Inviting Hangers-On from Outside Delta State for Projects Commissioning is Wasteful,  APC tells Okowa

By Sylvester Imonina

The ravaging effect of Covid-19 has put most economies in the world in shambles, no doubt. Nigeria in general and Delta State in particular are no exception! As a result, responsible and responsive governments are circumspect in the way and manner they spend their deflated resources.

The PDP-led government of Delta State, under the superintendence of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has thrown economic frugality to the dustbin, and embraced mindless frittering away of the State resources on the altar of political jamboree!

In the past, majority of governments’ projects were commissioned by the traditional rulers of the places where those projects were located. Prominent sons and daughters from the State who live in and around the State where those projects were located were involved in the scheme of things.

In Delta of today, and for whatever consideration, Dr. Okowa prefers using his political associates from different parts of the Country for no tenable reason. Unfortunately, such invitation comes with huge cost.

Apart from the Edo State Governor,  Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who had no option of entering Delta State by flight, others who were invited come by hired private jets at the instance of the State Governor. It will interest Deltans to know that the average cost of hiring a private jet is six thousand dollars, per hour. That means for at least three to four hours spent by the political cronies of the Governor, about twenty four thousand dollars is expended. And these monies are being spent on a daily basis for the past two weeks!

Besides the above, huge sums of monies are spent as Hotel bills and provision for “extra-commissioning” things. What a wasteful Government!

Delta APC condemns in no mean term this wanton economics profligacy of the State Government on half-baked projects (roads) being touted as legacy projects. A drive to Otu-jeremi-Okwagbe road, Otokutu-Egbo road, Okpe-Isoko-Orie-Ofagbe road and others will convince any doubting Thomas’s on our position.

Painfully, some of these commissioned roads which led to political cronies been flown to Delta State, are less than three kilometres. Also, the beautification and engineering designs of those projects displayed on social media are not the same with what is on ground. No wonder, the Governor of Rivers State refused to be part of the deceit of Delta State Government.

We state without any air of equivocation that invitation of Outsiders who live far away from Delta State, to commission “political projects” in the State is an affront and denigration of the political, economics and social creme de la creme that are products of the State who live in and around the State. Why can’t the State Government invite them for the commissioning of projects with little or no cost? Is there any thing that the government is hiding!

Delta APC and Deltans call on the State Government to tow the part of economy wisdom. Those monies being wantonly wasted on non-profitable ventures should be properly channelled into profitable things. Deltans want to feel the positive impact of their State being the highest recipient of Federal allocations.

Sylvester Imonina, Esq,
Publicity Secretary (Caretaker) APC Delta State.
25th March, 2021.