Exclusive Interview On Next Delta Governor: The Task Before Okowa, Deltans – Akaiyighe

Richard Akaiyighe, Deputy President, Chambers of Commerce covering the environs of Uvwie, Okpe, Sapele, Warri, Delta state, in a chat with Cherryl Media.

The incumbent Gov. Okowa and Deltans at large, have a duty to push for the Delta state of their dreams by electing a proven technocrat, a self-made and sound minded individual, like Kenneth Gbagi as next Governor, or they will all regret it for another eight years.

…this axis are my domain as the commercial capital of Delta State whether you like it or not.

When did you become President of this Chambers and how much time is left for you to stay in office?

I was since 2 years ago. Here, you graduate from Vice President to become Deputy President before you graduate to President. So I have been in that corridor for like 2 years and will be leaving now as Deputy President 1 for another two years. By the time the next Governor of Delta state will be coming in May, I am already a Deputy President. Two years after I will become the President of this Chambers of Commerce for entire Delta state.

You must have been in some serious business to merit such an office. What businesses and investments are you into?

I don’t know any other business except oil and gas, though I grew up in Lagos. I was staying in Sclumberger then joined Texaco before I veered into my own business. I have been into oil and gas for over 15 years, so I captured agric from the North.

Frankly, there are too many reasons we need each other. We think we have so much here but the truth is we don’t because our youths are not farming. All they do is this yahoo thing maybe because there is no job but that is not an excuse. Everybody will not work in the oil and gas as agric is also there to explore but we have people fishing before now though we are not doing much fishing, what we do instead, is to consume the fishes just like the evening fresh fish market.

How enabling is the Delta investment environment?

People (government of the day) coming in have the mindset of what they want so they don’t venture into business and no enabling environment because they have a mindset. Then there is this small fund they enjoy, they call it security vote, the more the environment is unsafe the better for them, as those ones are not invoiced, you don’t account for them. So once you hear oh! Wahala is in Warri, Warri is boiling, Okpe, they are shooting guns at Sapele or Asaba you know this security vote is what is being spend as claimed. You don’t account for it, no business!

Delta state is endowed with lots of opportunity, but under every government we have hired, we have not had democracy, never had a business governor, one that tries to fix roads, provide water, create infrastructure etc.

Look at Okowa asking for N150 billion at this election month. It is not fair. For us the organised private sector, they think we don’t have a say in this election. All the men are members and we will tell them, “enough is enough” and this is what we want, “technocrat” somebody who has a vision to build from all this mess.

Every able young man now is in the garage, is that the best! Go to under the bridge in Lagos, even when people are doing garage business, see how organised they are but here is nothing to talk about. You know the VIO is like LATSMA in Lagos, more active than what we have here. They call them Okowa Police, just seizing people’s tyres, plate numbers inorder to extort. Now how do we call them (victims) back, and which environment do you want to tell them to go.

Delta state used to have respect for elders who will probably attack you when you act wrongly but we have lost it all during James Ibori regime since he chose to work with the youths and abandon the elders. Today, all foreigners, oil companies are gone. Warri used to be called Oil City back then but now we have abandoned projects that should’ve given job to be fair to 700 able welders and take them off the street.

We have Delta Steel Construction Company, that’s former Bendel Steel by Enerhen Junction, but they have abandoned it even as it can fend for itself. When Ambrose Ali was Governor, it was that Bendel Steel that produced all the tables and chairs at UBTH, the state, also provided free education to youths and as it shifted to Delta State nothing was functioning again.

Look at the two doctor Governors that have ruled Delta state. They are not business people apart from Chief James Ibori who tried to use business sense, let us give it to him at least he has a business maybe not big one for a gain. The medical doctor came and left, another one still nothing to showcase, no business sense in all their activities.

Infact, we at the chambers of commerce just came back from our meeting finding out that the economy is in shambles. If we continue like this Boko haram matter will be childs play in Delta state. The North is saying they are waiting for us to bring our candidate which cut across Ibo, Yoruba, Urhobo, Itsekiri for presidency yet everytime we want to do tribe, we always don’t grow with it.

For some of the people who want to contest for governorship, we should findout how many of them have been to Lagos state for at least 2 to 3 years before so that they can have some good experiences instead most of them are born here in Delta state, went to Abraka and Benin and didnt even settle in there, but instead came back to settle here in their village and started doing some struggle to become councillor or SA or PA to Governors because they are in one political party or the other.

