Delta State is bleeding profusely and the level of socio-economic haemorrhage is extremely huge to the extent that every facet of our state as a sub-national is gasping for air. You don’t really need to rack your brain in order to decipher why our beloved Delta State is in a precarious state. All you need do is to recall the profound quote by the erudite management sage, John C. Maxwell when he said; “Everything raises and falls on leadership”.

We have been very unfortunate to have a government in the state for the past seven years that has been principally driven by the vision of self-enrichment and the near-total neglect of the vast majority of Deltans. The indicators of bad governance in Delta State are staring at us all. From the embarrassingly horrible level of infrastructures to weak health care. From the collapsing educational system to the alarming rate of unemployment, amongst others. The feeling of bad governance has caught up with everyone in Delta State. How do one explain the very painful reality that patients in a lot of public hospitals in Delta State now contribute money to buy fuel in order to power their generators? How do we explain that the tuition fees in Delta State University is now between one hundred and eighty thousand naira (#180,000) to around two hundred and fifty thousand naira (#250,000), how many civil servants in Delta State can afford to send their children to the state university without resorting to being involved in corrupt practices? In a similar vein, I often find myself chuckling each time I hear people refer to Governor Okowa as “The Road Master”. I always ask myself if such people were referring to the Delta State on planet earth or whether there is another Delta State in other planets like Jupiter or Mars. Furthermore, pensioners across Delta State who have committed about 35 years of the productive part of their lives to serve Delta State, demonstrated only recently and demanded that Governor Okowa should pay them their pensions which have been pending for years. What can be more inhuman than that? Indeed, a lot of Deltans can now vividly see the wickedness that governance has become in Delta State.

If you think that Governor Okowa has done enough damage to Delta State, then it simply means you have not been paying close attention to recent events in the political arena in Delta State. You don’t need to be a Professor of Politics or a political soothsayer to know that Governor Okowa and his conspirators have a vision to completely annihilate Delta State. This explains why he is desperate to foist on Deltans a candidate that will continue from where he will eventually stop come 2023 and as if that is not bad enough, his preferred candidate has told us to “expect more and that he is going to continue from where Okowa stops”. He has also said that “what he has going for him is not his academic qualifications but his street credibility”. Street credibility as yardstick to become the Governor of Delta State in the 21st century? Are these not signs that the current governor and his preferred candidate do not care about the future of Delta State? If your answer to this rhetorical question is in the affirmative, then you are a patriotic Deltan. It also means that you care
about the future of Delta State.

There is no better way to show that you care about the future of Delta State than actively participating in choosing the governor who will serve the best interest of Deltans and promote good government. Delta State needs to be emancipated. It is on this note that I enthusiastically recommend, The Most Pro-masses Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; The Deputy Senate President for Governor of Delta State come 2023.

Why Senator Ovie Omo-Agege you may ask? I am keenly interested having Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as our next governor (you should too) not because of emotional or “Stomach Infrastructure” reasons but because he has demonstrated beyond measure that he is committed to the well-being of his people. He has shown that he has a burning passion for socio-economic development and creating indelible legacies. With a track record of unparalleled legislative achievements, the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District has shown that uncommon feats can be achieved through effective and people-oriented leadership.

As a Senator without executive powers, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege successfully attracted numerous projects to Delta State like the Federal Polytecnic at Orogun and the elite Nigerian Defence Space School. He also undertook the very resourceful power programme with the aim of ameliorating the problems associated with electricity distribution by installing brand new transformers and replacing obsolete ones in different parts of the state. He also aggressively embarked on mass provision of solar street lights across numerous villages and towns of Delta Central Senatorial Districts. He also focused his passion on deepening educational development by executing remarkable educational and ICT infrastructures in schools like the construction of blocks of new and renovated classrooms, modern ICT facilities, provision of desks and computers to facilitate learning in the different schools across the state. He has built primary health care centers and provided medical equipment to public hospitals. He has constructed various water schemes. He has facilitated different empowerment schemes and programmes for women and youths. There are many more things he has done to show his obsession with making life better for his Senatorial District.

In summary, Delta State is in disgraceful state in all socio-economic indices which is caused by having governance that has been propelled by greed, incompetence and lackadaisical attitude towards the pains and challenges of Deltans. However, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has promised to build a new Delta and reshape our narrations when he becomes Governor by 2023. He has encapsulated his strategy as EDGE ( EMPLOYMENT & EMPOWERMENT, DEVELOPMENT, GOOD GOVERNANCE, ENDURING PEACE & SECURITY).

