Tribunal Verdict: Let’s Work Together – Gov Okowa Reaches Out To Ogboru

The Governor of Delta State, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa has has extended a hand of fellowship to his defeated rival candidate in the March 9, Governorship Election, Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Congress, to team with him in building a prosperous state.
The governor made the call on weekend at an interdenominational thanksgiving service shortly after the reaffirmation of his electoral victory by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which sat in Asaba.
He said, “I appeal to my brother, Mr. Great Ogboru, that the time has come to stop fighting; it is time to partner together to do the best that we can for our people.
“I appeal that enough is enough; it is time to build Delta State together for the good of our people.
“I ask for the hands of the opposition because Delta State is for all of us. We cannot do it alone and I want to thank our supporters and all Deltans for praying for us.
“We require the assistance of all in prayer and in human partnership. We must continue to pray for our state and our country because we believe that our prayer will save our country.
“As Deltans, we must hold firmly to the Lord, because Delta State will continue to remain peaceful and united as we will prosper together,” Okowa said.
He thanked his legal team and former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who attended the service in company with his wife.
The reiterated that the next four years would be more fruitful than his first tenure and called for cooperation.

Gov. Emmanuel has posted Excellent
Performance – Dr Ekuwem Governor Udom Emmanuel has been described as a passionate leader, whose desire to expand the socio-economic frontiers of Akwa Ibom State has brought massive turn around in the fortunes of the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, who stated this during an exclusive interview with Crystal Express on the 32nd Anniversary of Akwa Ibom State in Uyo on Sunday, noted that what Akwa Ibom people are enjoying in good governance presently is a logical outcome of what God has endowed in the person of Governor Emmanuel, who is working tirelessly to ensure that the State evolves like Singapore and others.
However, according to Ekuwem, “Emmanuel’s visions and dreams for the State far outweighs the resources at his disposal. The best description of the person of the Governor is great head, great heart but ‘tiny’ pocket”.
The Secretary to the State Government who attributed his emergence to the exalted seat to the benevolence of the Governor, opined that the State is presently witnessing unprecedented development in all facets of her economy.
“The Governor is constructing several road projects, some of which are the dualisation of Uyo to Etinan to Ndoneyo and Eket in addition to the Ibom Super High Way among several others across the state.
“We have moved to ensure the realisation of the Ibom Deep Seaport Project and the Industrial City Complex, Liberty Free Trade Zone in Ikot Abasi and Power for all project at Mkpat Enin as commissioned recently by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo”.
Ekuwem, observed that Akwa Ibom State is now very peaceful, devoid of security breaches owing mostly to the personality and disposition of the Governor.
“Our Governor is God fearing, prayerful, cerebral, foresighted, visionary, committed and very patriotic. He has handed over the State to God, while he works and supports security agencies to perform their duties optimally.”
He posited that the Governor is very humane and understands the importance of ensuring the prompt payment of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees because of the communal and extended family system in our clime in which many people depend on the salary earners for survival.
Speaking on the State owned Ibom Air, the SSG described the investment as lofty and timely, pointing out that Akwa Ibom people have had a big relief from the frustrations earlier encountered with inconsistent schedules of other air transport in the State.
On how government will ensure the survival of the airline business, Ekuwem explained that the Governor had noted the vices that grounded our former National carriers and other Federal Government investments like Nitel, etc and will never allow Ibom Air to toe that line.
“The governor has identified the cause of the collapse of our National carrier and will never allow such vices in Ibom Air. The Airline is such that even government officials including myself and the graceful wife of our governor queue to board the plane, the same way we would have done when joining other commercial Airlines. Thus if we could behave this way, no other government functionary will go contrary,” Ekuwem highlighted
Ekuwem also spoke on the need for a strong synergy between past leaders of the State and Governor Udom Emmanuel, urging them to continue supporting the incumbent Governor in order to develop the state and to enjoy the glory of their endeavours put in place during their own administrations.
According to him, “Governance is like a relay race. Success is tied to team work. Members of the team must work together assiduously. Every past Governor of Akwa Ibom State must support Governor Emmanuel. Thus, former governors must not just support the incumbent Governor, but also pray for his success in piloting the affairs of the State to earn their respect and glory as successful ex-governors.”
Dr. Ekuwem, further explained that governance as a relay race, demands that the people involved, must not only handover baton to the next person, but urge, cheer and pray for him to end well.
The SSG intoned, “I am happy that we are making progress as a people. But I must call on the predecessors of the Governor to shun pull-down-the-incumbent-syndrome. Akwa Ibom project is a relay match and you have four segments in a relay. The person that hands over the baton prays fervently for the next on the line to succeed and urges him to move faster to the finishing line in other for them to celebrate common successes and a glorious end.
“This is what our former governors ought to know and do for the incumbent in other to be seen as successful too in their service to the State.”
Speaking on Obong Victor Attah, Ekuwem described him as a statesman and a good leader, who has shown tremendous support and solidarity to the success of Udom Emmanuel’s administration.
In his words, “former Governor Victor Attah, who fought for the abolition of on-shore/off-shore oil dichotomy has been very supportive of the incumbent Governor, he has been attending government functions and activities giving tangible support to the Governor to energise him to do more for our people. However if he is working in the contrary now, that means he wants the efforts he expended in building the state to fail and his genuine struggles to be in vain.”
“But we are happy that he is very supportive,” he added.
Please read the full interview with the SSG. Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem in our next week edition.

PenCom Lists Edo Amongst Pension-Compliant States
Edo State has been listed among the top seven states in Nigeria that are up to date with the Contributory Pension Scheme guidelines and remittances of funds into workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts. According to a statement, the achievement was tied to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s pension reforms, which focused on benefitting the state’s workers.
It said that the rating was contained in the second quarter of 2019 report of the National Pension Commission, which listed Edo State alongside Lagos, Delta, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna and Ekiti as up to date in their remittance of pension fund deductions from the salaries of their employees as well as in remitting their own part of contributions into the RSAs of their employees.
“Under the Governor Obaseki-led administration, Edo State has migrated the state’s workers to the CPS, ensuring that workers benefit from the numerous advantages of the scheme,” the statement said.
It added that the governor had continued to clear arrears owed pensioners by previous administrations in the state, while the government had presented no less than N50m to the next of kin of deceased beneficiaries under the CPS since the commencement of the scheme in 2017.
According to the statement, the governor has also set up modalities to enroll local council workers into the CPS to enable them to benefit from the improved scheme.

Politics Without Bitterness
* Udom, Attah attend Udoedehe daughter’s marriage
A lesson in politics was demonstrated by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as he led a broad spectrum of dignitaries to attend the wedding ceremony of Senator James Akpan Udoedehe’s daughter.
Governor Emmanuel, not bothered by political differences, led other distinguished Nigerians to witness the traditional marriage of the daughter of APC chieftain, Senator Udoedeghe in his country home in Afaha Offot, Uyo, the state’s capital.
Udoedehe, a former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, campaigned against the re-election of Governor Emmanuel few months ago, but Governor Emmanuel has often maintained that after the election, political leanings does not matter.
According to Him, “Political parties are mere vehicles to political offices and after the elections, governance over all begins and parties are relegated.”
To demonstrate this practically, Governor Emmanuel attended the marriage alongside the former Governor, Obong Victor Attah, state PDP Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Senator Effiong Bob, former Secretary to State Government, Mr Umana Okon Umana, Executive Vice President of Exxon Mobil, Mr. Udom Inoyo, Chairman of Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) Enobong Uwah and Chairman, Uyo Local Government Council, Elder Imoh Okon, amongst others.