Urhobo Group Blasts Ex-Minister, Gbagi over Remark on Delta Deputy Governor
Former Minister of State of Education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi has come under
attack over statement credited to him for advising Delta State Deputy
Governor, Professor Amos Utuama SAN to drop his gubernatorial ambition on
the ground of old age.
It would be recalled that Kenneth Gbagi who had declared his intention to
context for Delta State Governorship election in 2015 addressed a press
conference at Warri, Delta State recently in which he advised the present
Deputy Governor of Delta State Amos Utuama to drop his governorship
ambition based on his old age.
Rebuking the former Minister on his remark on the person of the Deputy
Governor of Delta State after arising from their Council meeting, group
under the aegis of Urhobo Collective Agenda of Nigeria (UCAN) in a
statement titled, “The Urhobo Nation and Kenneth Gbagi…The Unacceptable
and Unconstitutional Dance of an Aspirant”, signed by its Chairman
Ighogbado Emuesiri Esq, Secretary-General, Enaowho Dominic and Public
Relations Officer, Etaneri Mudiaga argued that Gbagi's advise to
Utuama to drop his gubernatorial ambition on the ground of age is
unsolicited, rude, unacceptable and unconstitutional.
Describing Gbagi's statement as premature which revealed him as an
unintelligent aspirant that lacks depth and content in the conduct of
human affairs, the group argued that Gbagi in the course of the press
interview did not at any point state what he plans to do for the people of
Delta State if he becomes the Governor of the state, adding that rather he
concentrated on making utterances whose sole aim is to pull down Utuama.
The group maintained that it is not in the character of an average Urhobo
man or woman to use rude, uncouth and abusive language to address issues
relating to their Seniors and benefactors, adding that it is also not
within the ethics of the Bar.
“We have decided to educate Kenneth Gbagi that his ill motivated advise is
totally unacceptable and not in the character of a true Urhobo son or
daughter to show this level of disrespect to a senior under the pretence
of “advising him”. This we believe is all in a bid to pull down Prof. Amos
Agbe Utuama SAN our Deputy Governor and the number one politically elected
office holder from Urhobo Nation in Delta State.
“We are concerned and worried that Kenneth Gbagi whom we believe has a
copy of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, can give such
an unsolicited advice to his former lecturer without citing the section
where it is stated that a person above 60 cannot contest for the Governor
of a State or President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We hereby state categorically that Prof. Amos Agbe Utuama SAN, the Deputy
Governor of Delta State and any person above the age of 35 as provided
under S. 177(B) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria is eminently qualified and equipped to run for any office
including the office of Governor of Delta State,” the group disclosed.
The group vowed that they are prepared to support Utuama or any other
Urhobo son or daughter who decided to run for the Governorship of Delta
State than to support Gbagi who have chosen to dance naked in public in
the name of seeking political office.
They noted that as a group, they are not prepared to shy away from
taking a stand against people like Gbagi who because of their personal
ambitions, fail to be humble and show respect to their Urhobo Elder
Statesmen and women or the Government of Delta State and the Federal
Government of Nigeria.
The group maintained that they strongly condemned the shameful action by
Gbagi for giving such an ill conceived advise to a very prominent Urhobo
son whose unblemished, record in the service of the Urhobo Nation and
Delta State is worth of very high commendation, just as they pointed out
that Gbagi must also be made to realize that the office of the Governor
and Deputy Governor of any state in the Federal Republic of Nigeria should
not be brought to ridicule by any one especially those who plan to occupy
it.
“Consequently, we are through this medium calling on all those who wish
to seek any political office in Delta State and in the Nation, to be
cautious and humble with their language in the pursuit of same because as
our elders say “the word of mouth is like an egg” if it falls and breaks,
it cannot be put together again.
As Nigerians and Deltans, we expect the former minister of State to
project a high standard of decorum and a temperament that is not directed
by negative human emotions or impulses. We expect that verbal outbursts
that can otherwise be classified as “private discussions” should not be
subjected to unnecessary cheap press conferences. We expect that
ex-ministers including ministers of State in or out of office should
conduct themselves with some level of dignity and not desecrate their past
offices to the extent that people are asking how the individual managed
to become a minister of state in the first place,” the group advised.