Connect with us

News and Report

Governor Okowa and the failure of leadership….

Published

on

Over a year after his election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the manner in which Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has conducted the affairs of the state, in terms of governance and delivering the dividends of democracy, gives enough cause to worry about both his preparedness and capacity to deliver on his central electoral promise of inclusiveness to, assumedly, better governance. Rather, contrary to general expectations, Delta state has been hijacked by a cabal of political contractors and sundry jobbers, who have captured and taken the state hostage, even as the governor appears clueless and confused on the way forward in addressing the life and death challenges facing the people of Delta state. Honestly speaking, Okowa is carrying about as if he sought to win power first and then plan what to do with it after; he is just so unprepared for office, that not a few Deltans are having voter’s remorse. It is axiomatic that Okowa has set himself to fail. This is an embarrassing letdown by a man to whom much has been given; and from whom much is expected.

Since the creation of Delta state in 1991, the people have suffered under successive corruption-ridden, intrigue-filled, undisciplined and rapacious governments; the poster child of which was James Ibori, who was convicted of corruption and money-laundering and currently serving jail time in Britain. The people had waited to see a change for the better and Okowa’s election held out that promise and hope that a new Delta State was possible. So far, that hope and expectation has turned out to be a luxurious desire as Okowa has put on display, the most embarrassing verdict on his poor leadership credentials, proving to be worse than even his predecessors. Okowa seems addicted to primordial sentiments and prebendal instincts. Granted that before him, the Anioma people of Delta North and the Ijaw have never occupied the exalted office, that in itself; should not justify the abusive patronage and clientelism which Okowa has elevated to instruments of statecraft and governance.

Okowa has return to the old order when Delta state was a jungle in which political warlords and rent-seekers held sway to the detriment of the people. Looking like a man in a hurry, Okowa picked up the baton with gusto and went to work with aplomb, determination and zeal to rehabilitate his disgraced political mentor, James Ibori. To begin with, he stuffed his cabinet with relics of the old guard; people bereft of integrity in all its ramifications. Okowa’s choice for Commissioner of Finance had served in that same capacity in the Ibori administration. His Commissioner for Education was charged alongside Ibori by the anti-graft agency the EFCC. After sacking 3000 workers, Okowa seem not satisfied with the dubious title of “Governor Delta is broke.” He has taken corruption to obscene levels. His modesty in public appearance is put to shame by the splendor of ostentatious living, advertised so gleefully, by his entourage and cronies, who are boasting to anyone who cares to listen that “this is our time to chop.”

It is incredulous, that Okowa, who has elevated the phrase “Delta state is broke” to a personal motto found nothing wrong awarding an airport renovation contract worth N5 billion to ULO Construction Company owned by one of his side-kicks, Uche Okpunor. With practically no experience in the aviation sector, Okpunor sold the contract to a Chinese firm for N500 million and pocketed the difference as commission. The Chinese outfit has abandoned the project and Okpunor defended his action by claiming he received only half of the N5 billion. The balance N2.5 billion reportedly went to underwrite the cost of securing Okowa’s victory at the election appeals tribunal. It is worth noting that the same ULO company received hundreds of millions of naira to renovate the presidential lodge but did a shoddy job, resulting in a fire; only to be rewarded with another contract to renovate the damaged building.

In another paid-to-play scam, Okowa approved a three-year N360 million contract for Daily Independent Newspaper for coverage of activities of the Delta state government. The funds were disbursed by the Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Area Producing Communities (DESOPADEC), William Makinde, an Ibori proxy, who has taken financial recklessness to a level, never before seen in Delta state. If Makinde has seen anything wrong with combining public office with incurable money-mindedness and lust for material aggrandizement, his actions are yet to reflect it. Here is a man who could not pay workers their salaries for the month of December 2015, but spent N50 million in a lavish end-of-year party at the Brown Hill event center. Makinde claims to have paid N5 million to rent the venue, whereas the standard rent was N1 million. Makinde runs DESOPADEC as his private kitchen.