What aspirants have to offer should be taken seriously concerning all those coming out for 2023 guber race. Look at the best transport company we have. Agofure, before now was silenced by Delta State Governor, its not functioning very well again, you don’t do tribe because it does not grow you as a state.

Findout any man who married outside his domain, “God said leave your father and mother to the land I will show thee”, check out the Ada in Ibo land they don’t allow them go, they are like one in a prison and most of the time when they finally marry they divorce eventually which is the big error because we listen to our parents more.

We need a governor that is fit, tested and trusted, look some get to accept deceit that every governor will steal money but cannot steal all, can one say Governor Wike steal money when you can see what he has done with the state money and people will even say, “if na that kind of thief he go thief, make he dey thief am”.

If we should look at it holistically, part of the problem we have is not being civilized enough. Look at how the Yorubas work together. Meet Tinubu, Osibanjo, Ambode, Fashola in Tinubu’s house, can we have such collaboration from the South South and South East? It is only enemity we are good at. Some years back when Uduagha was the Governor, they form all sorts of scandal against Gbagi that he has lion in his house just to put fear in the people.

I could remember vividly, what Uduagha said then. He wanted to go for senate but he could not deliver it because the era of dictatorship is gradually expiring. We just need a “candidate who will move the state not the tribe to another level”.

The North want to work with Delta state because of many seaports here and they have their presence here already, there is a refinery, gas petrochemical here just name them.

The first sea port in Nigeria is the Forcados and its abandonment was a misplacement of priority, a port that was so busy before Obasanjo saw James Ibori as not been loyal enough and shut it down.

Lagos state that is like Uvwie local government area with 5 to 6 seaports, the lagoon is been sold to build houses now and that tells you what expansion means. We have so many cities in Delta, the reason when we want to compare it with Rivers state, we make mistake. If we talk about Asaba when you come to Agbor, Ozoro, Uvwie lets not talk about Sapele, Uwvie then Koko.

We need a Governor with good thought to look at it holistically to say this senatorial districts what are your needs. Restiveness can only stop when we create employment that can yield jobs but when a Governor has no vision of his own talk less of being a businessman, you can imagine. Somebody sent away Shell from Delta state because he want the property.

Let me remind you internet used to be in Sapele back then till the Governor begin to see it as an exploit venture and asking of what use will it be to the state and shut it down. So at times in the North, the Chambers of Commerce are funded and managed by the government so that they can go speak for them but here in Delta state we have not been able to see our Governor because he has particular faces he does not want to see and all these affect the state negatively. For instance Agbor is good because they have palm fruit then even Chambers of Commerce use to have also but they don’t have again.

So all those palm kernel we use as raw materials to produce soap etc are no longer available. My national president have every big factory producing all sorts of soaps, cleansers etc but we don’t have anymore. Then you will see the woman trekking with their cassava and you know brewery need cassava, Oronigbe trek with their byke loaded. Instead of the Governor to set up hubs for them as everybody want to do it in their village because the city is far, he is watching businesses go away.

Under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, businesses, big and small scale, are said to be folding up rapidly as a result of various gangs invading business premises with bloated levies and taxes in the name of revenue generation. Is your Chambers not aware and effected?

Yes! Like I said, we are the organised private sector, I just had a meeting with the Chairman of the Delta State Revenue Board and it became necessary that we should talk on that matter. He should be able to say same in Delta state because in Lagos they don’t go chasing you instead they send you direct invoice for what is due to you and you pay straight to the account but this one here in Delta state is contracted.

The contractor is contracting to another and another contractor also contracting it out too. Some came to my office with sticks and everything chasing some of my members and I called the Local Government Chairman and he said, “arrest them” and I told him that, they are carrying his paper and he still said, “arrest them” because our revenue is paid straight to our account, that is what it should be because at times when they serve those notices and you take it to their office they say, “God forbid, we trust that we are not the one that served this notice”.

So a lot of things happening and everybody is trying to create avenue to make money. Can you believe that all the perishables and consumptions comes from the North. When they get to Edo state, they are already suffering extortion from Auchi to Delta and as it stands maybe it will even go worse as they wanted to collect N20 to N100 different illegal tolls on the road. Because the haulage drivers probably don’t understanding English, so they will just destroy the tyres that worth over N1million or take the plate number, how will this probably grow the economy of Delta state?

