Like an accursed team, the factional All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity team is not relenting in its obdurate penchant for misinformation, disinformation, aimed wickedly at painting the hard-working Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in a bad light.
In its latest outing titled “Delta Monies Are Meant For The Development of Delta – Delta APC charges Governor Okowa”, the APC factional scribblers tried, as usual, to hoodwink Deltans to believe its tales by moonlight that Governor Okowa used the funds of Delta State to grade and construct roads in Igueben Town in Edo State. Haba APC? Since when has an invitation by the Governor a State to his counterpart in another to commission a project become that the visiting Governor spent the money of his State for the other State?
We had already stated categorically that we will no longer recognize or glorify any impostor masquerading as “Publicity Secretary, APC, Delta State,” with a response, until they cleanse themselves of their confusion, our stand remains unshaken. But when misleading insinuations are made in the public space, concerning the governance and appropriation of Delta State funds by anybody whatsoever, it becomes imperative to clear the air for Deltans and debunk the diversionary intent of those pedalling such malicious misinformation.
Let us educate the APC in Delta State that Governors in Nigeria, in the spirit of oneness and togetherness, set up the Nigeria Governors Forum to consolidate the bond of governance in the spirit of one Nigeria. The Forum also enables the Governors to engage in public policy discussions, Promote inclusive governance, Promote sustainable development across the Country, and Promote collaboration between the Governors and society. This concept has been further decentralized and today Governors of the six geopolitical zones in the Country have formed their own regional groups and meet regularly to address challenges and activities that are peculiar to their regions.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was thus unanimously elected as the Chairman, South-South Governors Forum and this confers on him the privilege to visit any South-South State, especially those whose Governors are fellow party members, to identify with them, recognize their commendable efforts in the delivery of democracy dividends to their people and encourage them, like a big brother, not to relent in ensuring good governance for their people.
One of the ways the unity of the Country has continued to be promoted and sustained over the years, has been the very laudable act of Nigerian Governors to encourage the invitation of colleagues and even the Presidency to visit their States, enjoy their hospitality and in the process, commission completed projects or lay foundations for proposed ones. This regular feature with Governors has cemented the bond between Governors and citizens of their respective States.
We recall for example that in September 2019, the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, an APC Governor, was invited to Rivers State to commission the Rumuwoji International Market, built by the Governor Nyesom Wike administration and these were his words during the Commissioning: “Though I am not in the same political party with Governor Wike, my duty as Chairman of NGF is to support, protect and defend all Governors irrespective of their party affiliations. Governance is about improving the quality and condition of our society. Governance is about ensuring that we fulfill promises that we make to the people and ensuring that politicians fulfill their promises to the people.” Fayemi had stated in Port Harcourt.
It is only a combatively foolish person or an asinine and blockheaded idiot that will therefore come to the public and rant that when a Governor is invited to commission a project in another State, it automatically means that it was that Governor who constructed the project in the sister State, just like Governor Fayemi did in Rivers State. Deltans will even remember that as recently as March this year, Sokoto State Governor, the distinguished Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, was in Delta State, to commission the 1.88 kilometres reconstructed Mariam Babangida Way in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Council and the 7.5 kilometres Ogwashi-Uku/Ubulu-Unor Road in Aniocha South Council Area of Delta State.
During that commissioning, Governor Tambuwal described Governor Okowa as “a sound, pragmatic and accommodating leader, who has the people’s interest at heart and has ensured the delivery of service to humanity. For Okowa and I, our objective is the same, providing good governance at all levels. The Governor is comprehensively delivering good governance to Delta people and as such, he is not only a roadmaster apart from providing infrastructure, he also provides good governance and he pays workers salaries regularly.”
Only a delusional mind will then jump to the conclusion that it was Governor Tambuwal who constructed the 1.88 kilometres reconstructed Mariam Babangida Way in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Council and the 7.5 kilometres Ogwashi-Uku/Ubulu-Unor Road in Aniocha South Council, because he was invited to commission it, or that Governor Okowa for instance, was the one who constructed the over 2 kilometres concrete drain and asphalt overlay of Okuta Road in Ebelle community, just because Governor Godwin Obaseki invited him to commission the project. These are the kinds of people we are dealing with in Delta APC.
Delta State PDP has consistently maintained that the APC in the State is peopled by unserious persons who thrive in frivolities. The latest outing by this alleged impostor masquerading as State Publicity Secretary, is a further confirmation of this, a callous delusion in disinformation.
We, once again, refer the APC to the widely reported plethora of outstanding and enduring infrastructural projects, including inner roads in our communities across the three Senatorial zones in the State, which the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has been delivering regularly in the last 5 years.
Truth is that these traducers may not understand the working of extant laws as they relate to governments, otherwise it becomes inconceivable to fathom how they came to twist two Governors’ cordial relationship to mean that one is using the fund of his State to construct projects in the other State. It is wicked.
We urge the people of Delta State to continue to reject the spurious claims and assertions of the APC. It is a distortion of facts and the true position of things. Their aim is to cause disaffection between Deltans and their beloved Governor by raising false alarms over everything and peddling false claims through misinformation and disinformation against him. They are this wicked.
Deltans should continue to discountenance the rain of cooked up stories from the APC stable of impostors against the development-oriented government of Governor Okowa by continuing in their unflinching support of the Governor and the PDP in the State.