The Integrity Group has slammed Godwin Anaughe of New Delta Coalition for a malicious online publication against immediate past Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
The group also took a swipe on the author for trying to drag Governor Sheriff Oborevwori into the arena for political reasons.
In statement signed by its Convener, Oke Idawene, the group said Dr Okowa was only invited to answer to a petition written against him and should not be seen as a guilty charge.
The statement reads: We wish to react to a recent online publication by a group known as NEW DELTA COALITION which is obviously sponsored by the beleaguered APC for political purposes. The author of the malicious publication, Godwin Anaughe is a known APC apologist who has been dancing round every APC leader for personal livelihood for years.
That Dr Okowa was invited by EFCC to answer to a spurious petition does not amount to a conviction. It is a normal process, whenever a petition is written against a high profile person for the media to blow it out of proportion.
That Dr Okowa finished strong as Governor of Delta state from 2015-2023 cannot be controverted. For 8 years, Dr Okowa raised the bar of governance in Delta state, leaving enduring legacies for all to see.
The highly ambitious storm water drainages in Asaba which was initiated by the Okowa administration and now replicated in Warri/Effurun metropolis to mitigate perennial flooding of these cities are testaments of Okowa’s vision for a clean Delta.
Okowa is remembered for the building of an iconic State-of -the -Art Secretariat which is unarguably one of the best in Nigeria today. Okowa is remembered for his giant strides in the area of education where he established three universities to add to the Delta State University Abraka, making Delta State the only state in the Federation with four state owned universities.
That Aside, Okowa is remembered for establishing several Technical Colleges across the state alongside vocational institutions in order to provide for a paradigm shift from conventional education to technical and vocational education. Deltans will not forget Okowa for his entrepreneurial schemes like YAGEP, STEP, WESAP etc which had engaged several youths and women in Agriculture, artisanal trades and SMEs.
Deltans are apprised of Okowa’s success in transforming the Stephen Keshi stadium into an international standard sports facility which has played host to several international sports and football competitions
Dr Okowa never owed civil servants their salaries throughout his 8 years as governor and he set down a process of phased monthly payment of retirees’ benefits which his successor inherited.
Okowa handed over a healthy state to Sheriff Oborevwori in 2023 and the state has moved on under Oborevwori’s watch. In one and half years of the Oborevwori administration the Governor has firmly rooted his M.O.R.E agenda which includes zero tolerance for shoddy and substandard jobs .
Delta state is today a huge construction site with Oborevwori engaging A-list construction firms like Julius Berger, CCECC, Levant construction company and some strong domestic companies to execute high tech road construction projects.
Julius Berger is handling the three Bridges, cloverleaf and road expansion projects in Warri -Effurun area while CCECC is handling sector C of the Asaba Ughelli 149 kilometers expressway including the Obo bridge in Ogwashi Uku.
With a strong human capital investment in the state which targets youths, women and vulnerable populations in the state, Governor Oborevwori has not borrowed a dime to execute his projects. His judicious handling of the resources of state have been applauded by even his most vitriolic critics.
It is therefore laughable that an armchair critic would label Oborevwori as a non performer when he should be applauded. Nothing succeeds like success and Governor Oborevwori is heading for the star prize in good governance. The template for measuring a performing governor is lost to NEW DELTA COALITION with its credibility further dented by Anaughe Godwin who is ever ready to be engaged to throw mud at a legitimate government for a fee.
Like Okowa, Sheriff Oborevwori pays civil servants as at when due and has substantially reduced the backlog of pension entitlement to retired civil servants and teachers. The Oborevwori administration has approved and paid minimum wage of N77,500 for state civil servants and has upped the ante in improving the livelihood of Deltans through massive entrepreneurial efforts which targets artisans, vulnerable groups and the disabled.
In just 18 months of the Oborevwori administration he has paid the 2022/2023 bursary of N30,000 each to students of Delta state origin in tertiary institutions in Nigeria as well as the 2022/2023 financial assistance to Delta state students in seven Nigeria Law Schools across the country.
The Oborevwori administration has paid off N14.5billion as pension obligations to retired workers in the state and in line with the M.O.R.E agenda of his administration, Governor Oborevwori in less than 100 days of his administration recruited over 3000 teaching and non teaching staff across the state.
The state’s MORE GRANT SCHEME has recorded tremendous results as thousands of beneficiaries in targeted trades/ artisans have been targeted.The D-CARES programme has been very successful with beneficiaries increased from 36,353 to 110,841 within the first year of the administration. The Delta state government under Oborevwori’s watch has planned to create 50,000 jobs in collaboration with IITA, ADB and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
Under Oborevwori’s administration Delta state maintained its lead in the 8th National Youth games in which Delta state came first with a total of 111 medals distribution into 46 gold, 31 silver and 34 bronze.
Sheriff Oborevwori in a very short time has distinguished himself in all spheres of governance as he is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the dividends of democracy to all Deltans irrespective of tribe, creed or belief.
This piece is not intended to be a compendium of the achievements of Dr Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori. It is intended to correct the malicious and mischievous publication which portrayed Okowa and Oborevwori as non achievers by a group which calls itself NEW DELTA COALITION.
It is crass irresponsibly for some persons to stand the truth on its head because of politics. Even the most virulent critics of the Oborevwori administration have admitted that the Governor is doing well. Only a blind man or an outrightly mischievous person will spew the kind of lies and misinformation that has come out of the New Delta Coalition.
It behooves on us as responsible media commentators to commend when we see good works being done by a government. Outright condemnation without valid facts is the height of depravity and should be discouraged.
Finally, Dr Okowa has shown clearly that he has nothing to hide. He voluntarily responded to an EFCC invitation and he has responded to all questions and gone home on personal recognition. The media trial of Dr Okowa is therefore uncalled for as he will come out of this phase unscathed.
Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration is also on course and a holistic evaluation of his government will be made after his first tenure in 2027. For now, Deltans should do an honest appraisal of the Oborevwori administration and not suffuse the media space with lies, misinformation and propaganda just for political capital.
The peace we now enjoy in Delta state is because the Oborevwori administration has been fair in the distribution of projects and patronage to all the ethnic nationalities in the state. No amount of baseless criticisms from mischievous persons will distract from this fact.
In as much as Governor Oborevwori welcomes constructive engagements from Deltans no one will be happy to see a few disgruntled elements throwing spanners in the wheel of progress in Delta State.
The INTEGRITY GROUP calls on Deltans to continue to support and encourage the Governor Oborevwori administration and the M.O.R.E Agenda as we consolidate on the gains of the administration which has promised to bring the dividends of democracy to every doorstep irrespective of tribe, political persuasions and creed.
Dr Oke Idawene
Convener
Barr Chike Offiah ,PHD
Secretary General
Liliveth Ugochukwu
Publicity Secretary
Sir(Barr) Simeon Efenudu
Chairman, Elders Council
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Tobore Oborevwori