By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe

Chief Joe Omene is the arrowhead of the 2015 Uvwiamuge Declaration for Urhobo Governor? Yes, he is at it again.

In his recent interview with an online newspaper, “The Advocates,” the former President General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) berated Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over what he called “beggarly sorry state of Urhobo Political Appointees in Okowa Administration.”

Omene opined that the Urhobo in Okowa administration are mere political appointees without portfolios, men and women without authority to make decisions as their positions dictate.

•Okowa

He went further to state that Okowa uses political appointments that come with peanuts as salaries to hold down Urhobo leading voices against his government. Could this be true? Certainly, NO.

It surprises me to hear that from Omene, a man that facilitated the appointment of some persons turning around to pour venom on this government. This volte voice of his must be bleached out of recognition.

I remember clearly that Omene once sing-praised Okowa immediately he won the election but that love waxed cold after Olorogun Moses Taiga became the President General of UPU.

Omene strongly believes that Okowa and the PDP bankrolled the victory of Olorogun Taiga and may have firmly decided to pitch tent with APC in 2019 to take his “pound of flesh” from PDP and the incumbent governor. This assumption remains a figment of his imagination.

Let me remind Omene that castigating Okowa for appointing Urhobos without the required official powers to function will never yield any political point in the forthcoming electioneering campaign. It is the weakest point ever in political permutations because it lacks objectivity, facts and figures. Secondly, the Urhobos in government can as well speak for themselves at the appropriate time and cannot and will never be the duty of Omene to speak for them.

He lacked the justification to present himself as a voice for the Urhobo nation. Olorogun Moses Taiga is the legitimate and duly recognised PG of UPU, even though there are complaints here and there over his style of leadership. They opined that he ought to be vibrant, more visible and outspoken.

Okowa as an experienced politician is aware that a government that treats political appointees with disdain stands the chances of experiencing swift surprises and does not need Omene to dance around issues meant for political electioneering strategists to deal with at the appropriate time. But in the instant case, there is no need for Omene’s outburst.

More importantly, Okowa has favoured the Urhobos in several ways including juicy appointments; from SSG through the ranks to bottom. And as a prosperity governor, he has all it takes to deal with issues relating to the welfare of Deltans including that of his appointees.

Omene must be told that attacking Okowa ahead of the 2019 general elections will have negative consequences in terms of luring eligible voters for the APC.

Omene must also be cautioned that castigating our royal fathers by saying “they sold people’s farmlands to Fulani herdsmen” in return for cash which is why killings cannot be avoided is counter productive.

Elected and appointed Urhobos in this administration are wise enough to make case for themselves whenever the need arises and certainly not the responsibility of the former UPU PG to speak for them ahead of the 2019 polls. To the best of my knowledge, Urhobo appointees are in good standing.

I will be here to cross examine Omene publicly as inch towards the 2019 governorship and general elections.

On a final note, Omene must be told that the only authentic Urhobo National Political Leader (UNPL) recognised world-wide is our amiable and indefatigable Chief James Onanefe Ibori. He gave the Urhobo ethnic nationality of Delta Central firm instructions to re-elect Okowa in 2019.

Political leaders in Delta Delta Central, from Chief Fovie to Senator Amori to Speaker Oborevbori to Chief Betnard Edewor to Elegbete Odibo and to all other political leaders in the entire eight (8) local government of the senatorial district, are on the same page with Ibori.

Urhobo is working very hard to ensure 100% victory for Okowa in the Delta Central come 2019.

Urhobo governorship slot is not far away; 2023 is done deal and Okowa firmly promised that he shall handover power to a democratically elected Urhobo governor come May 29, 2023.

• Oghenesibe in Executive Assistant Communications to Governor Okowa of Delta State.