Political Appointments: Governor Okowa Has Done Very Well – Oborevwori

…Assures Urhobo Youth Council of More Government Attention

By Miracle Enuji

Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the numerous appointments that have been recorded within his administration noting that Deltans have never witnessed this magnitude of appointments since the creation of Delta State.

Oborevwori who made this eulogy when executives of the Urhobo Youth Council (UYC) paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday October 24, 2017 at his office in the Assembly Complex said, Governor Okowa as a grassroots politician, knows the people and has given out alot of appointments.

While responding to the demands of the youth body as conveyed in the speech of its President, Comrade Festus Igherebuo who allegedly accused Governor Okowa for denying them of their usual entitlements and refusal to appoint any of them into the Water Way Security, the Speaker said, “I disagree with you if you say our people have not been carried along. There is no local government in Delta Central that do no have a member of the water way security. Before it wasn’t spread like this, some local government area never had appointments for water way security.”

Continuing, Oborevwori added that, “When you talk about appointments, I want to state clearly here that since I have been in Politics for close to 3 decades now, people have not been appointed in government like this. The appointments that the Governor has given out I have never seen it since the creation of Delta State. In 2003 when I was appointed Special Assistant, I was the only person appointed in Okpe. Very few appointments were made that time and Special Assistants were not up to 20. At appointment, we were all big boys but this time now, you will see somebody who is not even matured in politics will be given appointment as Senior Special Assistant or Special Adviser.”

“On the issue of appointments, His excellency has done very well and we will also see to more appointments when the opportunities come up. What you people should do is to ask for more and not to say there have not been appointments,” the Speaker submitted.

He assured the youths of Government’s commitment towards their welfare, maintaining that with the gradual increase in the revenue sector of the State, Governor Okowa will reach out deeper to all groups in the State. He also enjoined them to keep up the peaceful emblem which the council is known for.

Earlier, the Youth Council through its leader, Comrade Festus Igherebuo congratulated Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori on his emergence as Speaker and presented a stack of challenges and issues bedeviling the group.

Igherebuo said; “Urhobo Youth Council have worked diligently and gallantly for this government but as for today, we are not part of the government. The reason why I said that we are not part of the government is, all the political benefits that we have been getting before now have been taken away from us.”

He listed the phased out benefits to include; reduction of the council’s monthly stipend by 75%, stoppage of DESOPADEC quarterly jobs, refusal to appoint any of its members into the Water Ways Security or a Special Assistant or as Board member, restricted access to the Governor who they worked for during the 2015 polls amongst others.

However, on the controversy trailing the army of appointees by the Okowa led government, numbering over 2,000, some quarters of the State have expressed worries and kicked against it averring that its an avenue for wastage and another process of accruing huge wage bills against the State lean resources.

It will recalled that at the post 2018 budget presentation press briefing, the Commissioner for Finance, David Edebvie disclosed that there were 2,203 political appointees who are currently receiving N382 million monthly.