By Sam Akanimo
Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), a grassroots-based civic group, has taken on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State over his recent Sports Utility Vehicles to federal legislators from the state.
Apparently irked by the alleged frenzy of one of the federal lawmakers (Rev Francis Waive) about the SUV, NDPC’s Coordinator, Zik Gbemre, says the vehicle is a puerile gift from the governor.
In a statement wired to this reporter, Gbemre says Governor Oborevwori’s puerile gift of jeeps to them “is the height of glorification of insensitive governance induced by extreme greed and shamelessness.”
NDPC is however committed to fostering, promoting, propagating and projecting ‘sustainable peace’, law and order, equity, social justice in Nigeria, particularly in the polluted oil and gas region.
According to the group, “since March 14, a rubber-stamp Delta State House of Assembly, playing Governor Oborevwori’s script suspended Matthew Omonade, a member representing Ughelli North Constituency 1, on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The victim’s offense was protesting that the governor (allegedly) plagiarised his intellectual property, a bill he conceived, presented to the House for hearing was swept under the carpet by Speaker Emotimi Guwor.
“Same speaker read the same bill, word for word, to the Assembly as Executive Bill. Not only is the intimidated lawmaker a constituent of Rep Waive, but Omonade got his state Assembly seat on the same platform Waive used in getting his NASS seat.
“Waive cannot claim ignorance of the trials of Omonade. As informed and self-righteous as Waiva, he doesn’t need to be reminded that as a key opposition leader in PDP ruling Delta, he and his party, the APC should come hard on Governor Oborevwori for unjustly punishing until now strongest opposition voice in the state assembly.
“Waive and his Delta APC has been mute on the tyrany against Omonade. Of all the gratitude from the beneficiaries over Oborevwori self-glorifying Greek gift to Delta NASS members, it was holy Waive that lost his emotions the most.”
The Rep on the spot, allegedly praised Oborevwori, saying the governor has done what has never been done in “our history by extending the kind gesture to all irrespective of political party affiliation. Today I received mine and all of us in the Delta caucus of the 10th National Assembly appreciate you.
“You have demonstrated again and again that you are Governor of all Deltans. And posterity will not forget you. This is a new dawn in our polity. Please keep carrying every one along. I pray the Almighty God bless you and reward you by himself.”
Obviously jolted, Gbemre’s NDPC queries, “of what benefit is the donation of SUV to Waive and fellow Delta NASS members from a local champion whose misgovernment has become the pain and shame of a state?”
The media was recently awash with public curses and condemnation on federal lawmakers restocking their official vehicle fleets with 360 SUVs estimated at N57.6 billion. Three young members of the National Assembly rejected theirs, claiming the vehicles were not needed by them.
The group has also faulted the High Court complex in Asaba, that was commissioned days ago by former President Goodluck Jonathan. The event was part of activities that marked Governor Oborevwori’s first year in office.
But, the Gbemre group is claiming that the show was a smokescreen. According to NDPC, “the high court building was started by the administration of Chief James Ibori, who was known for shoddy jobs. His cousin, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, resumed work on it and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa completed it and allowed it for use without full painting and furnishing.
“What Oborevwori did in that high court building was to paint and provide furniture and do a few finishing touches. Oborevwori should tell Deltans whether the luxuriant Customary Court he saw in Rivers State, and the kind of projects he was invited by Governor Siminalayi Fubara as a special guest are of the same quality?
“While the governor of Lagos State has just commissioned another 270 housing units in Egan-Igando, Governor Oborevwori is busy setting misplaced, egoistic priorities having no bearing on the common man, setting new tone in misgovernment.
“And it is Waive, a sanctimonious APC Rep member who should be constructively criticising the local champion governor that has assumed Oborevwori’s chief cheerleader, because of a car gift at the expense of the majority neglected Deltans.
“Few days ago, we re-echoed the sorry state of Orhowhe Primary School Iwhrekan-Edjophe in Ughelli South Local Government Area, with dilapidated buildings, leaking roofs with no chairs, tables and desks for teachers and pupils.
“Just as Ughelli South is one of the three local government areas Waive is representing in the House of Representatives, Okuama, also his constituent community, needs urgent humanitarian aids and rebuilding after the attack by the military over the killing of some solders there.
“The hundreds of millions of naira the governor wasted on gratifying Waiwe and his colleagues would have gone a long way in renovating Orhowhe Primary School Iwhrekan-Edjophe and starting meaningful interventions at rehabilitating and resettling Okuama people.
“Instead the governor is making promises to rebuilt school and health center for the community, when he is supposed to have commenced action as soon as the military withdrew from Okuama. Senator Ede Dafinone visited and made same empty promises.”
Adding, the Gbemre group said the Nigerian populace has continued to live in abject poverty, including the soldiers, police and DSS guarding the officeholders and politicians who continue to flow in wealth of the people forcefully taking from them.
“There is always a day for the owner of the house because we have seen some thieves suffer kamal before”, says NDPC.