Under Okowa, the developmental aspirations of Delta state have taken a back seat, and everything he does is to empower and fill the pockets of his Ika kinsmen to the exclusion of people from the central and south areas. He has missed no opportunity to reward his political sinecures. A case in point is the decision to re-constitute the moribund board of Direct Labor Agency (DLA) with former Speaker of the legislature, Frank Enekorogha nominated Director-General. Besides the fact that Okowa provided no evidence how the DLA would benefit a state in dire financial straits, that the governor would be opening more drain pipes on the public treasury, at a time workers and contractors are owed arrears, tells badly on his understanding of political leadership as a trust from the electorate to put the people’s interest above any other.

With all the squandermania, Okowa cannot definitely move Delta to a higher level on the scale of development. It is trite to state that development strategy is anchored on some essentials. Following health and housing, transportation infrastructure is arguably the next human imperative and critical factor essential to development. So far from the look of things, the Okowa administration has done next to nothing to improve service delivery and the welfare of the people. Rather, it has been a special purpose vehicle for an admixture of people who, like soldiers-of-fortune, have migrated to where the fortune is, persons driven by greed and self-interest who will stop at nothing in their quest for personal financial gain. This is not what Deltans voted for and it is no exaggeration to suggest that unless he changes direction, Okowa will not win a second term, even if he is foolhardy enough to seek re-election.

Given that Delta State has peculiar developmental challenges, the legitimate expectations for someone coming into the job with impressive grassroots and public service credentials, was that the new governor would bring some sobriety and decency into the governance of the state and possibly surpass the performance of his predecessor. Alas, Okowa has failed. The question now is how long will Deltans tolerate his vampire government? With Okowa having lost his way so early in the day, and if as the saying goes, morning shows the day, then are these signs of worse days ahead? No one except Okowa can answer these questions. To continue to hide behind “Delta state is broke” while lining the pockets of your cronies is hypocrisy that stinks to the high Heavens.

It is indeed pathetic that a man who was given the chieftaincy title of Ekwueme of Ika (meaning a man who does what he says) would turn out to be such a terrible disappointment, yet arrogant and disdainful to the electorate. Because leadership is key to change the present sad state of things in Delta state, the governor must commit himself to, and be seen to so do, a life of rectitude and an integrity-driven government. The only effective leadership is by example and Okowa as the pinnacle of state authority and power, must earn and claim without an iota of doubt, the moral high ground from which to exercise leadership. This, certainly, can be done. The only thing required is for Okowa to walk his talk and lead by example. Surrounding yourself with parvenus, court-jesters, opportunists, political touts and rogues who see their appointments as an invitation to “come and eat” instead of an opportunity to serve is not governance, not to talk of good governance.

 

 

By: Emmanuel Asiwe

Continue Reading
Advertisement

News and Report

Organiser unveils speakers, panelists for the 2024 Industry Summit

Published

on

By

 

The organiser of the Industry Summit, an annual gathering for professionals and experts in brand marketing, finance, sustainability, and entertainment, has announced the speakers for the fifth edition of the summit in Lagos.

 

 

 

The event themed: Sustainable Marketing for Growth would feature the marketing director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Oriakhi as keynote speaker while the head of unit, sustainability at Access Bank, Mrs. Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan and manager brand, strategy & communications at Stanbic IBTC, Ms. Rita Akao would feature as guest speakers.

 

 

 

The summit, which is scheduled to hold on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 at the Marcelina’s Place Ikeja GRA, Lagos would feature some exhilarating panel sessions with some of the contemporary professionals in the Nigerian brand and marketing industry.

 

 

 

The panelists include; Ms. Chioma Mbanugo, Head of Marketing PZWILMAR, Mr. Abiodun Coker, Team Member Media, UBA, Mrs. Mabel Adeteye, Head, Brand & Marketing Communications, Wema Bank PLC, Mr. Kevin Olumese, Marketing Communications Specialist, and Mr. Adeola Kayode, Head, Brands & Creative Services, 9mobile Nigeria.

 

 

 

Others who have confirmed participation are Ms. Aisha Anaekwe, Head, Brands & Comms, Coronation Group, Mrs. Victoria N’dee Uwadoka, Public Relations, Public Affairs & Sustainability Lead, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Samson Adeoye, Public Relations Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwatosin Odiagbe, Marketing Manager, Simba Solar and Ms. Arinola Shobande, Head of Marketing, Showmax.

