Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State is now at war with former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi and the ex-minister has lambasted the governor: “My attention has been drawn to the State Government’s reaction with regard to the comments I made in my press statement. Nothing can bring Peace to the Niger Delta without truth, fairness, equity and equal distribution of wealth of the people and most especially respect for one another. Kenneth Gbagi”
“It is a notorious fact that I defended the Okowa’s Government as much as I believe from his campaign days to date, it is therefore shameful to misconstrue my support for Okowa to the detriment of my tribe and people, talkless of my traditional fathers. “It is therefore, irresponsible for anybody to insinuate that my comments were politically laced. Let records be put straight that I hold distinguished titles from Okpe Ughelli and Olomu respectfully.”
“So my position with regard to my traditional fathers cannot be wrong. While my position about the visit remains unchanged, we do not need the wastage of tax payers’ money to carry out a fact finding situation of Delta people.”
“Every sensible persons and government know the truth and should know what to do. The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is a man that I have great respect for since we met in 1986 in the company of the then Attorney General, Prince Bola Ajibola, Yemi Osinbajo and Awwal Kalu, both of whom where Personal Assistants to Bola Ajibola; in that meeting, I was representing my company as the MD GEEKOS Security Ltd. Yemi Osinbajo will pass any day, any time as a man who has respect for the aged, respect for institution.”
“We are running away from the facts, a situation we have found ourselves too long dated to the inception of democracy in Delta State. The original released programme of the Vice President have him to visit Gbaramatu, the Olu of Warri and Ughelli, the Headquarters of Urhobo people for balance of the area.”
“The Ughelli leg of the visit was removed on Saturday by the State Government. As though that was not enough. nothing would have been wrong if an arrangement was made for all the monarchs to be in one of the palaces for the Vice President to pay them a visit as opposed to carrying them to a school auditorium and tying them up for hours until they rampaged out of the stigma when another traditional ruler from another State came and was taken to the high table which was disparaging to our traditional rulers.”
“Why were the traditional rulers not put in one place, why will the Vice President visit some and load others in a classroom from 11:00am –5:30pm. Why did the governor rush to the Orodje’s palace to placate him if nothing was wrong of the all mess of that day. The State Government should stop forthwith from desecrating the tradition of the people by humiliating our traditional fathers, they do not form any arm of Government or tier of Government.”
“It is unthinkable to get the Sultan of Sokoto to go and line up to wait for any Governor or President, the Oba of Benin; Olu of Warri, to mention a few. Irrespective of side comments, I will do what is right, speak the truth as I did in favour of Okowa at a time.”