ROAD TO DELTA GOVT HOUSE: OKOWA, OGBORU CLASH AGAIN

…Okowa part of PDP’s deceitful cabal that ruined Delta resources – Ogboru

…Ogboru should stop deceiving Deltans -Okowa

Shedrack Onitsha,

 As the road to Delta State Government House in 2019 heats up, the two major contenders for the governorship race, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Chief Great Ogboru, have again locked horns over the level of development in the state.

Okowa is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Ogboru is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

It is the fifth time Ogboru will be seeking to be governor. He came second in all attempts.

Ahead of the March 2nd election,  Ogboru took a swipe  at Okowa, accusing the governor of being part of the political cabal that has ruined the state and its resources. 

The APC governorship candidate, who spoke through the media team of his Campaign Organisation, alleged that Okowa has been an arrowhead in the deceitful cabal of the PDP in the state that mindlessly looted the commonwealth of Deltans and held the state in its jugular since 1999.   

Speaking while reacting to a recent outburst credited to the Publicity Committee Chairman of the Delta PDP Campaign Organization, Hon. Timi Tonye, Ogboru noted that APC in 2019 will bring to an end the maladministration of the PDP in the state.

Tonye had warned Ogboru to stop deceiving Deltans on APC’s plan to make local councils autonomous when it emerges victorious ahead of the 2019 elections, describing Ogboru as a “serial contestant.”  

Ogboru’s statement was signed by Mrs. Osama-Agho Stephanie for Chief Great Ogboru Media and Strategic Communication team, claiming that the over 20 years of PDP led government in Delta state has been shrouded in deceit and inept leadership which has caused the state to remain stagnated while its counterparts are developing.  

The statement added: “Deltans can no longer be deceived by these cult-like PDP-led governments. We are not unaware of how Governor Okowa stampeded the leadership of a rubber-stamped Delta State House of Assembly to reject the passage of the local government financial autonomy bill when it was brought before the House during the constitutional amendment. 

“Making local government autonomous only require understanding, courage, appreciation of the existing law and Chief Great Ogboru been a man who has the capacity to differentiate between politics and governance. Upon his assumption of office come 2019, he will do what is necessary to reposition the 25 LGAs as 3rd tire of government for even development in Delta State. 

 “If truly the led PDP government have been transparent enough to distribute what is accruable to the local government councils when we had oil boom, there would be noticeable development across the state; but this was not the case, as fund due to LG were allegedly looted, just like every other state resources. 

“Deltans know better not to entrust their collective destiny to a man who have not succeeded in any other business, but hanging on to corridor of power, and that is why Okowa’s incompetence in governance manifested in his inability to pay local government workers and primary teachers until he got a bail out from federal government.” 

On the issue of Ogboru been a serial contestant, the Ogboru media team lampooned Delta PDP, saying that they have been sitting on a stolen mandate duly won by Chief Ogboru, saying, “The diminishing Delta PDP knows that their game is up, because this time around, we will reclaim our mandate back and liberate Delta from PDP 20years of misrule.”

Recall that APC in Delta State had said it would ensure autonomy of local government councils in the state when it takes over power at the state Government House, Asaba come 2019 by discarding the law placing the councils under the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs. 

The decision was disclose in a statement by its publicity secretary, Ogheneluemu Imonina, who hinted that it is part of the manifesto of its governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru to make the councils “economically and politically viable, as against the present political subjugation the council finds itself.” 

While accusing the state government of reducing the powers and functions of the councils, Imonina said: “Between 1999 and 2003, local government councils were full of life as they were receiving their monthly allocations directly from the federal government and were executing meaningful projects, running into millions of naira. 

“The PDP government at the state level, due to greed for power and disposition for pauperizaton of the locals, enacted a local government law through the State House of Assembly, and made/reduced the councils, a third arm of government, recognized by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an appendage/a parastatal under the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs. 

“The good news for council workers and Deltans is that the APC government in the state will ensure that allocations of the local government councils shall come directly to them without state government interferences.

“There shall be N200million state government grants to all the councils to enable them embark on meaningful project/establish cottage industries that will generate employment for the locals and this will enable develop at their own pace, with little supervision from the State Government.”  

However, in a swift reaction, the campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State asked the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Chief Great Ogboru to “stop deceiving Deltans” describing him as a “serial contestant.”  

The publicity secretary of the organization, Dr. Timi Tonye made the statement while reacting to comments by the APC that it would ensure autonomy for local government councils in the state when it takes over power in 2019. 

Dr. Tonye who is also the member representing Patani constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA, said: “Ogboru who is a serial contestant in the state since 2003, should stop deceiving Deltans by offering them what appears to be a jaundiced and virus filled Christmas gift.”  

He said: “Autonomy for local government councils is a constitutional issue and it is one of the items that are being dealt with by the constitution amendment in the country because no state or government can unilaterally say they want to grant autonomy to local councils without amending the constitution.  

“The claims by the party are an example of political deceit and unnecessary grandstanding. In this circle of election, people should not engage in half lies and propaganda in an attempt to garner votes for themselves, but to present issues that are workable within the purview of their constitutional responsibilities.  

“Deltans are wiser than to be deceived by this kind of promises and Ogboru should begin to raise issues within the purview of what governors can do and Deltans should not be deceived by this kind of utterances.”