.
That
Dr. Uduaghan declared his interest to run for a second term in response to
“reported demands by the Governor’s numerous supporters in and out of the state
for him to make hay while the sun of his popularity gained ascendancy”. The
statement went on to say that “The prevailing impression is that the
declaration by the Governor was his own way of heeding this concerted call on
him to go for a second term to consolidate on his achievements in office”.
ii.
In
response to the question as to why the outcry in some quarters claiming that he
(the governor) had received so much and done so little, Mr. Djebah replied,
“The fact is, it’s difficult to satisfy everybody. But I challenge you to visit
Delta State today and see things for yourself. ………..”.
iii.
On the
question as to who these people criticising Uduaghan and claiming that he has
not performed are, Mr. Djebah said “These are idle critics who are either not
based in Delta or are not current on issues that affect the state. ……….”.
iv.
In
trying to justify his claim for Uduaghan’s excellent performance, Mr. Djebah
qurried “For instance, on what basis will anybody say Governor Uduaghan has not
delivered on his campaign promises? I
regard such a suggestion as mischievous and ill-conceived because it’s only a
blind man who will go to Delta State today and dare to suggest that the
Governor has failed to live up to expectation. ………….”. He went on to list Dr.
Uduaghan’s numerous achievements to include the following:-
a.
Numerous
network of roads scattered all over the state.
b.
Transformation
through beatification of various cities.
c.
The
Asaba International Airport and the Osubi Airport in Warri.
d.
Construction
of sporting stadia and public viewing centres for sporting activities and
relaxation.
Commenting
on the interview generally and on Mr. Djebah’s claims, it is obvious that the
interview took place at places like far away Lagos or Abuja by a non-Deltan or
by a Deltan who has not visited Delta state in the last 3 to 4 years, hence Mr.
Djebah was challenging the interviewer to visit Delta state to see things for
himself.
Taking Mr.
Oma Djebah’s claim listed above, I will comment on them as I have seen them,
being a well-sighted man (I only use reading glasses), fully resident in Delta
state (Agbor) who currently and frequently travels to Warri, Asaba,
Ndokwa/Ukwani areas, Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Issele-Uku, Ozoro/Emevor, Ughelli,
Sapele and Ijaw areas of Delta state. I therefore make my comments from a
vantage point and I challenge Mr. Oma Djebah to a public debate and a joint
inspection tour of Delta state to verify our respective claims.
Who
called Dr. Uduaghan to Run for a Second Term and Who made up the Mammoth Crowd
at his Declaration?
When Dr.
Uduaghan was carrying out his so-called consultations for his second term bid,
it was a question of renting crowds which were paid for with the revenue
accruing to Delta State which should have been used to develop the state. It is
a public knowledge that in all Dr. Uduaghan’s consultation rallies and his
declaration rally in Sapele, all the people who attended were paid between ?2,000
and ?10,000 each a day, depending on their standing in their community. In a
state where the government has impoverished over 99% of the people, do you
blame those who offer themselves to be rented? In fact, some people made it a
point of duty to attend all the rallies, irrespective of where it took place,
for a good day’s pay. In case you did not know, despite the large crowd that
was rented, and the large number of security personnel for the Sapele
declaration, the wise people of Sapele told Dr. Uduaghan in clear terms that he
was not welcomed by making movements impossible for him and his crowd. The
truth is that Sapele people held them hostage for about 3 hours. The test of
Dr. Uduaghan’s claimed popularity will be at the general elections if he will
get to that stage.
How
Difficult is it to satisfy Everybody and are Uduaghan’s critics Really Idle
Critics?
It is
unfortunate that Mr. Oma Djebah made such thoughtless statements. Nobody
expects any governor, not even Fashola or Adams Oshiomwhole to satisfy more
than 75% of the people in their domain. The fact is that in the past three and
a half years, Dr. Uduaghan made life unbearable (not worth living) for over 99%
of Deltans. He has killed public schools as teachers are continually on strike.
Parents now spend all their earnings to send their wards to private schools and
health institutions are a shadow of themselves because doctors are always on
strike. The people of Ika Nation and other ethnic nationalities will ever
remain grateful to private water bore-hole operators for their potable water
because no drop of water has passed through the Water Board pipes for the past
12 years. The bad news for Dr. Uduaghan and Mr. Djebah is that I am one of Dr.
Uduaghan’s numerous critics and, like many others, I am not idle. In fact we
are very active and very politically aware. Just as over 3 years ago when I was
in Dr. Uduaghan’s campaign team to all the senatorial districts and later led
the Delta North campaign team to all the local government areas of Delta North,
so I am now traversing the state to confirm the complaints coming from every
nook and cranny of the state, against the Uduaghan administration.
Dr.
Uduaghan’s Numerous Achievements as claimed by Mr. Oma Djebah – Do they exist
and what is their Worth?
Mr. Oma
Djebah listed these achievements to include: numerous network of roads
scattered over the state, beautification of cities, Asaba and Osubi Airports,
public viewing centres, etc. I will not bore the reading public by commenting
on each of these claims. Residents of and regular visitors to Delta state
(except Dr. Uduaghan and his cronies) know that most of the projects which have
almost been completely paid for, have either been abandoned or have never taken
off. Dr. Uduaghan and his team should be ashamed of themselves to list viewing
centres and stadia as part of their achievements because these projects that
were dreamt up to siphon money out of the system, have never been put to proper
use because of their inadequacies. With the resources accruing to Delta state,
viewing centres are insulting to Deltans because every family in Delta state
deserve to watch sporting activities in the comfort of their homes if the
government provided adequate electric power for commercial and social
activities. If Lagos and Akwa-Ibom states now guarantee 80% to 100% electricity
supply, why should Delta state not do so?
