Former Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), South-South chairman and National Deputy Chairman of the defunct Senator Ali Modu Sheriff PDP, Cairo Ojougboh, has taken a swipe at Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, saying Deltans have rejected him.
Mr. Ojougboh, who was reacting to the Wednesday’s retirees protest against Okowa at government house gate, Asaba, over refusal to pay their entitlements, noted that “From the pensioners protest today, it is obvious that all Deltans have rejected the government of Okowa.”
While congratulating the pensioners for protesting against what Ojuogboh called injustice, incompetence and corruptive tendencies of Delta state government, the former Presidential adviser stated “Their bold step today is a manifestation of the truth in them and God will give them the courage to stand by the truth and fight for their rights. I join them in this struggle and I have a firm believe that Delta state has the potential to be one of the greatest states in Nigeria.”
Ojougboh who defected to the All Progressives Congress, (APC), at Agbor last weekend said in a statement signed by his Personal Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr. Biyi Ali, that “Our attention have been drawn to media reports that have dominated the airwaves especially on the social media platform, against the person of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh the Akinuwa 1 of the Anioma nation.”
According to the statement, “Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is a completely detribalised Deltan and his goal is to search for a competent replacement in Delta State who will have the fear of God and serve the suffering and deprived people of Delta State selflessly. Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has always fought for people’s right and his disagreement with the government of Dr. Okowa is not due to personal interest but the love of the people.
“When the news of the protestants got to him, Dr. Ojougboh said, “I am congratulating the pensioners for protesting against injustice, incompetence and corruptive tendencies of delta state government. Their bold step today is a manifestation of the truth in them and God will give them the courage to stand by the truth and fight for their rights. I join them in this struggle and I have a firm believe that Delta state has the potential to be one of the greatest states in Nigeria.” Ojougboh said.
The former federal lawmaker also used the opportunity to on others who he said have been have been short changed by the Okowa led government “Especially the contractors being owed money in DESOPADEC, the oil producing areas being owed money that was due to them, the teachers that have being owed long areas of salaries for over 10 months, that they should speak up otherwise nobody will pay them.”
“We encourage Deltans to ask questions like where is our Paris club refund? What did the Delta government do with the bailout fund released to Delta state? That since the Okowa administration, he has received Six Hundred Billion naira. What has he done with it? Deltans should ask questions otherwise the corruption and theft in the government will continue.
“Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has never had a personal quarell with any Deltan but he has been maligned by the Government because he has fought corruption consistently. Those who claim that they are no fans of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh should search their minds to see if Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has offended them either individually or as a group.”
Ojuogboh made it clear that his passion today is to redirect the attention of the Okowa led government from accumulating money with which to battle for re-election, but to give service to the people of Delta state and let his service to to the people “buy” votes for him and re-elect him, adding that “corruption in Delta is killing Deltans.”