So how do we classify these category of people, are they still from the same source and what are we to do to them if we have an encounter with them?

The ministry of transport has given them one permit or licence to generate revenue for their ministry but we dont need all of that. If you put N100,000 in Delta, I mean if the Governor releases this money N80,000 will definitely go back to Anambra State because that is where the market is. Go to Onitsha Park on Monday morning, you will see for yourself, N10 goes to Benin city pleasure as bad as the road is yet people travel to Benin city for weekend and the other N10 goes to Port Hacourt and nothing remains here for Delta state.

It is a continuous thing with secured environment but when you want to sit out to drink here in Delta state, the environment is not secured at all you will be hearing, “Hello Bro, I dey here o! How can we generate revenue this way? In Lagos, on a Sallah day like this, everywhere is filled with entertainment but here in Delta state you will be scared if you don’t have a big heart.

So as a Chambers of Commerce leader, how do you intend to intervene to remedy the plight of the business owners under this unfriendly environment?

Have you imagined a Commissioner in a state when he gets to traffic? If you see the traffic here near the Osubi airport, you can’t imagine it. Is it not wise enough for a state like this to create an avenue of generating revenue, that is how they do FUPRE. It is human traffic that is causing that one. They are just there tricking old people tricks because they have no vision or plan from the onset and that is the reason we are interested in this new government to come 2023. We want to carefully scrutinise the profile of the aspirants not the one of hear say or the one that will carry our money to go treat his body”.

We must see what plan, vision and mission of the aspirant to be sure of him physically, mentally and otherwise inorder to confirm his intellectual, infrastructural and financial capacity before emerging as a Governor, so as to have the assurance of taking Delta state away from the present situation. Not aspirant that will neglect job creation and push out the youths to be rushing to the river to cook petrol to sell for daily bread inorder to survive.

The youths are not even thinking about their future anymore. We have a Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) here and yet they are no longer talking about going to school instead carrying laptops everywhere while some are even promising their parents they will make it when their future is at stake.

This time, we want a Governor who will transform our state so that it could as well look close to what is in Taiwan. Look at Taiwan producing all these phones for China and when Chinese tried to harass them they just told them they will get them down because their government has vision and that has made their economy rich.

How about the area of infrastructure?
Governor Okowa inherited the bridge here at the Effurun Roundabout which causes a lot of traffic which is considered there as useless, madness and not needed there because if there is need for serious construction, the possibility of not being able to move out pipes from the port into Delta state will become very difficult because the bridge is too low. I am waiting for a Governor who will break the bridge because it is of no use to us and every vehicle can’t go up.

Go to Lagos and see the bridge between Ikorodu and shagamu, the one Lagos is using to Epe, all are so high that any equipment can pass through not this one in Delta that is creating problem and these are tribal issues.

Look at our traditional rulers, everybody is running to the state. Traditional rulers who are suppose to be authorities in their domain. Look at the Olu of Warri, How will you describe that capacity? Do you know if you tell Itsekiri to produce Governor by 2 days they will deliver their Governor because they have just taken a resolution that all these caricature people will not represent them again, you would’ve been sound, tested and trusted before they come out for the race.

As we can see this slot (next Delta governor) is given to Delta Central (Uhrobo) fine. Let us consider it and choose a smart technocrat from Urhobo to represent us as Governor.
We must present somebody whom the North will see and say this “one na our own” because we are always going to the top to beg for federal presence.

Look at this Urhobo man, Omo Agege involvement to the senate and house of Representatives from this short period, look at what he was able to get from them. Ordinarily they won’t give him when I tell people that, it is only a supposed fool that would be made a king, they don’t understand the language. The fund you want to use as Governor to do infrastructure and create employment for the state, you don’t even have it avaliable in this state.

So you just have to parley with them, it was Chief Ibori who first of all in PDP set up a representation in the Senate so everytime they plan impeachment, they quickly call him saying, “your people are here again with their petitions and he cancels all petitions, “na my own and na our own different”. He wants Edevbie because he has work with him but if you look at the chaos around him, I didn’t expect him to propose such name because it won’t sell.