I strongly believe that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is the solution to a greater and better Delta because his intimidating record of service to his people and his monumental performance are indicators of what he is capable of achieving for Delta State. So, if you truly care about the future of Delta State, you will work and support Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to become the Governor of Delta State come 2023.

With Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as Governor of Delta State come 2023; our EMACIPATION is guaranteed.

My name is Dr (Mrs) Veronica Ogbuagu.

Centrality of morals in democratic politics and leadership connotes political correctness, moral uprightness, well activated and nurtured good conscience, broad reasoning and unbiased analysis of issues, well calculated thoughts processes, proactive decisions and deliberate patriotic alignments by political actors and leaders in the pursuit of individual and party interests for good governance.

It also refers to sound leadership principles and firmness, good strategy management, result oriented political permutations and harmonious team work synergy with the ultimate objective of influencing, providing and sharing dividends of democracy to citizens via all strata of representative governments.

Actions and inactions emanating from centrality of morality in power politics usually facilitates social harmony, programmes and policies that genuinely impacts the lives of majority of the people in a multicultural, diverse religions and multiethnic society like Nigeria. This level of multifaceted intellectual exclusivity can only be accessed at the very top of leadership and power pyramid.

And when applied to power game and governance; the major objectives of the concept of centrality of morals and good conscience is to strategically guide decision makers, leaders and political actors, so as to act decisively on complex issues that affects or benefits the greater number of people in a state, country or social milieu. It is a selfless realm of strategic leadership.

Furthermore, centrality of morality requires open heart, detribalised instincts, imbibing the principles of equality, rule of law, equity, good conscience and service above self. The worldview of these class of leaders and political actors is usually broad based and nationalistic in scope. It abhors narrow mindedness and selfish personal interests. It is a calling. Governor Okowa dwells here!

Centrality of morals in political power game requires steady focus, uncommon tenacity, deliberate hard work, absolute dedication to duty, unblemished integrity, unconditional selfless service to the people, strength of character and pragmatic doggedness to withstand political storms.

Thus, visionary and goals oriented political actors must first plot the electioneering graph correctly, then deploy centrality of moral force and good conscience in the political arena while at the same time politicking and aligning with the right camps or caucus before, during and after electioneering dispensations.

The party’s interest and direction is uppermost in all calculations and political permutations. This thought process hardly fails in the dynamics of power. Governor Okowa and Former President of United States of America, Barack Obama Esq and few world leaders are found in this tiny enclave of highly productive and pragmatic leadership family.

It is a well known fact that major political parties plan to win big time during general elections, and for this to happen some patriotic and loyal political actors must of a necessity deploy the multifaceted strategies and gains of centrality of morals to negotiate political power before, during and after electioneering campaigns and victories. This does not and will never amount to betrayal in party politics.

To succeed through the moral factors you must be willing and ready to forsake narrow self interests for the party’s greater interests that would ultimately benefit majority of the people in a state or country. This is exactly where to situate governor Okowa’s dynamics of power game. Only great thinkers dwell in this realm.

As Ohaneze Ndigbo rightly posited, Okowa displayed maturity, wisdom, uncommon tact, intelligence and unblemished capacity in the process leading to the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as PDP’s presidential candidate. This apt and revealing!

He efficiently deployed sufficient dose of Centrality of Morals, equity and good conscience by placing the interests of PDP and love for Nigeria, far and above narrow personal interests while dealing with complex political issues, especially for aligning himself with the peoples desire to rescue Nigeria from the bad governance of APC national government.

Winning the presidential election in 2023 becomes the primary responsibility all loyal party men, women, youth and supporters. I strongly believe that the Okowa/Atiku ticket will provide lasting socioeconomic and infrastructure development of this country. Do well to read Atiku’s “My Covenant with Nigerians.” It captured our problems and provided permanent solutions to these embarrassing problems.

In the light of the above salient facts, one must recognise and appreciate the political leadership and statesmanship, as well as the patriotic zeal exhibited by the governor of Delta State and Vice Presidential Candidate of PDP, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, before, during and after the party’s presidential primaries.

Yes, the Southern governors converged in Asaba and agreed on a Southern Presidential ticket in 2023. Their collective decision cannot and will not override the final decisions of their respective political parties. It was a marriage of political strange bird fellows with different political ideologies.

