Dr. Michael Nwoko, popularly known as the Political Oshobe, in this interview with Emerald News, x-rayed the personalities of Governor Sheirff Oborevwori and Senator Ned Nwoko representing Delta North in the National Assembly. Dr. Nwoko told this newspaper that Governor Oborevwori has much in his sleeves for the people of Delta state. He also said the Delta North Senator, Prince Ned Nwoko, will employ his senatorial strength to transform the landscape of the Anioma nation.
Excerpts:
What can you say about the personality of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori?
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state is a determined man. If you aggregate all findings about him, you will come to the irresistible conclusion that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is a firebrand. He is in a hurry to deliver promptly and above board on his assignment as the governor of Delta state. The footprints are there for people to see.
It is not difficult for you to fathom a public officer who is ready for the job. What we have seen so far since he was inaugurated on the 29 of May, 2023 is an indication that he is truly ready for the job. I do know that very shortly Deltans will begin to see signals of positive signs to show we are on the right track. He is ready to effectively consolidate on the achievement of the immediate past governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Since the inception of Dr. Okowa, Delta has always been on a trajectory. Okowa brought melodramatic changes into Delta state. He was the only governor that touched all the sectors of the state economy. There is no where you can go in Delta where you won’t see his footprint. His development is across the 272 wards in Delta state.
Okowa has brought upon Delta a governor that will consolidate on his legacies and do more. Oborevwori has said his administration is determined to complete the legacy projects of the past administration. That is a pointer to the fact that he understands that government is a continuum. This trajectory of development that the state is enjoying over the years is going to be effectively consolidated upon.
We saw the many battles he fought within the party and with the opposition parties, the court cases he won and others. What is your comment on how far he has won all the battles and eventually ascend the seat of power?
Governor Oborevwori is a child of destiny. I’m a highly spiritual person and I do know that what God has destined, no one can stop it. If it were by the postulation of man for him to become governor, I don’t think he would have become governor today. But one thing I know is that we could see the finger of God in his ascendance to the office of the governor.
We saw the court cases. Over 30 court cases were instituted against him but he prevailed and I know he will also prevail in view of the tribunal cases on ground. Again, he is not distracted, he is very focused on his assignment. He knew that the previous cases were frivolous cases. He was not distracted. Of course, the cases were judiciously adjudicated upon, and today, we have him sitting as the governor of Delta state.
I seize this opportunity to call upon Deltans to support the administration of Rt. Hon. Oborevwori as he unveils his massive developmental plans. His administration will cut across the nooks and crannies of the state. I know Delta will not remain the same again. Give or take, what we will see on ground before the end of the tenure, Deltans will be proud of him.
Some persons told us that Governor Oborevwori is weak and that he does not have political strength like the former governor, do you think so?
That is not true. When you see Governor Oborevowri, you will agree with me that he is a firebrand. He is full of energy, he can work 24 hours of the day. He will ensure that it is quality papers that pass through his desk. He will ensure he fulfills his electioneering promises to the people of Delta state. Oborevwori is not weak. Those who think so do not know the governor. He is a strong man, visionary and understands what it takes to transform a system for the good of the people. He has a requisite experience, having been in the system for some years before becoming governor.
What agenda do you think he has for Delta state?
At different fora, he has articulated his MORE agenda for Delta people. He is going to focus more on wealth creation and youth empowerment. He has said it many times that youths will be empowered more than ever before. In his administration, more youths will become employers of labour.
He is also looking at the area of agriculture, infrastructure, they are all encapsulated in his MORE agenda. He is planning to put a team together that will work with him for a greater Delta.
Delta is a state with multi-ethnic groups. Do you think the governor can unite the state together for the next four years and maintain the already existing peace?
Yes, because of the heterogeneous nature of Delta state, it’s like a mini Nigeria. There are diverse orientations, ethnicity, culture and others. So, it is not easy to put such a state together. That is why we need to score the past administration of Okowa very high. All through his tenure, he enjoyed a very peaceful administration.
There is no government that can perform in an atmosphere devoid of peace. You cannot even carry out your development programme for the people. You cannot serve the people when the society is not peaceful. For people to comprehend the good works of government, there must be peace.
I do know that Oborevwori was a stakeholder in the past administration. So, whatever Okowa did towards ensuring that peace and tranquility were guaranteed throughout his eight year administration, I believe that Oborevwori understands more. I know he will bring his wealth of experience to bear so that his administration will enjoys peace and tranquility.
What do you have to say about his appointment so far?
