By Ben Agande
ABUJA—Officials of Delta State government, including Commissioners, have been placed under watch by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, after it was revealed that a serving Commissioner in the administration was one of those working against the Governor.

A close aide of the Governor,  who is aware of the decision to place the officials under close observation, told Vanguard in Abuja,  yesterday,  that the decision was informed by the discovery that a Commissioner in the cabinet of Dr. Uduaghan had been linked with plots to embarrass the Governor and thereby put his 2011 return bid in jeopardy, especially within Delta Central Senatorial District.

The aide, who craved anonymity, said the Commissioner, who before his appointment served as  Protocol Aide to the Governor, allegedly sponsored some youths in Ughelli South Local Government Area to embarrass the Governor, when he had gone there to commission some projects during the third anniversary celebration of the administration.

According to the source, after investigation following  repeated interruption of the Governor’s speech by some youths,  who were mobilized to disrupt the Governor’s visit, it was discovered that the indicted official had pointed accusing fingers at the Deputy Governor, in order to divert attention from himself.

However, following a meeting of stakeholders convened after the embarrassing incident,  which had the alleged Commissioner in attendance, a youth leader, who was recruited to be part of the job but backed out, reportedly confronted the Commissioner and produced damning evidence, including text messages, allegedly sent by the Commissioner’s associates.

The Commissioner,  who is said to be eyeing a higher political office was reportedly unable to disprove the allegations against him and instead resorted to the shameful act of spoiling for fisticuffs with the youth leader,  but was held back.

Following this discovery, Governor Uduaghan was said to have confer with his inner caucus, where it was decided that government officials must be closely monitored.

The Governor’s aide told Vanguard that the decision to monitor the officials informed the Governor’s recent call on ‘disloyal members’ of his administration to quit or be sacked instead of acting as moles to the benefit of political opposition. Fear has gripped some members of the executive since the Governor’s two weeks ultimatum.