Simply put, the Southern governors decisions which was not at the instance of the national leadership of their political parties, APC and PDP, was therefore subject to the zoning intrigues of the parties. It was a joint decision of governors in Southern Nigeria, not the decision of the political parties, and whereas party is supreme.

It is absolutely impossible for PDP and APC governors in Southern Nigeria to impose that decision on their political parties. Never, it won’t work and it crashed like a pack of cards.

Governor Okowa and other governors of PDP in Nigeria; North and South adhered strictly to the “no zoning of presidential ticket” decision of the party. The decision enabled all eligible and qualified party men and women to join the race for the presidential ticket and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar won gallantly in a free, fair and transparent primary in Abuja.

Governor Okowa, for reasons best known to him decided not to join the presidential race. And if he did, some political detractors would have bought advertorials in national newspapers to accuse him of spending Delta State money to pursue his presidential ambition.

He chose to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, because of his visionary leadership, well articulated and achievable manifesto, his pedigree and capacity to win the presidential election for PDP in 2023. The question to ask is; does it amount to betrayal for Okowa to support any presidential aspirant of his choice during primaries? The right answer is obviously NO. Does it amount to betrayal or breach of constitutional or moral rights for a PDP governor to comply with the decisions and/or directives of his political party? We all know the answer to be NO.

It follows that governor Okowa did what was right by supporting Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant of the party, because zoning was jettisoned by PDP. In fact, no nobody called governor Okowa a betrayal until he was named the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP by Alhaji Abubakar.

More importantly, governor Weysom Wike who PANDEF and Middle Belt groups supported for the Southern presidential ticket avoided Delta and Edo States during his consultation tour of the Country. He visited the Oba of Benin Kingdom and left Edo State without visiting Governor Godwin Obaseki and the delegates.

In my view, Wike felt Edo and Delta delegates votes were inconsequential. No matter the circumstances, he ought to consult Edo and Delta governors and the delegates.

As a matter of fact, Governor Wike technically declared Edo and Delta States as political enemies by his actions and inactions, and for bluntly refusing to consult the governors of the two states and their delegates.

Governor Wike, no doubt, is a dogged and popular politician with multifaceted contacts across the country. He should understand that in any political race, one person must emerge as the winner. And as a valuable party leader within the PDP family, it behooves on him to collapse his political structures into the Atiku/Okowa winning ticket. This is my humble appeal to our indefatigable leader and performing governor of Rivers State.

From the above scenario, it goes to show that Okowa became an alleged betrayal after he got elevated to the enviable position of Vice Presidential candidate. This unmerited song of betrayal is heavily garnished with unfounded allegations calculated to misinform the general public. It is very unfair and undeserving.

In my humble view and without disrespecting our PANDEF and middle Belt leaders, governor Okowa deserves apology, commendation and goodwill messages from those castigating him unjustly. He did not betray the Southern governors, not governor Wike, and he will have no reason to betray anybody.

Okowa is a pragmatic and visionary leader endowed with uncommon wisdom, high sense of humour, positive aura and meekness, foresight, goal oriented and well principled. He is essentially a grassroot politician, a strategist par excellence, a master planner and a team player.

Delta State gave her best leader to this nation, in the person of the Vice president in-waiting, Senator Okowa, and together with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the duo shall make Nigeria great again. Their foreseeable synergy in jobs and wealth creation, qualitative education free from all manners of strikes and neglect, economic remodelling and revamping of the nation’s industrial potentials, good wealth policies and medical care for citizens, permanent solutions to security crisis, unite the country shall restore the nation’s status as the real giant of Africa in all ramifications.

Okowa is not a betrayal, he is a great patriot, a loyal party man and a leader who has deliberately dedicated his life to serve humanity and dear our country, Nigeria.

As he rightly puts it while speaking to Nigerians on Channels Television; “it would have amounted to gross disservice to Nigeria and Nigerians if I had rejected the Vice Presidential candidate offer.” I concur.

In a nutshell, Okowa’s centrality of morals in the dynamics of political power and balance of power is worthy of emulation by present and future leaders in Nigeria and beyond.

Congratulations, once again, to our amiable Vice President in-waiting. You are a great selfless leader and a nationalist par excellence.

About the Writer: Olorogun Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe Esq, is the Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor on Communications, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management, Fcism, and Chairman, Coalition for Media Politics and Governance, CMPG.