… Reduces Communication Manager To Mere Office Boy
If the alleged rumour to sack the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah from office, by Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, is anything to go by, the later would need to guide jealously his highly esteemed office as spokesperson to the state government.
The CPS has allegedly hijacked the functions of Mr. Ukah, as he speaks on behalf of the state government instead of his principal, the governor.
Loading ...Trouble started when the Commissioner for Information was appointed thereby removing the POST EXCO briefing from the hand of the CPS who saw the briefing as his legitimate right.
It was gathered that after one of such briefings, Aniagwu, went to the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Festus Ovie Agas, to collect money but was told that the office of the Commissioner for Information has purportedly come for same purpose.
The development allegedly threw the CPS off guard as his alleged conduit pipe has been taken from him even as investigation revealed that the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ukah, was allegedly lobbying Aniagwu, who suddenly has become too powerful in Okowa’s government to ensure that the N150 million monthly subvention to his ministry was released by the governor but at press time, it was gathered that the N150 million has been reviewed to N13 million but it could not be ascertained if the reviewed amount has been released to the ministry.
However, the move of the CPS is allegedly gaining weight as it was gathered that the governor was throwing his weight behind his spokesperson.
Sources said, “The way the governor is going about this whole thing, if care is not taken, the CPS may have the office. Imagine that the commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development has been sacked without public notice. He is still there but the SSA to the governor on Legislative Matters, Mr. Martins Okonta, is the one the governor is using to oversee the ministry from behind”.
It was observed that Mr. Okonta read the speech of the Lands Commissioner when the governor flagged off FAST TRACK 90, the new C of O for land owners in the state.
Investigation has also revealed that Mr. Aniagwu, has also fought hard to remove from the purview of the Ministry of Information the Committee to handle the May 29th activities in the state.
Reacting the rumour, the Commissioner for Information in a media chat said those are rumours and should not be taken seriously.
Meanwhile, there is alleged rife that Mr. Aniagwu has also taken over the job of one of his colleague, Mr. Jackson Ekwugum, the Manager (Communication) who could be best described as the ‘mouthpiece’ of the governor and also has the privilege of attending State Executive Council (SEC) meetings.
However, the reverse is the case as the act of the CPS has been read to his alleged N300 million support to the governor during the campaign season thereby reducing the Manager (Communication) to a mere office boy.
Our correspondent learnt that during Okowa’s campaign, Mr. Ekwugum was the hand behind the camera who drew major programmes, made strategic plans for an hitch free campaign and quashed reports that would have evolved in the media which would have threw a blow on Okowa’s image when some purported hired crowd of students went to cause havoc at his campaign office along Anwai road in the state capital for dumping them after one of Okowa’s campaign at the Oshimili South Arcade in Asaba.
It would be recalled that Aniagwu came to the picture when Prince Victor Efeizomor, the SA media (print) to the governor allegedly claimed to be the CPS to Okowa when Ekwugum, had already been appointed as Manager (Communication).
Also, it was gathered that the press crew covering the governor are been subjected to hardship by the CPS as he allegedly deny them of their stipends.
It was reliably learnt that at Mr. Aniaguw’s sister’s wedding recently, there was exorbitant wastage of tax payers’ money, whereas those at the centre of the stage are living from hand to mouth.
