As oil rich Delta State, clocked 26 years of creation today, August, 27th, chairman of the newest political party in the state, Young Democratic Party (YDP), Mr. Festus Ofume, has lamented that the state has not lived up to expectation in terms of development even as he described the present governor Ifeanyi Okowa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government a monumental failure.
The YDP chairman, who noted that for the past 18 years since the return of democratic rule in the country, the state has known no meaningful development, adding that Deltans across the state and in diaspora are unhappy with the crop of public officers who have continuously mortgaged the development and bright future of the state in their pockets to the detriment of the people.
Ofume, a lawyer by profession stated this during an interview with Journalists in Asaba, Delta state capital, in commemoration of the 26th anniversary of the creation of Delta State.
“Well if we have to give a mark of Failure and Pass to the present level of development in the state, you would agree with me that you will not record a pass mark for a state like Delta that is 26years old. We have not seen what is expected of the developmental growth of a 26 years old state. Deltans can attest to the fact that Delta has not lived up to the developmental recognition of a 26 years old state.
“If we look at what is going on currently in Delta State, you would agree with me, if compared with other states like Lagos, where we have seen how development comes in both areas of infrastructure and human capital development, you would agree with me that Delta has not done anything and we will attribute this to no other person but to what we call bad and poor leadership of the PDP administration that has been holding power in Delta State since 1999.
“For instance, if you look at what is happening in Asaba, when it rains we see what happens. A state that is 26 years, should be able to boast of at least a city that should be reckoned with. Asaba has been the capital of Delta State from inception for the past 26 years and if you go around the city of Asaba, you will weep because there is nothing to show that this place is actually a state capital. Look at the roads how erosion drives people away from their houses, what is causing that?
“It is because the current administration and the previous administration do not understand what governance is about. Governance is all about continuity. A situation whereby you will see a governor that enters into an office and will not continue with the policies and work of the past administration (who are of same political party) is absurd. We have situations whereby roads like, Infant Jesus, DLA road, Mariam Babaginda, Okpanam road and others have been abandoned.
“If you ask questions, you will be told that these contracts have been awarded by the past administration. It is okay, we understand that it has been awarded and the money has been embezzled but there is continuity in government, you review and if the needs arises that the roads should be constructed, you re-award them. YDP is about bringing governance to the people, people will see the effect of governance.
“If YDP has been in Government for the past 18 years, with the ideas we have, there would have been a tremendous change in Delta State. I give kudos to former Lagos state governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the vision that he has for Lagos State. He took Lagos state as his pet project and you can see that his successors Fashola and Ambode have improved of the developmental projects of the State as instituted by the leader of the ruling party in the State since 1999.
“That is what we expect in Delta State, continuity is the watchword of YDP. If we had being in power, the government of the day that is succeeding the previous government will do well to understand that project that has not been completed by the previous government, is a project of the people and not a project for one individual or one clan or a project that was set up for victimization.
“Non continuity of government projects where each administration feels that it is better for them to start a new project and complete it so that at that point the glory will be given to them. The glory should be given to the party not individual. If the idea of continuity is understood, that in itself will solve all the problems and that is what YDP Stands for and will institutionalize in Delta State. The factor that has hindered the development of Delta State is the lack of proper administration and lack of proper governance.
“The backwardness Delta state has been subjected to by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the last 18 years is due to poor and bad leadership styles of the previous and present administrations in the state. Asaba, has been the capital of Delta State from inception and I tell you, if you go round the city of Asaba, you will weep. You don’t have anything to show that the place I actually a state capital.” Ofume stated.
On the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA), the YDP chairman said, “I see them everywhere; they sit under the umbrella trees doing nothing, they disguise with their uniforms so that they will enable you or lure you to commit an offence and collect money from you”, stressing that the state government channels resources into programmes and policies that have no impact on the lives of the people.
On the recent N10 billion Paris Club Refund to the state, the chairman noted, “We are supposed to have the legislative arm of government that should check to the executive in their excess, we also have the office of the Auditor-General that is supposed to audit the activities of the executive arm of government. I don’t want to pre-empt whatever will happen but I believe that the right action would have been for the state government to come out with a blueprint on how they have expended this money and then it is for the citizens to accept and look at how they allocated this money and then give a little time to begin to see if actually the fund as been injected into the state will begin to yield fruit”.
He said if in due time if the effect of the money is not felt, “you and I will know truly well that what they have told us is really not actually the truth”.
