By Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza
There is a sense in which the good people of Delta State are now taking cognizance of the deliberate efforts being made by propagandists to promote lies through misleading publicity, one that is deceptively woven and distorted information that is systematically spreading.
This is exactly what can be made of the newest in the ongoing series of mischief sworn to by the Delta All Progressives Congress (APC) that has consistently reached deep into its literature of cant and false piety, but which to serious and discerning members of the public is nothing but a barrel of laughs.
This is indeed, how to describe the indolent party’s current banality in the name of a press release entitled: “Your Economic Policies Cannot Bring Development – Delta APC to Gov. Okowa”, signed by Mr Sylvester Imonina, its publicity secretary.
And the main source of reaching its conclusion of misinformation was a so-called report, fashioned and orchestrated deliberately to spite and spurn the good efforts of the award-winning and go-getting Governor of Delta State, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, in advancing a SMART and STRONGER DELTA.
It is important to remind Deltans that just a few months ago, the United Nations Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Daouda Traore, wrote the Foreword to a report on Delta State’s Development Performance, which was prepared by independent consultants with the joint technical assistance of UNDP, UNICEF, WHO and FAO, as the UN’s response to the request of the Delta State Government to carry out an assessment of its performance in four key sectors: education, health, agriculture, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
According to Traore, “The analysis of each sector involved a careful examination of the policies and strategies adopted by the government, the governance and regulatory framework put in place, as well as identification of gaps and challenges in performance. It also focuses on sectoral performance using, among other things, the MDG targets and indicators.”
In the end, Delta State was rated high and the best among the 36 States of the Federation in education, health, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene sectors.
Quoting a phoney magazine with doubtful integrity, APC wants Deltans to believe its lie that there is no development going on in the State when across the three Senatorial Districts each of them have become huge construction sites, while through the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme ( STEP), Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP), thousands of new generation of entrepreneurs have been raised and still continuing. It is such that many hitherto unemployed youths have found succour and today, they are not only self-employed but have become employers of labour. The programmes have created better times for Delta Youths, so much so that other State governments are coming to learn from the example of Delta.
It is also unfortunate that APC continued to make uncomplimentary remarks about political appointees of the State Government, calling very responsible and well-schooled men and women uncouthly as “political thugs and economic vampires.”
For APC, it is an offence to get these people gainfully employed to contribute their quota to the development of the State. But for the offer of employment opportunities to these people, it is better imagined the frustration that they and their families would have been going through today. It even does not matter to APC that these are not non-indigenes but full-blooded citizens of the State, who happen to be members of the party of their choice, PDP. To APC these people do not deserve to live good lives and should be treated as dregs of the society.
This reckless party and their chieftains must be told that the PDP umbrella is big enough to accommodate its people and will never leave its dutiful members and all Deltans in the lurch.
Out of ignorance, the APC cannot understand the importance of these political appointments. They think that the appointees are idle. But the beneficiaries know their onions, as they are busy performing their functions creatively and diligently.
APC talks of star projects, maybe two examples from more than 100 can suffice. Check out the gigantic State Secretariat on-going on Maryam Babangida way; check out the stormwater drainage project that has brought respite to the people on the Okpanam-Asaba road and adjoining roads axis. The same thing is currently being replicated in the Warri and environs axis.
Is it for nothing that His Excellency, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has earned the appellation of roadmaster? It is on account of the numerous road projects undertaken that has eased movement in seemingly difficult locations dotting across the State, that he has earned such prestigious title. Of course, the APC needs to be educated that those projects cost money. As it is said in local parlance, ‘a good pot of soup is a function of good money spent.”
On their spurious claim of the absence of development, maybe it is necessary to inform APC that the forces of political stability and civil freedom are twin indicators of a developing State. The rate at which companies, MSMEs, and other business ventures are flocking into Delta State, are indications of economic growth and development anchored on the political stability, peace, and civil freedom. Surely, no business can thrive in an atmosphere of political instability and lack of tranquillity; or in war and uproar.
Delta is a peaceful and hospitable State and the credit goes to the sagacity of the Governor, His Excellency, Senator, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. It is this wisdom that has paid off, making Delta the entrepreneur’s destination.
Our thanks are to you the good and amiable people of Delta State for your support for the programmes and policies of the PDP Government, and we urge you to continue with this support and ignore the crocodile tears of the APC that shall forever remain your reject.
Dr Osuoza is the Delta State Publicity Secretary of PDP