Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state has been urged to engage technocrats in his government and not political sycophants to enable him achieve his MORE AGENDA for the state.
The National Coordinator of Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), Comrade Chief Sheriff Mulade, made the appeal in Warri, shortly after he was decorated as patron of Indigenous Correspondents’ Chapel (ICC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council.
He expressed displeasure with the recognition of some politicians whose stock in trade is to issue threats in Oborevwori’s cabinet.
He also warned against the culture of recycling old politicians and giving attention to what he termed “Agboroism”, as it would not help the government to achieve its goals.
Hear him: “I want to appeal to the governor to ensure that he should use technocrats to run his government, not political sycophants and blackmailers whose business is to survive through blackmailing.
“He has started well within this one year, he needs strong hands, he should use technocrats not just politicians to run the state.
“Delta is blessed with a lot of human resources, he should explore them. The political character of recycling political sycophants, should also be limited and less attention should be given to Agboroism.
“Delta should be seen as a state with products because if we continue to recognize or give more opportunities to thuggery and Agboroism, then, it becomes a legacy.
“The amount of violence and threat you issue determines your level of recognition and that gives birth to some of the crisis across the Niger Delta because when recognitions were given to violent perpetrators, both in the Riverine and upland, everybody sees it as an opportunity.
“It is only the amount of threat and violence you perpetrate that will make you to be recognized and invited for discussions. Today, the entire crisis set us back despite the fact that there are some signs of progress”.
Speaking on peaceful coexistence between all ethnic groups in the State, the UN Peace Ambassador said: “it will be difficult for the Ijaws, Urhobos and the Itsekiris to live united like the way we were in the 70s, 80s and early 90s.
“Before the crisis, you cannot differentiate Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris from each other, we lived together, inter-marry. Despite the fact that we see some Infrastructural developments, to me, it is 20 years to 50 years setback.
“That is why as an organization, we continue to strengthen our peace advocacy process. We also use the Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Cup, formerly known as Ijaw-Itsekiri Peace and Unity Cup to strengthen and promote peace in Delta State because if there is conflict and crisis in Delta State, we cannot come together”, he stressed.
