NED NWOKO: SHERIFF OBOREVWORI DREW THE FIRST BLOOD

Until I saw the name Jackson Ekugwum against a caption "Ned Nwoko: Dancing Naked In the Market Square " I could have sworn that a consummate communication expert as him would not append his name to such trash.

Jackson, uncharacteristically meandered with hubris, in a wilderness of trivia all in the name of defending his boss. I may not share in Senator Ned Nwoko's attempt to de- glamorize a sitting governor but he spoke an obvious truth about Governor Oborevwori' s popularity deficit. Also for starters, Ned Nwoko was a member of the House of Representatives in 1999 at a time Governor Oborevwori was perhaps just a PA to late Friday Ani. 

In 2020 Senator Ned Nwoko had made international headlines as the first African to set foot on the Antarctica , South Pole while also hoisting the Nigerian flag at the coldest region of the world. About the same time also, Senator Nwoko, through a thorough advocacy was able to recover about N20 billion dollars for Nigeria in Paris club refunds. Senator Ned Nwoko has also had a remarkable record of championing a rid -malaria -in Africa campaign which has culminated in a patented trial malaria vaccine, the first of its kind in Africa. 

Senator Ned Nwoko has also built the first functional sports University in sub Saharan Africa. Senator Ned Nwoko had become a popular international figure , even before becoming a Senator.

Conversely ,Every one in Delta State knew how Governor Oborevwori emerged as Governor . Just as he was padded to become a Speaker, he was also padded to become a Governor. Governor Oborevwori does not have an enviable history or pedigree, if we must speak truth to ourselves. For three months I laboured to market the name Oborevwori as a brand and to give it content. That attempt was the worst media pilgrimage of my life as I found myself contending with a sullen or base metal that could not be made to shine, no matter how hard I tried. 

Why did the Governor have to wade through 38 court cases before he became Governor? It was caused by a high level of unacceptability by stakeholders. Oborevwori's candidature was close to a scandal and many distinguished Deltans like Chief James Ibori were at loss as to how Oborevwori was going to function in such an exalted office.

But today Oborevwori has become Governor and we must accept him warts and all.

If we must accept Jackson Ekugwum's humility tag on Oborevwori, one must question what Oborevwori aimed to gain by publicly painting Senator Ned Nwoko as a liar concerning the Okpai IPP project saga. With a tint of pride and undignified contempt Oborevwori had said of Ned Nwoko "Sometimes as a Governor you will hear and see some things but choose not to respond . I saw a video that went viral where the Senator representing Anioma Nation, Senator Ned Nwoko said he discussed the Okpai IPP with me . The only time that Ned came to see me was to solicit for appointment for his people which I granted----". This was the ugly salvo that made Senator Nwoko to withdraw courtesies to Oborevwori. 

The Senator thereafter began to endure series of insults from small boys like Ovie Success(who called Ned Nwoko, a liar), Clement Chiazor(ward chairman of ward 8 Aniocha North)and the Aniocha North Local Government Council chairman who were obviously unleashed by Oborevwori and his predecessor as attack dogs on Senator Nwoko. Where is the humility in a Governor who insults and disrespects the then only PDP Senator in Delta State , including reluctantly shaking hands with the Senator in Ghana recently.

Although the position of a Governor is an exalted one in Nigeria, Oborevwori is yet to earn it as there are still vestiges of control coming from his predecessor. About 90% of Oborevwori's media Aides arguably have their allegiance primarily to Oborevwori's predecessor. Many high profile appointments were forced on Oborevwori by his predecessor. Perhaps more bizzare and ludicrous is the recent re- designation of Charles Aniagwu ( a known protege of Dr Okowa) as the Commissioner of Works ( rural roads) and public information. This appointment alone reduces Oborevwori to a puppet Governor who has his Political umbilical cord firmly and inextricably strewn to his predecessor's waistlines . If Jackson Ekwugum is not embarrassed by Charles Aniagwu's recent appointment, with a resounding strange and incongruous appellation, then he will be economical with the truth. 

The immediate past Commissioner for information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza who was unceremoniously shoved aside by Oborevwori has been the publicity Secretary of the PDP for nearly a decade and had served the state in strategic positions before the name of Oborevwori was even known by Deltans. Does Jackson see any humility in this ?

In any case , the desire of Dr Okowa to create a political dynasty and to destroy the Ibori factor in Delta State has plunged the state in a quagmire. The once strong PDP state , with a strong inbuilt machinery for self preservation and conflict resolution, is in the descent. Haughtiness, vaulting ambition, megalomania,hubris, corruption and nepotism have been elevated to a state of art in the state. Many high ranking politicians have been driven out of the party. Unprecedentedly, Delta State now has three APC Senators. This condition alone is a vote of no confidence on Oborevwori administration.

The Governor is caged to Delta State alone and disconnected from the Federal Government. No wonder that we have a Governor who cannot fathom how to domesticate the Okpai IPP project and the Ogwashi Dam. At a period like this when states are working hard to take over sensitive items in the Exclusive Legislative list , Oborevwori and his aides are still talking about Federal projects. No wonder that the Oborevwori administration is 

unwilling to do anything about the moribund ports of Warri, Koko, Sapele and Burutu. The Governor sees them as Federal responsibility,without taking their potential benefits to Deltans into consideration 

Only recently, one Prince Edumogiren Augustine, writing from Ayakoromo, anatomized the Oborevwori Administration and told us what we had always known- that all the so called projects in Ijaw land are media hypes and not really on ground. 

Some of us Deltans are so gullible, we praise a Governor just for spending money. Even a fool can spend money. We need a governor who can generate money and create the enabling environment for genuine enterprise to thrive. Delta state which is the highest recipient from the Federation account cannot survive for one month without a federation account. Lagos state can and so is Rivers , Kano, Anambra and perhaps Ogun . So why do we clap hands for Oborevwori for spending about N20-30 billion every month? 

Sometimes , we don't want to talk so as not to discourage people like Obaigbena whose This Day/ Arise Television awards has made Oborevwori look like an achiever.

For nearly two years as Governor of Delta state , Oborevwori is still intoxicated by Governorship power. His Aides, including Commissioners have scant access to him. He shouts and bullies his subordinates as one inebriated by effect of wine. The Governor does not treat files and we all know why.

Finally to Jackson Ekugwum, let this be the last time you force Deltans to wash our dirty linens in public. The house may appear very clean but the entrails is certainly a whited sepulchre . Let that thing that we tolerate not make us look like fools. We may enjoy some level of peace now but it is certainly the peace of the graveyard.

POST SCRIPT 

There has been a lot of hoopla concerning Oborevwori's rumored attempt to jump ship into APC. Although his media Aides have denied the rumour, it still does not explain the Governor's utterances and body language. Is the Governor telling his Aides the truth? Is he hiding anything? Is there truth in the hidden rumour that the relationship between Oborevwori and Dr Okowa is in the fringes? What of the Governor's unexplained trip to Ghana where he was reported shunned by the President in contradiction to his now political foe, Ned Nwoko who sauntered to the venue with grace with two former Nigerian President's , Obasanjo and Jonathan standing up to shake him. I watched our Governor sitting at one obscure corner where he shook Ned Nwoko with a frown. And I asked myself, why should Oborevwori go to Ghana in the first place?

Fred Akpewe

Senior Media Analyst