Militancy: Gov. Okowa Accused Of Incompetence In Handling The Issue

Delta State Government has been accused of insincerity in handling the

recent spate of bombings of oil and gas facilities by the rampaging Niger

Delta Avengers (NDA).
A community leader in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who gave

the knockout verdict, said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was just playing

politics with the people because of security votes and expected revenue

from the federation account.
Comrade Mulade spoke against the backdrop of the dialogue of the state

government and stakeholders towards restoring peace in the state and Niger

Delta which held on Wednesday at Government House Annex, Warri.

The Niger Delta youth activist also accused Okowa's administration of

neglecting the core oil producing areas in the scheme of things and

pointed to the recent commissioning of projects in the upland part of the

state to mark his one year on the saddle of governance, stating that none

was commissioned in the riverside communities.
Comrade Mulade who spoke on wide ranging issues, also condemned the recent

advocacy visit embarked upon by the deputy governor, Barrister Kingsley

Otuaro to the creeks, describing the visit as political jamboree with no

concrete result to show for it.
He advised Governor Okowa to take a cue from the former governor of the

state, Chief James Ibori, who personally visited the creeks in the heat of

the inter-ethnic conflagration, where he engaged the critical

stakeholders; a step he stressed ensured the cessation of hostilities from

the warring parties.
His words: ''The Delta State Government has not been sincere with the

people in the riverside communities as far as this crisis is concerned.

The governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is just playing to the gallery apparently

because of security votes and the revenue from the federal purse.

''To mark his one year in office, he commissioned some projects in the

upland part of the state, none in the areas that are producing the money

he is using to prosecute these projects. We are completely neglected. We

are not happy with the governor. Avengers and other miscreants are

destroying pipelines and the environment and the government has shown no

serious commitment towards addressing the fundamental issues, engaging

critical stakeholders to find a way to arrest the dire situation. They are

only bothered about the oil money and not interested in the development of

the people.''
Asked to comment on the recent advocacy visit by the deputy governor to

the creeks, he said the tour was just to cajole the people as it did not

yield any positive result as militants were still bombings pipelines.

''If the governor is sincere about addressing the crisis, he should

personally lead the negotiation by visiting critical stakeholders and the

communities to see things for himself. The level of hardship in the

communities is unspeakable '', he said.
He continued: ''He cannot continue to be engaging political stakeholders

who are beneficiaries of the crisis and expect to achieve a lasting

solution. It is amazing that the continued lack of sincerity to end the

crisis is as a result of security votes. It is the poor citizens in the

communities who bear the brunt''.
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