 

 

 

While Oriakhi would be speaking to the topic, ““New Age Marketing – Catalyzing Transformation Through Value Chain Innovation, Technology, Analytics & Sustainability”, Victor-Laniyan and Akao would present papers on the topics; “Aligning organizational objectives with sustainable marketing for the good of the people, society and business, and “Reimagining Sustainable Growth Through Green Marketing” respectively.

 

 

 

In the press statement signed by the Publisher of The Industry Newspaper/Convener of The Industry Summit/Awards (TIES), Mr. Goddie Ofose, he said that “The 5th edition of the Industry Summit is focusing on sustainable marketing, which is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future, influencing appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and action across economic and sociocultural systems by taking necessary accountability for its impacts and opportunities.”

 

 

 

“In today’s ever-evolving world, debating whether to incorporate sustainability into business strategy is no longer an option. Considering a values-driven approach when developing business strategies can be vital to long-term success” he said.

 

 

 

Therefore, we have carefully selected these professionals and experts to deliberate on the subject matter, highlight challenges and proffer solutions where private and public sectors could take lessons from and improve upon whatever they have been doing,’ Ofose added.

 

 

 

The Industry Summit/Awards is a brainchild of The Industry Newspaper Limited, publishers of The Industry Newspaper (theindustry.ng) and 789marketing.ng.

 

 

 

The summit is designed to bring together industry leaders across the continent in all sectors in the quest to rev up conversations that will move the Nigeria business, economy and communication industry forward.

Continue Reading

News and Report

IBEDC records 1,459 energy theft cases in January, February

Published

on

By

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company said it has recorded 1,459 cases of energy theft by its subscribers between January and February 2024.

This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the firm’s Chief Key Accounts Officer, Mr. Johnson Tinuoye, on Tuesday.

IBEDC added that it is actively pursuing investigations and legal actions against individuals and businesses involved in the theft in collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences.

Identifying the cases, IBEDC said they included various offences such as meter bypass and illegal meter tampering, which resulted in significant financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of naira for the company.

The statement read, “We want to send a clear message to our customers that energy theft will not be tolerated. Our collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences underscores our commitment to ensuring a fair and just electricity distribution system.

“Energy theft not only undermines the integrity of our operations but also deprives IBEDC of the revenue necessary to provide quality services to our customers.”

Tinuoye emphasised that under the Electricity Act, energy theft is now recognised as a criminal offense, carrying severe penalties including imprisonment stressing, “In the Osun region, two individuals were apprehended for stealing energy through meter bypass and illegal connections. Their cases have been formally charged in court for prosecution.”

IBEDC further urged customers to refrain from engaging in any form of energy theft, emphasising that the consequences can be severe, as there is no room for negotiation with the SIPTEO Task Force team, which is actively patrolling and investigating instances of energy theft for prosecution.

Continue Reading

News and Report

Copyright Breach: NCC Drags MTN, Others To Court Over Musician’s Works

Published

on

By

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has filed criminal charges against MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd. and four others over alleged copyright infringement.

The charge with number FHC/ABJ/CR/111/2024 filed in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court was obtained by journalists on Monday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the four other defendants in the case include the chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola; Nkeakam Abhulimen, Fun Mobile Ltd.; and Yahaya Maibe.

In the three-count charge, NCC alleged that the defendants, between 2010 and 2017, “offered for sale, sold and traded for business’’, infringed the musical works of an artiste, Maleke Idowu Moye, without his consent and authorisation.

The commission alleged that the defendants used musical works and sound recordings of Mr Maleke with subsisting copyright as caller ringback tunes without the authorisation of the artiste.

The musician’s musical works and sound recordings allegedly infringed upon included 911, Minimini-wanawana, Stop Racism, Ewole, 911 instrumental, Radio, Low Waist, and No Bother.

The defendants were also alleged to have distributed the musical works to their subscribers without authorisation, thereby infringing on the rights of the artiste.

In the third count, the defendants were alleged to have in their possession, other than for their private or domestic use, the artiste’s musical works and sound recordings.

According to NCC, the alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under section 20 (2) (a) (b) and (c) of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The case has yet to be assigned to any judge, and no date has been fixed for the mention.

Meanwhile, no official statement has been released by any of the defendants as at the time of filing this report, while all efforts to get reactions from MTN by New Telegraph proved abortive.

Continue Reading

Trending