the role our traditional rulers have played in ensuring that
our communities are peaceful, especially at critical times on the National
Calendar and we are proud and profoundly humbled by the continued cooperation
and endorsement our leaders and governors have enjoyed from our revered
traditional rulers over the years. It is therefore ironic and somewhat
paradoxical that some of the strident voices speaking against the Awards of
Excellence bestowed on our leaders by the traditional rulers, were still the
same persons who cleverly exploited the colourful majestic royalty of our
traditional rulers and ensured that they were fully attired in their imperial
traditional glory, showcasing the full arrays of there cultural majesty in the
front rows of every official State function to add credibility and grace to
such functions and by extension those administrations. How time flies indeed. ;</p>



<p>It is also amazing to read the APC claim that Delta State
has the highest monthly Federal allocations in this year 2019, besides
ecological funds, internally generated revenues, and others sources of incomes,
yet there are no legacy to reflect the huge allocations. Really? ;
Apparently, the amnesia which the APC has been suffering for so long as a
result of serial election losses has also blinded them to the plethora of
achievements, which incidentally served us as unique selling points during our
comprehensive reelection campaign tours as we criss crossed the length and
breadth of Delta State, highlighting verifiable accomplishments where ever we
berthed.</p>



<p>As for legacy projects, we need not remind the APC that
government is a continuum and in line with the proper definition of &#8216;legacy&#8217;
projects we wish to point the APC in the direction of the fresh construction of
quality connecting roads in virtually all the local government areas in the
State and the Ultra-Modern State Secretariat Building which is nearly
complete, ; as well as the massive upgrades, extensive remedial
constructions, structural re-designing and critical re-evaluation which the
Asaba International Airport, the already delivered Stephen Keshi International
Stadium and the Asaba Storm Drainages, had to undergo, which were almost like
starting the projects all over again.</p>



<p>Add these to the landmark roads and bridges in Delta
South and the Riverine areas, some of which have already been delivered, as
well as the gradual but steady transformation work which the newly set up
Development Agencies are engaging in the major cities in the State, and even
the APC will be left marvelling at the transformation of Delta State when these
initiatives, which are all going to stand the test of time as lasting legacy
projects and schemes, will be accomplished by the Okowa administration in the
committed drive to consolidate on the SMART Agenda and build a
#StrongerDelta. ;</p>



<p>In the final analysis, we will leave the last word on
this matter of traditional rulers to His Excellency, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi
Okowa, who made the following comments after receiving his Award of Excellence:</p>



<p>&#8220;I thank the Delta State Council of Traditional
Rulers for the Award of Excellence bestowed on our leader, Chief James Ibori;
my Deputy Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro; and I, today at a grand
reception.</p>



<p>&#8220;The unity we enjoy today in our great State, could
not have been achieved without our Royal Fathers playing key roles in ensuring
that peace is maintained in their various realms.</p>



<p>&#8220;I urge all our traditional rulers to continue to support the government, as our administration continues to serve our people. Together, we will keep working towards a Stronger Delta for all Deltans and non-Deltans in our State&#8221;. These are the words of a phenomenal leader cum statesman per excellence and one of the greatest visionary leaders of our time. Ekwueme has spoken. There is indeed nothing more to add. </p>

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