But there are still people here because he did not work with them, he didn’t know them very well. The state is scared of Gbagi because when you have money, nobody controls you but we still have errand boys like Ogboru in PDP but Chief Ibori just told him “you wait small make we just finish”.

People are saying that among all the aspirants fighting to be next Delta governor, only Gbagi has the mind of his own, others are cueing behind one godfather or the other. How do you rate the aspirants?

That is the irony, I don’t know for Edevbie and Omo Agege, all they know is “my oga say” so it will continue. They are scared because they don’t have control for instance, it will be difficult for you to put one somewhere without supporting him and I think among all the aspirants, I don’t know of any one that have capacity and capability except for Gbagi who has a private jet and the car he uses is not a prado Jeep. So the only fear of Gbagi is the fear of the establishment because he can’t be manipulated or toyed with because of his deep business background, wealth, intellectual and security background as a criminologist of repute.

But we need a business, investment minded Governor to creates jobs that will take the teeming idle youth off the street. what is the cause of restiveness? Simply lack of job, idleness, “He fit go corner to dey smoke igbo, drink ogogoro”, but if he has a job, he gets home tired and will not be able to go out for social vices.

We must have a Governor very creative with vision to open up these industries that are shutdown, just like agriculture in the North is giving funds to the Northern people. Even at that, the North has no environmental pollution like Delta. Oil does not spoil their water, which makes their fish bigger than the ones we have here.

How many Commissioners of Agric have we had and what have they been able to bring to Delta state. They cook up small small stories by the time they get N10million for their pocket they walk away, and that’s how bad they can be.

We must have a change of reasoning on how we are doing things. Looking at all these their manifestos of Industralization or mordenisation from some governorship aspirants, I was forced to ask people to show me one investment of these aspirants except for Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi whose investment is all over the state and beyond.

I want to know among all of them (aspirants) who has his personal investment because it is a shame that an oil producing state like Delta is so underdeveloped because then if you mention Warri, we use to hear white men everywhere, oil money but it is now no more like that, so we wish to know how the pride of Delta state will be brought back.

We need to stop this Godfatherism thing and have a taste of reality because the godfatherism is a big problem in this state. Everybody who wants to contest as Governor of the state is still running to Oghara may be because he has been able to do something in the past and understands the language of the top but it does not work anymore as one man cannot know it all.

We at the chambers are not partisan, we say it the way it is. We insist any interested aspirant should have been tested, so instead of you to say you want to be governor and you say you want to build industry, “I no know as you wan do am”, the other one say he want to mordenise Delta, “Gboju gboju talk”, I don’t understand what is avaliable for Delta state that, they want to vandalis!

The Governor who saw vision so much instead of him to expand Osubi airport he went to build another airport in Asaba thinking that Onitsha traders will be using it but Anambra State now have a bigger airport than Osubi airport, so what is the economic value in this, just like the bridge some Governor built here. Of what purpose is this bridge, is that the kind of mordenisation they want to bring, to me all boils down to not having vision.

With their antecedents, it seems they lack the vision that is why it will be difficult for Uduaghan to make senate, Okowa even try to tarr the road in his place with drainage and all of that yet he did not even do the road to Koko so it is not the number of Godfather you have, Chief Ibori came back from London and said everybody must vote for Okowa and so be it.

Urhobo man will say, “let us put our Uhrobo man”, they didn’t vote for party again and they put Omo Agege to build their senatorial districts, check the Senatorial districts of all the states, check those who has done well as at party, I don’t know if you understand the man has brought losses here.

They don’t want to test another person, “na so we dey do am before”. You as an aspirant that want to mordenise the state, the one you destroyed before have you repaired it? You are using canewood before now you want to use sunwood, is that what you want to tell us!

Okowa as far as I am concerned, should act like Buhari who said the people should vote who they want because when Okowa flight will land, am sure it will first crash land in Onitsha airport and his case will be worse than Uduaghan failed experience. It will just be like that of the foolish Tortoise who borrowed feathers from the birds to go for party in the sky, branded self “all of us” and ate all the food meant for all the birds and when it’s time to fly down, all the birds angrily collected all their feathers leaving the Tortoise without any feathers or help.

I wish the government can badge all the members of House of Assembly to Gombe state to check their revenue and compare it with that of Delta state and see how they have failed as a state because Gombe has an airport that can take any aircraft in this country, come and see dualisation, you can actually feel it from both state and federal presence.