The three major appointments are from the three senatorial districts. He has said it that he will be very thorough in his appointments. He wants the state to be peaceful. It is when there is peace that he can think of actualizing the MORE agenda. If the society is not peaceful he cannot actualize the MORE agenda. That is why he is not joking with it. He has said it that he will be fair to all as far as appointment and project distributions are concerned. He cannot make the mistake of segregating any senatorial district or being sentimental in appointment distribution. He said his appointment will be based on merit and competence.
What will Ned Nwoko’s emergence as Senator do for Delta North?
We are working on the synergy required between the federal government, the state government and the senate. The governor is the chief executive officer of the state, but you agree with me that for there to be effective development, there must also be some federal presence in the state. The gateway to federal presence is the national assembly. If you look at the three senatorial districts today, the only one controlled by the ruling party in Delta is Delta North. In other words, it’s only Prince Ned Nwoko that is the PDP senator in the state.
So, there is a huge task on him. Right now, he is vested with the responsibility of attracting federal presence to the zone. So, he needs the synergy with the state and federal government to achieve this goal.
Given the disposition and personality of Prince Ned Nwoko, I have a strong belief that he is going to bring about a novel situation to Delta North. If you look at his campaign promises, he did not promise what he cannot do. He promised things he can do. Prior to his inauguration he had already worked out modalities with which he is going to deliver dividends of democracy to his people. Now that he has been inaugurated, Anioma people will know that they have a senator.
What significant difference will Senator Prince Ned Nwoko bring to Delta North?
In the era of Prince Ned Nwoko, projects can never be diverted. No projects meant for public good will be diverted, that can never happen. Anybody or contractor given a federal project in Delta North must execute projects according to specification. He will not tolerate project abandonment by contractors. His own constituency projects will be carefully thought out. He will effectively execute and commission them for public good. I can say that without fear of contradiction because I know who is Prince Ned Nwoko. Anioma people should brace up and be ready to accommodate these projects.
During the campaign period, he made a lot of promises. In Oko area, Ndokwa area and others he made promises. How prepared is him for their fulfillment?
He has said it many times that he is going to work with agencies of government, both at the federal and state levels. He talked about working closely with the federal ministry of works, NDDC and DESOPADEC to ensure these projects are delivered. When we visited Oko during the campaigns, it became a passionate case. In fact he wept when he saw the condition of living of the people.
When he looked at the potentials that are lying fallow in such a wonderful land, he wept. There are great potentials there. There are tourism destinations there that could be money spinner for the economy of the state. These things are lying fallow there.
The immediate past administration of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa did a lot to ameliorate the plight of Oko people, however, it requires a lot of equipment and synergy to ensure that the road is constructed. The terrain is difficult. This underscores the need to construct more quality road.
The flooding situation that ravages that area is terrible. The last one was a real disaster. The water level rendered people homeless for months. This is totally unacceptable. He has said it he will do it. He will not wait until the flood comes again, No. He will address it from the beginning so that the issue is addressed before the flood situation comes again. He has clearly articulated his plans on how he is going to achieve his goal. He is already out on how he will drive that effectively.
He has talked about constructing road along that coastal plane to create a huge tourism hub from that Oko, stretching down to Aboh, Okpai and others. Traveling through water in that area is more than 30 to 45 minutes. These things are doable. There are investors that can come in and partner with him and the state towards ensuring that the project succeeds. So, he has been able to articulate his vision in that regard and I know that he has the political will to bring it to fruition.
What do you have to say about his inauguration that took place on Tuesday?
Yes, to him the inauguration was really not a big deal. What is important is the work he needs to do. He is a hurry to assume office so that he can begin delivering on his electioneering promises. Within the first quarter he should be able to give account of what he has done. Anioma people will have a feel of what it takes to have a representation at the national assembly. You will see the difference. I knowGovernor Oborevwori will be proud to have him as a senator.
Now, what do you have to tell Anioma people on his behalf?
My message for Anioma people is very clear. They should know that the voice of their senator cannot be suppressed. Anioma people must understand that their senator is totally determined towards actualizing the campaign promises that he has made for them. He is not going to leave any stone unturned. He is totally determined at ensuring that people oriented constituency projects are executed across the nook and crannies of the senatorial district.
He is totally determined towards forming synergy with state governor at ensuring that federal projects are attracted to Anioma land. My message is that they should brace up because they would be called upon to be corporately involved in the process that will bring about a total transformation and revitalization of the Anioma land. They should make themselves available to be involved in the Anioma project.
