THAT “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government is the take-off point of Nigeria’s Federal Constitution section 14(c).”

But how this injunction is fulfilled by elected public officers, leaves much to be desired. Millions of Nigerians strongly believe that the political class has betrayed the people. That is the plank of this analysis of Chief Clement Tudonemem Ofuani’s appeal to the people of Delta State in his campaign slogan anchored on “the people first.”

Gone are the days when politicians and political parties campaigned and canvassed for votes on the basis of their vision, party manifestos and a set of policies that they intend to pursue for the good of the people. The political landscape is now devoid of  enlightened and quality debate and ideas from political actors.  Only very few people have had the opportunity of knowing Chief Clement Ofuani and what he stands for in his bid to be nominated as the governorship flag bearer for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2015.

Born on March 28, 1964, the Chartered Accountant and Associate of the Institute of Taxation is one of the cerebral minds in the pack of aspirants in the fray.

Chief Ofuani who is an alumnus of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Lagos, where he obtained his first and second degrees, respectively, made his entry into public service in 2003 when he was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Commissioner for Finance, Olorogun David Edevbie in the then James Ibori administration. In 2007, he was appointed the pioneer Commissioner of the newly created Ministry of Economic Planning.

Fifteen years down the line, Nigerian’s experience in democracy has been bumpy with regards to the process of evolving an acceptable leadership emergence and defining a sustainable development direction. This is primarily the result of the prolonged years of military misadventure into the domain of public administration in the country, during which time tested political traditions and institutional structures were destroyed.

One of such men of character and proven integrity who have volunteered their years of experience in both the private and public sectors of the economy to further deepen the values and ethical service delivery in our politics is Chief  Ofuani.

He has in the past three decades acquired extensive experience in banking, financial consulting, auditing, corporate finance, public policy formulation, economic planning, operations research and management across diverse economic sectors in Nigeria.

He had his training as a chartered accountant in the international accounting firm of Deloitte Adetona Isichei& Co. and had extensive experience in public accounting practice and consulting across several industries before going into banking. After serving as Special Assistant to Delta State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning and pioneer Commissioner for Economic Planning in Delta State, he was subsequently appointed Economic Adviser to the Governor of Delta State for a brief period. At the request of the President and Commander-in-Chief, he resigned this position to take up appointment as Senior Special Assistant on Policy to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and later Senior Special Assistant on Presidential Matters to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Clement is a keen sportsman and was for many years the Chairman of Delta State Squash Racket Association where he encouraged a lot of young players through sponsorship of tournaments.

Ofuani’s impeccable public service career in Delta State is still a reference point in transparency, integrity, accountability, versatility, innovativeness, accessibility and openness to all people without discrimination.

He is highly cerebral and humble. He is an acclaimed policy essayist, experienced public administrator and politician. The significance of his aspiration however is in the manner it has brought to the fore the issues of competence, character, integrity, service pedigree. He has never minced words concerning his mission in politics which is to replace the arrogance of power with the humility of service. Deltans of all tongues and tribes have also confirmed that he is about the only aspirant from the whole lot who is traversing the nooks and crannies of the State with his published manifesto, which attests to his preparedness to hit the ground running from the very first day in office.

He is also widely confirmed to be of a detribalised, pan-Deltan disposition. This is critical in the quest for leadership of a state with the kind of ethnic diversity as is the case in Delta State.

Stakeholders and concerned party men and women have expressed confidence in the aspiration of Chief Ofuani, stating that it portends sustained and accelerated development for the State.

Ofuani has traversed the 25 local government areas of Delta State sensitising the leadership of the PDP at the grassroots with the message of “A New Dawn: The People First”, stressing the need for the party to get it right in its oncoming delegates primaries. This, he maintains, is critical for the party to avoid any miscalculation which can be cashed on by the opposition parties.

The core of Ofuani’s sensitisation consists of a three-point programme broken down into value reorientation, business competitive environment and security. To Ofuani, security includes food security, social security and the redrawing of the security architecture of the State for an improved security of lives and property through a more effective and proactive intelligence gathering, analysis and utilisation.

His leadership exposure at the federal and state levels, with respect to policy formulation and resource appropriation, his unblemished service record in both the private and public sectors, his robust and cerebral approach to issues, all appear to have clearly prepared him for a critical leadership role in a historical context, as we currently have in this defining juncture called 2015.

Ofuani clearly understands Delta state and has clearly spelt out implementation strategy on how to make the state a compelling investment destination.

In this process, jobs will be created for the teeming youth; education will be reinvested with its lost glory, quality and relevance.

He has severally been described as a credible bridge between the private and the public sectors, a dependable bridge across the multi-ethnic divides of the state, and a firm reliable bridge across the political leanings and persuasions in the state.

A loyal party man, Ofuani has worked real hard to earn the respect of politicians across the various partisan divide. It is widely believed that victory at the general elections will be a mere formality for the Peoples Democratic Party should Chief Clement Ofuani emerge the gubernatorial flag bearer in Delta state.

Mr. Jamine Odoh, a political analyst, wrote from Asaba, Delta State.