The Governor there was once the Accountant General of this country so let’s just gather all these noise makers here in Delta state, leave Kaduna but move to Gombe to let them see for selves what the Governor has achieved.

In the chambers of commerce we travel a lot so we see things to compare, party is supreme na true, come and see it for yourself.

For the organised private sector, you will think they don’t have a say, come and see on the day of election and you will be so disappointed because we are speaking one voice in the whole country already, we can’t continue like this, “na so we dey do am before” will not be allowed to continue.

No! It won’t work that way this time, people are still worshipping money, there are so many people still coming into PDP thinking it is a shoprite saying, “this shoprite is too big” they will just waste your money, see some that are putting posters everywhere can’t even afford a form instead looking for one godfather that will buy the form for them when the governorship form has expired while hanging their receipt and invoices on the road .

Frankly speaking, I don’t want Okowa to do something we will call Okowa versus others, that will be terrible. If you give me 5000 dollars today, give me tomorrow, convert 5000 dollars to Naira maybe N3mllion and in this civilized world now, what will that lead one to? Why don’t you tell that person to create a job for you, when you put the money in your pocket probably you go buy car, who will service the car for you with this fuel rate and how much will it last you for one month?

It is time for us to take our eyes to choose the right person, you see this campaign manifestos this one they go to do on AIT or those one loyal to them to speak plenty grammar without action.

How many of these governorship aspirants are healthy if you know very well, if Okowa has health issue, we wouldn’t have choosen him. I advice we should check their health history and their financial capacity before voting them in, “no bi this one we go put for office the first thing they do is to recover their election money which he spent because he borrowed it and bank is chasing him”.

You know once you become the flag bearer, people will begin to give you money, no now! You should’ve been tested if you have handled government offices without any scandal because my company limited is different from when you get to the office. I know some ministers of Niger Delta region from both state and federal who goes everyday to set blow and people need now to separate them.

What are my trying to say? We need people who have been tested not the ones that lobby, let the people on their own go into the race, with a search for certain criteria for the position, does the candidate you want to vote in for Governor live in Delta state? Does he have his properties in Delta state? You know the Okpe LGA, the logo says, “for you to be a LGA chairman, you must have been living in the local government area. Do you have a house in Delta state? Now that it is limited to Delta Central, do you have your own house in the central (Urhobo land).

So if you live Asaba every weekend, you just go to your house in your village and people will say they visited the Governor in his village house. Do you have a business of your own or factory so that when you become Governor, we will say its because of fund that your business was not doing well before but you now expand your business or factory so that if you steal money, people will say you use the money to expand your business inorder to create job that will reduce poverty in your state as a Governor at least you emancipate the youths out of the street.

There is one man who served in the government of Babangida and Abacha. He is late now. With all his money, his houses in Delta state, Pimos Sapele, Pimos Warri, he lived here in Aziza village. If you want to be Governor, do you have your own personal house in the state? The worst thing that can happen is to give a poor man money to keep, “if he chop the money he will apologise saying he wan talk truth nothing more, the one wey no get house, go hurridly rush go buy house wey go befit him status”.

But if the one that want to be Governor has a house, he will be able to bear to his bills as a Governor. I do see Governors donate stuffs to their state, one of my friend, Governor Makinde of Oyo State was already rich before he became Governor. When you are rich nobody will be able to toss you around as a Governor, you will be able to tell people to their face to go to hell, government presence will be very minimal to you.

Makinde, for instance has his businesses, his company, comes to Warri to do business before becoming Governor not the type that will be saying, “I get garage wey them dey load motor”, can you imagine such CV? Can you have a better transport business than Agofure motors and someone is using garage business for campaign at this era, so sad.

We need a technocrat who has a vision to grow this state, infact we will study and deliberate their manifestos at the chambers of commerce and that takes us back to the screening discrepancy scandal.

Let me be Frank with you, one man which I think should be INEC chairman when he leaves office as Governor should be Governor Okowa because he has conducted national election for PDP which was acclaimed, even APC admitted that was the best result they have ever had with due process, due diligence, publicly counted votes which were certified.

But this one he want to use this his romance with Sheriff to spoil his record so, he is aiming to become vice president or senate maybe for Agbor knowing fully well that the people are waiting for him there. He has a strong opposition in his domain who is already in APC who has a big job there. He might think he knows it all but the North are watching whatever Governors are doing especially in a state like Delta which they have interest.

