By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Delta Commissioner for Communication, Chief Paulinus Akpeki spoke to Vanguard on the politics of Delta and why Deltans should return Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan as governor among others. Excerpts:

What are the chances of Uduaghan in the re-run polls against an Urhobo, Chief Great Ogboru?

The Urhobos had eight years in Government House under the leadership of our former Governor, Chief James Ibori. We also had another two years under Chief Felix Ibru and in 2006 Deltans felt that power should shift to either the North or South. But the Urhobos also felt that they had the right to contest and we had a lot of Uhrobo aspirants at that time. Even when Ibori asked them: ‘how do you intend to win with all these aspirants?’ the Urhobos never listened more so when the South was coming with just one or two aspirants at that time.

Now, the Urhobos are predominantly PDP and I do strongly believe that the problems we had are purely internal and it is PDP vs PDP

If we say that Urhobos will win because we are majority I think it is doubtful because the other two senatorial districts are also hell bent on saying that power has shifted and it will shift. So, on that premise, the PDP as a political party must deliver Uduaghan in the other two senatorial districts in the North and South.

The Urhobos have eight local governments and I can confidently and comfortably say that these eight local governments that nobody can claim or say that they will all vote for any Urhobo candidate. I start by saying that by the grace of God Sapele where I come from will vote Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. Okpe local government will vote Dr. Emmanuel Udugahan.

I know that the Urhobos will vote Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Then, how do you place Ovie Omo_Agege in all this?

My friend and brother, Ovie Omo_Agege is not a threat and I stand to say it and he knows it. For when he had the backing of more of the Urhobos, he couldn’t make it at Ogwashi_Ukwu talk less of now that he does not have the backing of the Urhobos. I throw my hat into the ring if Ovie Omo_Agege even wins two local governments in Urhobo land I will quit politics.

How do you reply those who say anybody but Uduaghan?

I have not heard that because a lot of people say all sorts of things and I wish I could know some of those persons and their reasons. But we are also saying that it is Uduaghan and no other person.

Those who are chorusing this are also claiming to have the tacit backing of the President. Don’t you have any fears?

Unfortunately, not everybody can get to the President. Anybody can just walk into the place and come out and tell you, ‘I have the tacit approval of this or that.’ We also know that we have the full support of the presidency. Uduaghan is the candidate of the PDP we also know that a few persons were trying to work to scuttle his candidacy, they have not succeeded and if they have not succeeded, it means that Uduaghan is our candidate indeed and we as a political party in Delta will by the grace of God deliver Uduaghan.

PDP is a political party, it is a movement and we are ready to support our own and our own in the PDP is Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. I Chief Paulinus Akpeki is saying that we want to prove to all Doubting Thomases that PDP is the only party in Delta State now and tomorrow and we are the party to beat and if we are the party to beat, therefore our candidate, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is the candidate to beat.

How would you assess the performance of Uduaghan while in office especially in terms of infrastructure development?

No government in the world, especially in Nigeria, can claim that it will build all the infrastructure at a go. Here is a state for instance that has N9 billion as allocation for the month. Prior to the minimum wage increase, Delta State pays N5.6 billion every month as salaries. Every month, Delta State gives N2.5 billion to DASPODEC which is supposed to be an interventionist agency. Left with N1 billion, and it is this N1 bill that will be used to service government, ministries, parastatals, House of Assembly, and other agencies. Yet, this same government has as at today put on ground the airport.

The delay in commissioning the airport is because government had to extend the runway and put there some more facilities, the reason being that we want to accommodate bigger jumbo jets and then ensure that it has facilities for both passenger and cargo services.

We did not at any time increase the contract sum up to N40 billion as being alleged by a group of persons. The Warri street light came on board during Uduaghan’s administration. We have also built schools and this same government increased bursary, runs the school of health technology Ufuoma free of charge, and pays N3.3 million every month to students of that school as stipends.

This same government pays nurses in all the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Delta State N5,000 stipend every month apart from giving them bursary and yet, people cry nothing has been done.

Go and cross check how many of the villages have electricity now. Transformers have been distributed to all the villages in Delta State. People have been talking about the IPP that ‘we have been to Oghara and we met only bush,’ but they also forget that the items that are supposed to be used for that IPP project are not manufactured here. They are manufactured abroad.

The money they say has been paid was paid to the manufacturers abroad and it will take nothing less than six to nine months for the manufacturers to do anything and for the items to come. How many of the same people who are crying now were awarded roads but could not deliver? Ask the head of one of those groups what happened to the Isaba Road project from which he collected more than 50% of the money and he has not even graded the road.

Who is that?

I don’t want to mention names. I don’t want to talk on personalities. How many of those persons who are crying and shouting now are party men? They are not party men. They can come out and say we have not done this because they don’t know what we are doing.