The supremacy cold war raging between Charles Aniagwu, the Chief Press Secretary, (CPS), to Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and the state inexperienced and incompetent commissioner for information, Patrick Ukah is said to have deepened as the two government officials fight over whose duty is to address the press and issue government statements.
HardReporters can report that the fresh feud followed statements released by the two officials explaining how the recently released N10 billion Paris Club Refund to the state was expended.
Inexperienced Information Commissioner, Mr. Ukah had few weeks ago issued a statement explaining how the N10 billion Paris Club Refund to the state was expended, but in what looks like supremacy battle, Okowa’s CPS, last week gathered the press mainly from the national dailies and briefed them in government house on the same N10 billion Paris Club Refund, how it was spent which Ukah had earlier explained.
HardReporters reliably gathered that recently, Ukah spoke on the perceived supremacy battle telling some persons that “Those of you who know me very well know that am very good in keeping quiet when I do not want to join issues and I think it is the best way because when you talk when you are not supposed to talk, you say what you are not supposed to say and you open up the wound that you are not supposed to open”.
On his part, Aniagwu, who was called to react on the difficulties been faced by investors in doing business in the state and other issues, the CPS referred Journalists to Ukah, so as not to be accused of overlapping into the functions of the Commissioner.
“Please, call the Commissioner of Information; he is the one that attends State Executive Council (SEC), meetings. He is the one that can speak on the matter so that they don’t say I am taking his job from him. My brother that is what they are saying.” he said.
HardReporters learnt that apart from the CPS, those who have continuously pushed for the removal of Ukah, also includes, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Kingsley Emu as well as the Executive Assistant, Directorate of Orientation, Mr. Eugene Uzum which has not yielded any fruit.
Sources in government house have also alleged that the Special Assistant to the governor on Electronics, Mr. Ameachi Udemba and the Special Assistant on Print media, Mr. Victor Efeizomor, have recently joined the fight to unseat Ukah.
HardReporters could recalled that during the first and second year anniversaries of Okowa, as governor of the state, the state government drew an all-inclusive time table for journalists in the state, especially those in the state capital to cover the inspection and commissioning of projects by the governor which was handled by the Ministry of Information.
The programme of event released by the state, journalists were taken turn by turn to cover the governor’s inspection and commissioning of projects and town hall meetings, but this was interrupted mid way by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu and fused in some selected national dailies correspondent who have taken their turn in the programme, a development that generated bad blood between Ukah and Aniagwu.