You know the oil wells in this Delta state are much and the people who own them are watching with keen interest, if this man becomes what happens to us? Like I mentioned earlier, image laundering is very important to some of them. Like Kenneth Gbagi’s, as they claimed, he get women wey he naked, he get lion for his house, he need to clear these earlier than now even though I heard he had judgement in his favour.

Yes! We are aware he has lots of investments in the state and we can see with our eyes here in Delta state so if you are talking of a Governorship aspirants with visible investment then we can all see Kenneth Gbagi in that angle. He is one aspirant we can see among all having the capacity, not those aspirants we can only see on newspapers and online. I noticed they fear Gbagi that is why they do character assassination on his person.

Are you aware that the court clearance was in his favour on that case of naked women, there is a court order on those who planned it to appogise on 2 national newspapers, Thisday and Sun?

So I think they should do the apology because “mouth can destroy one”. I remember there is this scandal also about Edevbie stealing money for Ibori or he stole money for himself and nobody has told us they are apologising for calling them names even when they say Edevbie went to prison but still no counter message so he too needs to use the court to compel those his accusers or people involved to do that apology in the 2 different publications because it is neccessary and very key especially now that he is coming out for Governorship race.

You know when lion travel, all grass cutters and antelopes come out that is the reason you are seeing billboards everywhere even those ones that could not afford governorship form are hanging it everywhere.

I take it seriously when a damage is put on someone, its important to try everything possible to clear it on time. If you tell people Gbagi will be Governor, some will say he is not my friend, that “one wey get crocodile and lion for house”. You mention Edevbie, people will still say that, “one wey thief all the money for Ibori”. If those issues are not hanging everywhere people go dey say bricklayer no fit bi Governor or tout no go fit bi our Governor, we go just tell them to step down and go contest for councillor.

All we are saying is that, the chambers, the organised sectors are interested in who becomes Governor. It must be a technocrat, business minded, selfmade, tested and trusted to become our Governor not money matter anymore.

You know politicians, once they get flag everybody go dey contribute, we don’t want that. You as an aspirant should have your money to contest election not like the one someone is saying he kept N50 billion as a sponsor, he even get choice hotels to lodge people infact that particular sponsor should be facing EFCC by now because there is need to findout where such sponsor get that kind of money from in this country where diesel prize is so high and economy is very bad.

Let me tell you how big the private sector is, in every federal government parastatals, we have a representation, CBN, INEC and the rest of them, so you cannot just bring anybody and expect us to accept. We will protest! Could you ever imagine it that this policeman “Kyari will be treated in this manner”.

They are just afraid of Gbagi instead of them to use the N50 billion to create job for Deltans, that is wickedness! Do you know as they choose President, so they choose Governor and also LGA Chairmen, councillors they say we will choose the president, the president chooses the Governor because they are the people who will work with his successor because he is interested in who becomes the Governor of the state so you don’t do it on your own but if it’s a collective thing that is agreed on fine, that means the person will deliver.

The sea ports in Delta state are all shut down, the issue is who will open them back? Which Governor will open it. They are all giving excuses, just 70 kilometers from Forcados to Warri. If you put Julius Berger at work on the route from Forcados to Warri, do you know what this city will look like. Shell will relocate immediately to Warri, all these choppers that fly about, how many Deltans have a chopper, Olu of Warri took his own money doing clearance for Shell to come back to Warri and we will definitely support him because government cannot employ everybody.

The private people also support government by employing people so if you are not creative on your own how much will a company or newspaper outfit pay you if they even pay at all.

We need a capable man with vision as Governor who must also have the good health to do the troubles of governnorship because as a Governor you have no time to sleep, always awake till 4am. What do you call it, having party meetings, legislative meetings because legislators are also planning their own on how to impeach the Governor so no sleep as a Governor. It is a very tough job for anyone who will finally emerge.

What politicians don’t also understand is that, whenever you are leaving a system and dodging responsibilities that means you have something you are hiding and trying to cover up from the people otherwise I don’t see the yardstick of PDP competing with APC for this candidate Okowa has interest in but if Okowa supports Gbagi to get the ticket Yes! It will be a win-win thing, being that Gbagi is one of the oldest member of this political party PDP, also a founder too so it is very possible Gbagi will be equal to the task because the candidate in APC is still part of PDP before they moved on to APC.

