Okowa appoints Ika brother, Ebie as SSG, Edevbie as Chief of Staff

By Ovasa Ogaga,

Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has reportedly jettison pre-2015 zoning arrangement by appointing his Ika kinsman, Mr Chiedu Ebie as Secretary to State Government.

The Governor in a statement today, (Friday) signed by the Permanent Secretary, Government House, MR. Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, approved the appointment of Mr. Ebie, immediate past Commissioner for Basic Education in Delta State as the SSG.

Governor also approved the appointments of Olorugun David Edevbie, former Commissioner of Finance as Chief of Staff; and Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, Senior Political Adviser.

The Governor in the statement said that the appointments take immediate effect.

Recall that in the build up to the 2015 elections, Governor Okowa promised the Urhobo nation the SSG and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly should they support him to win, a promised he kept till the end of his first tenure.

With this appointment, the government of Delta State is now centralized within the Ika nation, as the two most critical office is domicile there.

Political observers, saw before now that Barr. Ovie Agas would not make it back as SSG, considering his poor rating within and outside government.

Some also believed that Okowa will be given key positions to his trusted allies in order the secure his political future ahead of 2023 when he will leave office as a governor.

According to a PDP chieftain who spoke to out correspondent, but pleaded for anonymity, noted that the “appointment of Mr Ebie as SSG, was a smart move by Governor Okowa.”

According to him, “any smart governor must learn from former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s fate, were his key men abandoned him when he needed them most.

“If you will recall, Chief James Ibori as a governor did same thing, when he appointed  Barr Ovie Omo-Agege as SSG, against the political mood of Deltans then.
“So, it’s not out of place to appoints your trusted men in your second term, that will make the governor more at home in taking major decisions.”

He also added that unlike 2015, Governor Okowa didn’t promise Urhobo people the position of the SSG.