Again Ukah, Aniagwu Fracas Come To Public Domain
The alleged battle of supremacy raging between the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the state governor, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, once again has come to public notice.
This is just as the former governor of Edo State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, at a mega rally of the party in Benin City, Edo State, on Friday 19th January 2018, declared that the party would extend its coast in the South-south by installing an APC governor in Delta State.
In his response, the Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Mr Patrick Ukah, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Mr. Sam Ijeh, in Asaba on Saturday 20th January 2018 and made available to newsmen said, the choice of words, especially the use of 'by installing', by the former labour leader is a manifestation of his limited knowledge of politics as against unionism were he claimed to be a master.
But Aniagwu, who took a sweep on Ukah, and others who reacted to the comments by Oshiomhole, when he was hosted by the Indigenous Correspondents’ Chapel (ICC) of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council Tuesday 23rd January 2018, disclosed that he watched Oshiomhole live, saying that as perfect as Jesus Christ was and is still is, he could not ensure that his 12 disciples were in the best of the spirit.
He said “so, you can imagine that where you have much more number of persons once in a while you have those who think they mean well and sometimes in meaning well, they progressed in error. I have being trying to do what is right but the outcome turns out negatively”.
Continuing, he said, “Those who are writing perhaps think they are helping us. Why should Oshiomhole insult Delta State? Let us hit him. For them they don’t know that they are adding to perception management, it is not always that way”.
He noted that since Oshiomhole is no longer a governor “so in which case, his pedigree has come down. So, if you as a governor want to begin to engage him, it is either you must come down to his own level”.
According to him, “he did not mention Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa because I watched it live. He didn’t mention the name of my governor. He only said we are going to take the broom to Asaba and sweep off the PDP, in political calculation, it is not criminal, he is campaigning, he is a member of the other party. Were you expecting that he is going to say he will make sure that PDP wins?
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ukah, middle, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu right and the Executive Assistant to the governor on Orientation, B
According to him, there was no need to respond, “Because when we too go and campaign, are we going to say APC will stay? We will say no room for APC. Except if he has accused us for lack of performance, which he didn’t do. If he accused us for lack of performance, we will put it on the table; we will say no, you are wrong. We have done A B C D which you are not able to do. That is the only way I would have come and joined him in the ring”.
He stated that what Oshiomhole did was a side kick, “and I don’t want to join him in kicking from the side. If he wants to kick from the ring, then, let’s meet in the ring and so that was for me, it was not an issue.
He said individuals in democracy must have divergent of views and opinions, “so it is not every opinion that does not taste nice to the taste bud that you must regurgitate and spite out. There are some even as bitter as they are, you swallow them because it come with the time. So, for us, we were not …. But we will not vilify those who have decided to respond to him. So, it means that he has being reduced to that level. So, let him go and respond to them but as a government we didn’t respond as a government, we are not losing any sleep on account of that”, Aniagwu added.
Below is the “unedited” response of the Delta State government via the Commissioner of Information titled:
“Ukah Chides Oshiomhole Over Comments On Delta”
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, has chided the immediate past governor of Edo State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over his comments on Delta State.
The former Governor had at a mega rally of the party in Benin City, Edo State, on Friday declared that the party would extend its coast in the South South by installing an APC governor in Delta State.
However, Mr. Ukah, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Mr. Sam Ijeh, in Asaba on Saturday, said that the choice of words, especially the use of ' by installing', by the former labour leader is a manifestation of his limited knowledge of politics as against unionism were he claims to be a master.
The Commissioner for Information expressed surprise that Comrade Oshiomhole, who is a leader of a party that has brought untold hardship to Nigerians, will be talking of installing a Governor in a state that is not his own instead of suggesting ways of how to make living bearable for Nigerians.
Mr. Ukah posited that with the numerous developmental projects going on in various parts of the state, Deltans are satisfied with the performance of the present administration and this was made manifest by the resounding victory recorded by the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently conducted local government election in Delta State.
The Commissioner for Information advised the former Governor to first join hands with others in his party to put their house in order by conducting a successful national convention that is long overdue instead of engaging in a wild goose chase.
He said that Comrade Oshiomhole should not be deceived by fair-weather politicians who are leaving the PDP for the APC describing them as spent forces who feel uncomfortable with the reforms presently going on in the PDP.
Mr. Ukah said Delta was in safe hands under the leadership of Senator Okowa adding that those who will attempt to flex muscles with the Governor would be be denounced and disgraced by the people.
He said the likes of Comrade Oshiomole were responsible for putting Nigeria in comatose thereby taking the country that was on steady growth, several steps backward.
The propaganda used to deceive Nigerians into voting APC into power and now regretting their actions will not fly in Delta State, the Commissioner for Information said.