Asaba
International Airport – What a Conduit Pipe!
I do not
think that Oma Djebah knows the implication of giving credit to the Uduaghan
administration with the airport project. The public should be reminded that the
airport which should have been completed in 18 months at the cost of 7 billion
Naira has been reviewed to 14 billion Naira, then to 22 billion Naira and
lately to 40 billion Naira and after three and a half years, it remains a dying
ongoing project. An airport of exactly the same design and size was constructed
in 15 months at the cost of 6 billion Naira by Gombe State Government. At the
appropriate time, Dr. Uduaghan and all the people involved will tell Deltans
what they used the airport project to siphon our money for.
Delta
Transport Company (Delta Line) – A Shadow of itself.
During the
Ibori administration, Delta Line was the pride of Deltans for its acquisition
and maintenance of air conditioned Expert vehicles, saloon cars and buses. At a
point in time, I stopped flogging my cars on Agbor/Abuja and Agbor/Lagos roads
and started using Delta Line for these journeys. I continued to patronise my
state transport services during the Uduaghan administration, believing that the
same standard would be maintained. Regrettably, the standard deteriorated so
fast that now, Delta Line transport service is worse than a one-man operated
transport service as the Experts are gone, while the few remaining saloon cars
and buses are in deplorable conditions. Last week, a friend and I chartered a
saloon car which was claimed to be the best in their fleet from Lagos to
Agbor/Asaba for what we thought would be our comfort. You will not believe it
that all the shock absorbers had gone. On three occasions, we were almost
thrown into the bush by small pot holes which the driver could not avoid
despite the slow speed the driver was doing at our request. Like many of their
customers, I have decided not to use Delta Line again until Dr. Uduaghan
vacates the Government House, Asaba. If you listen to the comments of Delta
Line staff on Uduaghan’s involvement with Delta Line, you will be shocked to
the marrows of your bones.
Dualization
of Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor – A Mockery of Ika People
Apart from
the expansion of the Central Hospital, Agbor, the Old Lagos/Asaba Road is the
only project pledged and awarded in Ika Federal Constituency in 12 years.
Despite the support and loyalty of Ika indigenes to both Ibori and Uduaghan
administrations, this road has become a thorn in the flesh of Ika people and
their visitors since Dr. Uduaghan became the governor of the state. I have made
three write-ups on this road in the past and so, I have nothing more to add.
Representatives of Ika Landlords/Landladies Association, Onu Ika Nigeria, the
Human Rights Group, other organizations and individuals have continued to do so
too. Headlines of Ika Weekly Newspaper of 23rd October to 30th
October 2010 such as: Expose Those involved, by the leadership of Onu Ika
Nigeria; Uduaghan Should Resign, by Human Rights Group; Resign Now, Ika
Political Office Holders Told, by Ika Landlords/Landladies Association, etc
speak volumes about Uduaghan and his team.
In
conclusion of the position of the dualization and recent collapse of the bypass
Orogodo Bridge, I invite Mr. Oma Djebah to visit Agbor as my guest to inspect
the “laudable projects” executed by the Uduaghan administration in Ika land and
neighbouring areas.
Uduaghan’s
Government is crumbling like a Pack of Cards.
I want to conclude this write-up by making
some statements of fact:
i. For the
past three and a half years, Dr. Uduaghan and members of his cabal have
deceived and lied to Deltans. They have now exhausted their lies and as the
people are confronting them with facts and figures, they are confused and in
total disarray.
ii. In
their confusion, Dr. Uduaghan and his cronies are now contradicting themselves.
While Dr. Uduaghan is openly confessing that he has failed to deliver because
of dwindling revenue allocation, claiming that Delta state has dropped from 2nd
to 4th position on the revenue allocation ladder, Mr. Oma Djebah is
glorifying abandoned and dying projects as part of the “numerous projects
executed” by the Uduaghan administration. Dr. Uduaghan should be told that
Edo state receives the least revenue allocation among the oil producing states
and that has not stopped Adams Oshiomwhole from performing magic in Edo state.
The reason is that Oshiomwhole is not putting Edo state revenue into bottomless
pits as Uduaghan is doing.
iii.
Members of the so-called “Uduaghan Political Family” like Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and
others who saw the crack early enough jumped ship in a move to distance
themselves from the electoral liability that the Uduaghan administration has
become.
iv.
Many of
the former and serving associates of Dr. Uduaghan are secretly making serious
contacts with Delta state opposition PDP and other political parties to create
escape routes at the eventual collapse of Uduaghan’s Empire.
v.
Like
top generals of a retreating Army, Dr. Uduaghan and members of his “Core Group”
are telling their supporters and the not-so-well-informed Deltans that all will
be well with them when he returns for his second term while they are busy secretly
planning their exit.
vi.
Those
of us, who know it, owe it as a duty to tell Deltans that the ship of
Uduaghan’s administration is already sinking and those who are still on board
should jump out before it is finally submerged under the water.
Elder
John Ehikwe was the State Secretary of the defunct NPN in the former Bendel
State and now a Chieftain of PDP in Delta State.
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