[dropcap]G[/dropcap]ov. Okowa loyalists are speedy to point at or to the quick fixes that have inappropriately become the basis of the success story of his scorecard that they flaunt, whereas, it is a known fact that most of those projects that Governor Okowa now take credit for, are projects inherited from Governor Uduaghan’s administration, with most of them near completion stages at his exit as governor. It is not the intention or this write-up to dwell on that, rather, it will be important for us to ask, how the infrastructure development efforts (whatever they are) of the Okowa administration have impacted on Deltans, particularly the masses in the rural communities. That will also lead us to the issue of good governance.
The current discourse and indeed arguments on the performance of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, seems largely consigned to Asaba, the state capital and Owalero, the Governor’s home town. The position of the Okowa spokesmen, forecloses other cities and our rural communities. People who live in these other places also voted for him to become their governor. They need infrastructure too. They are poor, they need improved capacity for self-sustenance and availability of social amenities can bring about that turnaround. Unfortunately, their wellbeing is not important to the Okowa administration.
Okowa has done nothing to help rural people out of their impoverishment: People are poor because they have no opportunities; their kids study under unconducive teaching and learning environments and in turn, may become uneducated and poor still. Access is an important factor in rural development. Our rural communities have no access to portable water, energy, health services, transport services, no access farm roads, worst still, security challenges make it more difficult for them to access the markets to sell their produce. Which of these, have Governor Okowa addressed? Yet, the sycophants in the corridors of power are talking about leaps in infrastructure development in the state.
Owalero, the governor’s home town is an example of what could happen if government is purposed and willing to build up the inherent capacity in our rural communities.
Of the 9 communities in Oshimili North Local Government Area, not even the LG capital, Akwukwu-Igbo can boast of exponential growth since the near six years of Okowa government. Ukala Okpunor, where I come from has suffered serious neglect from the state government, owing largely to political persecution. To traverse Otulu in Aniocha South through Atuma, Akwukwu, round and about Illah, Ebu, Ukala Okwute, Ezi/Ukala, Olona and indeed the entire neighborhood is a nightmare because of the state of the roads. We can go on and on, yet, his agents are talking about Nwaoboshi and Omo-Agege.
Stephen Covey is quoted to have said that “Trust is a powerful accelerator to performance and when trust goes up, speed also goes up while cost comes down – producing what we call a trust dividend”. If we must travel on that path, the acceptance and popularity that Senator Peter Onyelukahukwu Nwaoboshi is enjoying today is as a result of his good works. Certainly, my people, Ukala people are happy to be associated with SPON. Every government presence my people have received came as a result of the Senator’s intervention. Check and confirm. Senator Nwaoboshi has proved to be the model and occurrence of proper representation giving the huge and fair distribution of projects and NDDC interventions in Delta North Senatorial District.
I have no issues with the Okowa Owa Agenda. It is an obligation that he owes his people but the Okowa buddies should know that the electorate is pained by the neglect that we have experienced in this deceitful government of Delta State. We now know the true democrats and those who are willing to serve the people. I will therefore leave us in with the words of the political icon, Nelson Mandela who says that: “Democracy is based on the majority principle. This is especially true in a country such as ours where the vast majority have been systematically denied their rights…”
Ogbuei Ben Egwuatu is from Ukala Okpunor and a member of the SPON Media Team.