Insecurity: Gov Uduaghan Now Commissions Projects At Night

San Francisco, June 07, (THEWILL) – There is a new trend in commissioning projects in Delta State for fear of any possible attack by Deltans especially in the down South and Central areas of the state. It has been dubbed "project commissioning at night" by a source in Government House, Asaba.

Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, weekend sneaked into Okpe-Isoko community and Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North local government area of the state late Saturday night to commission some projects embarked upon by his administration. THEWILL gathered the Governor decided to apply this principle because a similar ugly incident took place late last year, where he was stoned by the people of Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South local government area, hence his decision to enter the two Isoko Communities at odd hours to commission the said projects.The Governor arrived Okpe-Isoko Community at about 7:45 PM hurriedly cut the tape to formally commission the Okpe-Isoko electrification project in company of Mr. George Orugun, Finance Commissioner, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay, Power and Energy Commissioner, Mr. Tim Owhefere, Chief Whip, Delta state House of Assembly among others. He also commissioned a giant Dstv Television Screen at Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North, at about 8:00 PM.However a mild drama occurred which scared Governor Uduaghan and his entourage following an explosion of a fire works at the venue of the commissioning at the Ozoro TV viewing center.THEWILL learnt that notable Isoko politicians and decision makers boycotted the ceremony while few dignitaries waiting for the arrival of the governor and his entourage at the occasion hoping for an elaborate ceremony, were disappointed following the late arrival of the governor at the unholy hour. THEWILL also gathered that the self acclaimed Isoko leader and Power and Energy Commissioner, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay, who was worried over the governor's late arrival was overheard begging and mounting pressure on the governor over the phone as it was learnt the Governor had already put off the commissioning for security reasons.Governor Uduaghan is believed to be afraid to enter Isoko land for anything following what the people considered as a betrayal of trust.It would be recalled that for fear of attack, Governor Uduaghan sometime in March, 2010 flew to Isoko South with a helicopter to commission some projects embarked upon by the council chairman, Mr. Askia Ogieh. A similar incident also occurred at the Delta South Senatorial Town Hall meeting organized by the Governor as over 427 teaching and non teaching staff of primary school in Isoko South local government area who were illegally sacked by the council boss, Mr. Ogieh hauled stones at the Governor and his entourage in October 2009. The visibly angry teachers who dared the presence of security agents drafted to the meeting, indiscriminately threw stones at cars parked around the venue shattering most vehicle windscreen. The ugly incident caused pandemonium in the area as many scampered past their cars in a bid to save their heads. Several persons including prominent politicians, traditional rulers and top government functionaries who had graced the occasion with the governor were said to have suffered minor injuries from the stones thrown at them. The angry primary school teachers, who threw caution to the wind, were said to have targeted the council chairman who was however whisked away in an unofficial car. They were protesting their illegal sack and government's deliberate refusal to pay their outstanding salaries by the council chairman. The teachers who wore red and black clothes to the venue were said to have targeted their victim at the closure of the event and immediately began hauling stones at Governor Uduaghan and Ogieh complaining that their issues had been ignored for a long time. According to them, some of them had not been paid for over eight months and some others were being owed three months salaries. They alleged that Ogieh was insensitive to the plight of teachers in the council area, adding that some teachers and non teaching staff of the Local Government Education Authority were sacked by the chairman on assumption of office for vendetta against the former Secretary of the LGEA, Chief Owhe Emiakpor and the immediate past chairman of the council, Mr. Josiah Iroro.