I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
Will Rogers
I truly don’t know if I should classify this write up as a memo or a letter, but I do know that it is a straight out conversation from the street where I belong. It is not the whispers of the street but their frustration and wailing on the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led government of Delta State.
This is the general feelings of the people towards you as a governor, your commissioners, aides, State and Federal lawmakers’ as well party leaders. This is the genuine assessment and report card of those who surround you and what to expect from each of them as you prepare towards the journey to 2019.
Your Excellency, the general slogan in your government is that there is no money. The National anthem in your circle and cabinet members is that the state is broke and therefore the street boys and girls, old women and men whose voted catapulted you to the Olympian height should die. Your established aides who are legendary stingy now use President Muhammadu Buhari as the excuse for their inability to empower them, even after you have gracefully lifted them.
The road to 2019 for you is very rough, tough and extremely difficult. There is general disenchantment against your government already which is caused by those you think are loyal to you but loyal only to the contracts that they will get from your government. I’m pretty sure that one of your sycophants will print this message as usual and give it a different meaning that Fejiro Oliver whom you are well pleased in wants to pull down your government.
The downfall of President Goodluck Jonathan was sycophancy, and they are all around you, telling you the sweet things you want to hear. My joy is that you are able to also know the truth from the lies, but do not truly know what is happening around you.
As 2019 draws nearer by the day, your chances of getting re-elected gets slimmer. Your marvelous works in terms of construction do not really matter to the people. It does not matter because those who should empower your loyal supporters have kept the money in their bank accounts, possibly to use in giving the opposition party to kick you out in 2019.
I will be straight to you, by mentioning the only men you have as lieutenants for the next general elections. I will open up to you today the only people whom the street is happy with. With an open mind devoid of friendship and bias will I unveil to you your defenders, attackers and wingers on the political field of play.
You know more than I know that your opponent will come from Anioma, which is your own Senatorial District. The person is no push over and will definitely divide the votes for you. Pretend that you do not know and also start packing your belongings from Dennis Osadebey House. I will not mention his name now.
If only you have persons like your Principal Secretary in the person of Hilary Ibegbulem, Hon. Friday Osanebi and Ochor Ochor up to twenty in Delta North, you can sleep with your eyes closed, knowing that their empowerment to the people will speak for you. But No, only these three are not enough. Hilary and Osanebi closeness to the youths in your Anioma region is second to their; their empowerment of the people speaks good of you. Ochor Ochor relationship with Ukwuani people and relationship with your political party at the local government level has made him a darling, through which people see your government as caring. The rest persons from Delta North have their scores as: Kingsley Emu who is Commissioner for Economic Planning has his scores as E8. Princess Pat as Oshimili North House of Assembly members has D7.Your Commissioner for Water Resources, Tilije is a failure any day any time, just like Nicholas Azinge, a generational chief complainant manning Health Ministry and Dan Orbih as Lands and Survey both make you look like a governor with a heart of stone.
Mr Peter Nwaoboshi who represents you in the Senate you need not be told is F10 candidate, who empowers only his pockets, instead of lifting the burden of political patronage off you in your Senatorial District. Do I talk of the one who claims to be a pastor in the House of Representatives, Mr Nicholas Ossai Ossai that was forced to empower his people due to his near crucification on social media? He is a minus to you! Mr Ojo Ojo who represents Ukwuani knows he’s not coming back to the House of Assembly and is not bothered if people in his constituency hate you.
I can go on and on in your Anioma area, but truth is that Commissioners from your own place will be your downfall. Your Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah over the months has displayed his mastery of grassroots politics by always going to his local government to relate as well as reach out to Journalists and carry everyone along.
The slogan of prosperity is fast becoming poverty in Delta Central. Commissioners such as David Edevbie who have become a burden to the people should not be in your cabinet till now. Apart from the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Festus Agas, best known for making peace and giving; Commissioner for Environment, John Nani; Reuben Izeze who represents Ughelli South and have carried the people along in their own unique ways, the rest political office holders are best described as dodo, who do not know how the masses feel. While they claim that there is no money for them to empower the same persons that worked for you, they are building new houses for themselves and concubines.
Who are those telling you that you are the best thing to happen to Delta in this face of hunger that is not caused by Buhari but deliberate wickedness of your aides? No man supports a politician on empty stomach. The opposition have a massive financial war chest, so much that when it is unleashed in months to come, you will wonder what your sycophantic stingy aides did with the profit they made from the contracts they got in your government.
In my next series, I will list out all your aides in Delta South, North and Central that have deliberately starved your foot soldiers, just to make you look like a governor without a heart.
These little things matter…