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2023: Okowa Not Opposed To Zoning In Delta – CPS

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Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, says the governor is not averse to zoning of governorship of the state.
Ifeajika who stated this while speaking with journalists yesterday at Government House, Asaba, said the clarification became imperative as it was contrary to insinuations in some quarters.
He said that it was also not true that the governor came to power through zoning consensus as being canvassed by some highly-placed persons in the state.
The CPS said that it was imperative to put the records straight in order not to mislead the people of the state and other Nigerians.
“There is an insinuation making the rounds; ordinarily one wouldn’t have bothered to talk about it but because it’s coming from very highly-placed persons, there is need to put the records straight.
“It’s not true that the governor of this state, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, is opposed to zoning, particularly for the governorship of this state.
“The times he spoke, it was loud and clear. He said that God will help the people of Delta to determine who will take over from him.
“But even at that, he told the people that at the right time, the leadership of the PDP will sit down to decide who the governor will be and after that, leave it to God to decide ultimately as he cannot play the role of God,” he said.
He added: “That has been his position; so, it’s not true that the governor is opposed to power moving to Delta Central or any other senatorial district for that matter.”
He said that the insinuations that the governor came to power through zoning were wrong because people from other senatorial districts participated in the primaries that brought him to power.
Ifejiaka explained  that there was no time in the history of the state that any primary for governorship was allowed as an exclusive preserve of a senatorial district.
“The insinuation that it was through zoning that Okowa became governor is also wrong.
“We are all witnesses to the primaries that brought him to power, persons from the other senatorial districts in the state other than Delta North, participated in the exercise.
“There was no time in the state, particularly in this present dispensation that any primary for governorship has been allowed to be for only one particular senatorial district.
“In all the records we have, primaries had been for all comers; people from all the senatorial districts always participated in all of that.
“For the one that brought Okowa to power in 2015, we are aware that aspirants from Central and South Senatorial Districts participated, including a former minister who has become an apostle of zoning and saying that zoning consensus brought Governor Okowa to power,” Ifeajika said.
He added, “Indeed, former Chief of Staff, Olorogun David Edevbie, came second in that race, meaning that if he had come first, there was no way they would have asked him to stay away and allow Okowa to grab the ticket on the grounds that it was the turn of Delta North to produce the governor.
“In other words, it is not true that it was zoning that brought Okowa to power, it was his person, his pedigree in politics and the grace of God. He also had, as he still does, immense goodwill across the three senatorial districts.
“So, what we are praying for and also asking the people of Delta to do is that everybody should come together and at the right time, the leadership of PDP will come together and decide who the successor to Gov. Okowa will be, and of course, they will be guided by God as the governor himself, had said.
“That’s what we need to do; so, the insinuation that the governor is opposed to the next governorship candidate coming from a particular place is untrue and it is important to put that record straight.”
On the defection of Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, representing Delta North, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its effect on PDP’s performance, the CPS said it would not have any impact on PDP’s dominance in the state.
“The beauty of democracy is that people are allowed to move to any party they like. The movement of Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi does not translate to the dominance of APC in Delta.
“Yes, Nwaoboshi has gone to APC but I can tell you that the impact of his defection cannot rattle PDP in this state. Delta is a PDP State and will remain so.
“That APC now has two senators does not translate to it being able to take Delta in elections; they cannot win one-twentieth of Delta electorate,” Ifeajika said.

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How We Saved N2.3bn From  LG Reforms – Diri 

