At a time when the Delta State governor Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa drew the battle line with retirees under the aegis of the Association of Contributory Retirees (ACR) that there was no money to pay them their entitlements and recently told the state’s workforce during this year’s Workers Day to wake up to the realities of the time, Okowa has allegedly spent the whooping sum of over N50 million hosting governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Gabriel Udom Emmanuel of Akwa-Ibom, Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Hon. Nyesom Mike of Rivers State.
Loading ...Our source said though the issues that were discussed were of national interest particularly to the states in question, the amount involved in the hosting was too exorbitant considering the present economic situation in the country which has adversely affected the state.
Recently, retirees took to the streets of Asaba, over the non-payment of their 10% Delta State Government Pension Contributions valued at N18 billion which is meant to settle their gratuities, pensions and harmonization arrears to pay Contributory Retirees, “yet the same state government who could not attend to the retirees who have worked selflessly to serve the state is embarking on such huge spending”, our sources said.
According to our source, if Okowa had even made a political statement on the demand of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) requesting for N59, 000 minimum wage for workers, the apprehension amongst workers would have been calm, “if they hear the amount of money he used in hosting his colleagues, I think the state will boil as from Monday”, the source predicted.
The source lamented that the party’s national convention and the Edo State governorship election were the top issues discussed at the meeting and not the Fulani Herdsmen menace as stated by Okowa during the interview with journalists outside.
“Insecurity, Fulani Herdsmen activities and militia attacks are currently devastating the region and our governor could come together to chat a way forward for a party that has failed the nation in 16 years. This is pretence of the highest order”, the source bemoaned.
Senator Okowa while speaking with newsmen stated that issues bothering on the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State and the governorship elections coming up in September, 2016 were also discussed asserting that “we tried to map out strategies in order to strengthen the PDP in Edo State.”
Asked about the strategies to muscle power from the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government in Edo State, Okowa alongside his colleagues disclosed, “We will not let the cat out of the bag because we are putting things in place at the moment”.
Okowa said: “we discussed issues concerning our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). You will recall that our convention has been fixed to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on May 21 and we are putting plans in place for that convention”.
“The Chairman of the committee for the convention is Governor Wike of Rivers State and we use this medium to call on all our supporters and members of the PDP to desist from any form of crisis before, during and after the convention, we accepted as a party and the leadership of the party agreed that the national convention should hold at Port Harcourt. We stand by that resolution”, he added.
