Delta leaders under the auspices of the People’s Movement on Friday berated those blackmailing the governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
They described Uduaghan as an embodiment of moral rejuvenation, respect, loyalty, honesty, progress, peace and prosperity in Delta State.
The Director of Communications of the People’s Movement, Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua in a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the leaders in Lagos on Friday noted the improvement and standardization in the various sectors, provision of potable drinking water, potent health care delivery and good roads as well as secured living in the state, insisting that the governor has met the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
The leaders accused some individuals and groups of hatching evil motives aimed at dividing Deltans, destroying the solidarity and possibly provoking political tension and crises in the state.
Reacting to stories in some newspapers relating to the governor’s performance, alleged nomination of PDP card carrying members for the state electoral body, handling of the 13% derivation funds and appointment of local government caretaker committees by some individuals and groups, the leaders described their views as a display of outright malice against the governor.
“Whether taken literally or figuratively, it is obvious that they intend to expose the governor to ridicule, hatred and contempt by their actions” the leaders said.
The leaders dismissed the view that some of the proposed members of the state electoral body were card carrying members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), emphasizing that the appointment of caretaker committees in the local government councils by the governor has nothing to do with the actualization of selfish agenda or to control funds accruing to local government councils from federation accounts as alleged by those faceless groups.
“Uduaghan is not afraid of the democratic process. Caretaker committee is not an attempt to secure funding for the 2015 election or enrich greedy people along the way” the leaders argued.
Continuing, the leaders said “Uduaghan is bent on enthroning democracy at the third tier of government.
“He remains a democrat who values the unity, stability and orderly development of the state. During the swearing of the local government committees, the governor directed the State Accountant General to release council funds to the new chairmen for smooth take off of activities at that level of governance. He also charged the appointees to take their assignment seriously. He recently sent a list of nominees for screening to the House. It is only when a new electoral body is in place; that we can now talk of election” the leaders said.
Reaffirming that the caretaker committee is serving as interim measures, the leaders cited insecurity and intimidation from the opposition as some of the reasons for the delay in the conduct of the local government election.
“Uduaghan has no intention of keeping the appointees in office for long. He doesn’t want the committees to stay longer than is necessary. They are just there to pilot the affairs of the councils until the local government elections are conducted by the yet to be constituted Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC)” the leaders said.
The leaders advised Deltans at home and abroad not to fall victim to the evil antics of these characters.
“Uduaghan is not a looter and it is only an insane person that will buy the idea that local government committees will give the governor full control of all resources coming to the State and also an opportunity for looting the resources meant for the well-being of citizens”.
The leaders said the good people of the state are highly perturbed by the reckless statements of some individuals and groups and therefore condemn in strong terms words used in describing the performance of the governor.
“A clinical appraisal of Uduaghan’s footprints for the past five years reveals that he has created a very favourable and conducive environment for common growth for which he will ever be remembered. He has worked so hard to make life meaningful to the good people of Delta State. He has gained respect around the country and among his peers. He is a brilliant achiever who pioneered the state’s industrial growth and has continually dictated the pace of development in sports, human and physical development in the south- south geo-political zone. Members of the opposition need to remove the log in their eyes to clearly see the achievements Uduaghan has recorded in the last five years in office” the leaders said.
On calls by some groups on Deltans to oppose the appointment of the local government committees, the leaders said they do not mean well for the state, stressing that “they are bent on fomenting trouble and visiting chaos on Deltans”
“This is callous. This is certainly a provocative act which will lead to nothing else than worsening the tense atmosphere in the state. Deltans must condemn the evil machinations of these groups, their highly contagious anointing to lie and the satanic grace to mislead the people”.
The leaders assured that election into the councils would be held as soon as the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) was reconstituted.
They urged the newly sworn in chairmen to ensure that workers’ salaries were paid promptly and reiterated the need for local governments to live up to their primary objective of bringing development to the grassroots.
On the performance of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), the leaders said there is so much on ground in terms of infrastructural and human capital development in the oil-bearing communities to justify the billions of Naira allocated yearly to the commission by the state government”.
The leaders stated that the state government has not mismanaged the funds, stressing that the 13 percent derivation funds have been used to develop the oil producing communities.
The leaders while praising the governor for appointing honest, dedicated, committed, and God fearing individuals in the state, appealed to desperate politicians and their collaborators to desist from their evil propaganda.
The leaders also advised the governor to disregard their antics and concentrate on the job of repositioning the state.
“Governor Uduaghan will continue to incur envy, malice and hatred from those who see perfidy as a virtue in politics” the leaders said.
“The Peoples’ Movement, a movement by the people, for the people, and of the people of Nigeria , particularly the Niger Delta believes that Uduaghan is improving the quality of life of the people by providing all with a quality education and eliminating poverty, joblessness, homelessness and pollution” the statement added.