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Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has revealed that the reforms initiated and implemented by his administration led to the saving of the sum of N2.3 billion for the local government councils.
The governor disclosed this recently at the opening ceremony of an orientation programme organised for newly-elected local government council chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors and principal officers at Perdis Hotel, Akenfa.
Gov Diri stated that on assumption of office in 2020, some local government councils were highly indebted and unable to pay salaries but his administration took measures that resulted in regular payment of salaries, execution of projects and saving of funds.
The Bayelsa State Chief Executive restated his call on the Federal Government to create additional local councils in the state, saying it was injustice for some states to have more than 40 councils and receiving monthly allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Commission (FAAC), while the state had only eight.
He charged the newly elected local government officials to make good use of the two-day workshop to equip themselves with the requisite knowledge to carry out their responsibilities.
The governor also called on them to work as a team to ensure that development was felt at the grassroots.
“Local governments as at 2020 were unable to pay salaries, particularly Nembe, Ogbia, Ekeremor and Sagbama. There was some form of dissatisfaction in the system.
“After I went through the recommendations of the Deputy Governor, whom I entrusted with investigating the local government, I wasted no time in approving the recommendations.
“The recommendations included the ban on loans from any source by local government chairmen without approval of the governor; compulsory savings by every council; and the division of balance after payment of salaries into 60 and 40 per cent respectively. One part was for compulsory savings and the other to project implementation and immediate commencement of computerisation of their payroll as well as compulsory quarterly award of projects by each council chairman.
“We found a lot of fraud in the local government system. But as it stands today, our councils have N2.3billion as a result of the combination of the factors of reforms and proper supervision of that tier of government.
“The breakdown is N400million compulsory savings while N1.9 billion for capital projects. This is aside from the one done by caretaker committees in terms of project execution within the short period they stayed”, the governor said.
Gov Diri assured of his administration’s  commitment to support the councils to achieve their goals and expressed  confidence that the new officials would meet the expectations of the people.
“We firmly believe that good governance begins at the grassroots level. That is precisely why we have gathered here to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to improve our local government administration and  enhance service delivery.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

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Monarch Cautions Against Divisive Politics, Declares Support For Fubara 

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The Eze Oruamara/Regent of Okwuzi Kingdom in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the State, Eze Victor Afaka, has sued for peace among the political class in the State.
Eze Afaka made the appeal while speaking with The Tide on the sidelines of the governorship victory thanksgiving service by the Ogba Egbema /Ndoni Chapter of the Simplified Movement in Omoku.
He said Governor Fubara should be allowed to display the vision that God has given to him to govern the state.
According to him, since every administration has its term and tenure, the man presently at the helm of affairs in Rivers State must be given the opportunity to complete his own term and tenure.
“I advise politicians to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign. Politics and governance have their terms and tenure. When it is your tenure, you have your vision to display; when you conclude that vision God has given you as a leader of your community or of a state, you step aside and leave the next person to display the vision God has given to him” he said.
The traditional ruler said he and  his people, including the youth, women and the Ogbakor Egbema, decided to attend the service because of the excellent vision of Governor Fubara
“We are happy, Okwuzi people are in full support of the government, the government of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara”, he added.
He said that the governor’s peaceful disposition to governance has endeared him to His Kingdom, noting that Okwuzi kingdom was already a beneficiary of the present administration’s purposeful governance as the Omoku/Okwuzi road abandoned 10 years ago, was nearing completion.
“ONELGA, Okwuzi are benefitting from his government.The road that was abandoned for ten years is being completed right now and we know that there are so many other things he will do for us”, he said.
While urging the state government to give desired attention to the Okwuzi General Hospital that is in a state of dilapidation, Eze Afaka entreated Governor Fubara not to be distracted, but to continue to promote peace and development across the State.

John Bibor

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APC Stakeholders Storm Secretariat, Demand Ganduje’s Resignation

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A group of North Central stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stormed the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the protesters said their demand followed his recent suspension by a faction of his ward executives and the alleged bribery allegation levelled against him by the Kano State government.
While they chanted solidarity songs and displayed several banners some of which read, “Ganduje must resign” and “Return the APC chairmanship to North Central,” the protesters appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to consider returning the leadership of the party to the North Central.
Only on Tuesday, the Forum of APC State Chairmen had passed a vote of confidence on Ganduje, affirming their unalloyed support to him.
The protesters under the aegis of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders lamented that the continued stay of Ganduje in office was a clear violation of the zoning principle in the party.
Mohammed Saba, who led the protesters, said unlike the 37 APC state chairmen, his people in the North Central have passed a vote of no confidence on the national chairman and equally demanded his immediate resignation.
Saba reiterated that the people of North Central felt betrayed when the position of APC national chairman was hijacked from them following the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu despite giving Tinubu the third highest votes after North West and South West at the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “We, the North Central APC Concerned Stakeholders, have resolved to unanimously agitate for our right and reclaim our mandate which was handed unto us by the National Convention of our great Party in 2022.
“Various sections of our constitution have established the procedure of replacing an executive member at all levels of the party in the event of death, resignation, incapacitation or expulsion from the party by any executive member.
“It is a fact that the emergence of Dr. Umar Ganduje as national chairman was done against the spirit and soul of the APC which is the constitution of our great party. This singular act has impacted negatively on us as a people in the North Central.

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