But if he becomes deaf and continue to bring all these category of Sheriff there will be problem. If the Governor does not get himself messed up by getting involved in a Sheriff, if an Edevbie stands in the sun, Edevbie will win, that is a very clear one so let Okowa not go there at all!

If you see the presentation, Edevbie is sound upstairs too, what he will dish out as a technocrat who schooled abroad or Secretary to the former president will trash Sheriff even the North knows him as somebody they can work with but the issue of Yar, Adua, Jonathan stuff will not play here.

What they look at is what role did you play with your position otherwise Sheriff is not a match in this race but the only aspirant who can probably challenge APC is KENNETH GBAGI who they fear and kept doing image scandal on his person but notwithstanding he still need to do some image cleansing as a chamber person because once you have businesses, the chambers of commerce will try to protect your businesses which brings about industralization that leads to mordenisation which other aspirants are claiming to do with mouth because they think mordenisation or industralization is just mere beautification, planting trees that will disappear in a twinkle of an eye for all I care.

A lot of big boys in Delta state like energetic Governor who maybe at 2 am will be coming from Asaba and just branch to a sit out to drink and rub minds with citizens. Let me give you a typical example, Kayemo lost his father, the burial was APC versus PDP affair that is enough to tell you what might happen as Ibori, Okowa attended with the Speaker, Omo Agege and the Vice president who are APC have been to this Delta state twice under two months for this burial. It is a sign of something.

Some people might be very careless, if you want to contribute for system to move, you must be concerned with who is there, if Omo Agege is in the Senate and Gbagi becomes Governor we will gain more from it, I think he has some influence in the North and their security and stuffs at the federal, Omo Agege have redeemed his side too.

The APC at the top does not affect Delta state. That is what we need to understand because the man representing us from Delta state in the APC is doing well but if you bring these other aspirants, the North call them ramshackles, you will loose it because they are not Gbagi’s match that is why Governor Ifeanyi Okowa needs to be very careful so that he doesn’t burn his fingers when he leaves the state. He will not be able to attend parties in Delta state.

You know when you give the state troubles before leaving your tenure, it is a problem. You know Uduaghan did that before and died politically. He needs to appeal, apologise to the people publicly because if you even want to think about Ibori’s problem, Uduaghan contributed to it, he was a disappointment.

I was in UK when they went to beg Okowa to step down for Ibori to bring somebody else but nobody knew that Okowa will become this adamant. If Okowa had off his hands and said Delta Central go and bring your candidate by now his handing over will be like a festival but this one he is still trying to create problem.

Whoever that comes there is okay and what they don’t understand is that no Governor does petitions against another Governor. It is just the fear of the unknown that is worrying them.

It has been this way that, Accountant General most of the time when new Governor emerges, there is going to be a handover of baton, they run after one who won the election and deceive the accountant to collect his phone from him so that the Governor will not reach him to be signing anything again.

There is this fear from people that now Okowa is romancing with Sheriff and delegates seem, already, to be waiting for the money. Do you share such permutation?

Let us state it categorically to the Governor, there is a saying that, “when the ovation is loud, pull out of the scene”, integrity is more important and for the fact that he has done enough and need to earn his integrity for his work over the years. He should not allow his image to be ridiculed in this whole thing, he should just bow out majestically now, that is my candid advice for Okowa.

For the delegates, it is your money collect it but vote in the right candidate for Governor who have sense and capacity to repair the state! Deltans, you must not be stupid to collect money and trade your future and that of the state.

For youths, the man will leave by 4 – 8 years, if you collect that penny and vote in the wrong candidate that day, you have just agree with them to mortgage your future then you continue to suffer.

For women, maybe you like to continue in this miserable life, if they give you money only collect the money, its your money and vote for candidate that have mind of his own with vision who can actually create business opportunities for you and your children if not check if you want cross road and motor kill you, what will you keep for your children.

The era of control and godfatherism has passed, Deltans, Delegates, Councillors, Elders, Youths, Women, It’s all about our future and the future of our children and children unborn.

Let us all do it rightly this time by voting the right candidate with vision, whose antecedents are very visible, who can perform and positively move Delta state forward so that the pride of Delta state can be restored.