THE GOVERNOR’S SUDDEN GENEROSITY: A GIFT FROM SENATOR NED NWOKO

Who would have thought that Delta State was brimming with opportunities just waiting to be handed out? For the longest time, government appointments seemed like a rare commodity - hard to come by and tightly controlled. And then, like magic, something happened! Senator Ned Nwoko decamped from the PDP to the APC. Suddenly, Governor Sheriff had an epiphany.

And what a grand revelation it was! The governor has now rolled out an impressive list of new appointments, EAs, SSAs, SAs to “compensate” for his loss. It turns out that governance was never about competence or strategic planning. It was about keeping power, by any means necessary, even if it meant handing out positions as consolation prizes.

But in all, we must give credit where is due. Senator Ned Nwoko must be the most influential politician in Delta State. It took his departure for the governor to realize that there were vacancies to fill. What a win! If anyone doubted Senator Ned’s impact before, this should settle it. Even in his absence, he is still calling the shots. 

A CASE STUDY IN POLITICAL DECEPTION 

This wave of appointments is nothing more than window dressing, a classic case of too little, too late. It also confirms what many already suspected: that Senator Ned Nwoko was deliberately sidelined. His list of nominees? Ignored. His recommendations? Rejected. But now that he has moved on, suddenly, there is room. How convenient. Whatever the case, one thing is clear: this development is long overdue - people are finally getting opportunities, and for that, we must appreciate the chain of events that led to this outcome.

Adding to these grand gestures, they are giving 200 million naira to be shared amongst the 98 wards, while 1 billion naira has been earmarked for each local government to spearhead road projects. Various projects across the state, totaling almost 300 billion naira, have been unveiled. What a harvest indeed! So, Delta State had all this money sitting somewhere, yet 50 billion naira to complete the Okpai Power Plant step-down and the Ogwashi Uku Dam—two projects vital to Delta North was nowhere to be found ?

This isn’t governance, but pure politics. When a leader is more interested in politics than governance the people suffer. The real issue was never about resources but who was asking for them. Now that Senator Ned Nwoko has decamped, the floodgates of generosity have swung open. So let’s call it what it is — a political panic spree! 

The governor must now ensure that most of these appointments and projects go to Senator Ned Nwoko’s people. After all, it was his decamping that triggered this newfound benevolence. Perhaps it’s proof that constructive pressure works, even if it takes a little political shake-up to set things in motion.

A WINNING FORMULA: MORE DECAMPING, MORE PROGRESS !

Maybe this is the new strategy for development in Delta State - mass defections. If leaving the PDP is what it takes to push the governor into action, then more people should consider it. If one person’s exit could trigger this level of responsiveness, perhaps it’s a sign that more voices need to be heard, and more actions need to be taken to keep leadership on its toes. After all, if positive changes come as a result, then everyone wins.

This entire episode has only reinforced one undeniable truth, Senator Ned Nwoko remains the Awolo Delta. The man whose presence (or absence) dictates the pace of things. Even outside the ruling party, he is making things happen. You can’t beat that!

So here’s a free tip for Delta PDP: the next time you want to prove you are in charge, try leading with vision and competence, not panic-induced reactionary politics.