Okowa runs close-door govt – SDP

The Delta State chapter of Social Democratic Party (SDP) has berated Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s first year in office, saying that the projects on ground being carried out were too expensive.

The party said after a careful observation, critical analysis and an unbiased assessment of the Okowa-led government, the political party has unequivocally hinted that, “Okowa is running Delta State not as an elected governor, but as a monarch, a ruler and not a leader”.

In a press release signed and issued in Asaba by its chairman, Hon. Oke Idawene, and available to the Daily Times the SDP pointed out that it wanted to know the financial status of Delta State allocation from the Federation Account since Okowa assumed office. “What has happened to the federal bailout fund and the payment of salaries?”

The party also demanded to know what had been happened to the ecological fund, “DESOPADEC financial state, accounts and projects, what happened to the 13% derivation fund? Where is local government fund?”, the party asked.

The party queried Okowa over the Federal Allocation accrued to the state in the past one year and the internally generated revenue (IGR). “We state categorically that Governor Okowa has performed far below Deltans’ expectation”.

The party that the IGR of the state had not been properly harnessed, but shrouded in secrecy, revealing that, “the security in the state had dropped drastically within the past one year”.

“We make bold to say that if in a month these issues are not addressed, we shall use all legal means to seek redress to ensure Deltans get ‘Transparent and Good Governance’. Enough of closed-doors and closed-hearts style of government in Delta State”, the party said.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Okowa, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, noted that in Okowa’s administration there was delegation of powers.

He said that “I don’t understand what they mean by ‘monarch or ruler’ but I know that Deputy Governor has his own functions, Commissioners have theirs and so on, so the party just want their voice to be heard in the pages of newspapers, though, they are entitle to their opinion as democracy allows it”.

Aniagwu said that Okowa had concluded his inauguration of projects that cut across the three Senatorial zones and would do more in his second year, urging Deltans to support Okowa’s derive for prosperity to all Deltan.