DELTA COMMISSIONER FLAYS OGBORU

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Oma Djebah yesterday rebuffed claims that the State administration had spent N40 billion on the Asaba airport, saying that only N17.5 billion was earmarked for the project.

Responding to insinuations of fraudulent execution of projects made against the former administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan by Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, gubernatorial candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, Djebah said it was untenable for Ogboru to use a secondary school qualification for the office of Governor.

Mr. Djebah during a court visit to Vanguard Corporate headquarters thumbed up achievements of Dr. Uduaghan which he said would set him on a roller coaster to victory in the forthcoming re-run elections.
Uduaghan was last month sacked from office by the Court of Appeal in Benin which upheld submissions by Ogboru that there was no valid gubernatorial election in Delta State in 2007.

Djebah who was escorted by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Felix Ofou equally said the Uduaghan campaign would not under any circumstances frontally respond to attacks from Delta State elders-statesman, Chief Edwin Clark who he described as a political father to the Governor and to his subordinates.

Mr. Djebah particularly took exception to claims by Ogboru that the Delta State government had spent as much as N40 billion on the Asaba Airport and another N17 billion on the Independent Power Project, IPP, in the State.

“As we speak now and based on the last Exco approval of N5 billion which adds to the original cost because of the topography and terrain of the Niger Delta which were not originally factored in and also based on the requests of the supervisory agency like NCAA and others, the cost as of today is N17.5,” he said

“To worsen the situation I have just told you that as a government we will not respond to him because at the appropriate time the people of Delta North comprising Agbor, Ika, Anioma, Oshimili, Ukwani and so on will respond to him because he has told them clearly that they don’t deserve an airport,” he added.

On the accusation made by Ogboru published in Vanguard yesterday that the administration had spent N16 billion on a non existent IPP, he said: “People think that IPP is like a vehicle that you just go to the street and you buy it and come and put it here.

“The independent power projects are not as easy as you think, one there have to be various studies that are carried out and then it takes you an average of two years for you to put those turbines together, so the site may be there but it will take you two years to establish.”

On the cost of the project, he said: “As a government we have earmarked N13.5 billion for that project and people are at liberty to go to Rolls Royce and find out.”

Affirming that Ogboru lacked the academic pedigree to govern the State, Djebah while noting the academic records of the President, the Vice-President said Dr. Uduaghan with his academic laurel from medical school was the best qualified among all the aspirants to govern the State.

“Today if you look at the world we have passed the stage of school certificate being Governor in this country.

Look at the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan PhD., look at the Vice-President a well respected architect and then you now come to Delta State, you saw Dr. Uduaghan a respected medical doctor, a first class one at that and then his deputy, Prof. Amos Utama he is a professor of law, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and that is within the academia he rose to the peak and within his career he rose to the peak by being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”

On the relationship with Chief Clark, he said: “Chief is our father and Chief is father to Governor. Governor is Chief’s political son, therefore Governor (Uduaghan) will not do anything even in the wildest of imagination to undermine Chief. So, the relationship between Dr. Uduaghan and Chief is that of father and son. Uduaghan will not do anything to undermine Chief at all and he has consistently said so.

Throughout the three and a half years he went to consult Chief on policy issues. It is just some people and Chief has said it that Dr. Uduaghan is his son, so to that extent Dr. Uduaghan does not have any problem with Chief at all.”

Djebah was effusive of the readiness of the citizenry to return Dr. Uduaghan as Governor on the basis of what he said were the Governor’s exceptional performance in office.