By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe Esq.
The coast is now clear and all political appointees including stakeholders in the Stronger Delta Vision of the state governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, have been warned in strong terms to stay away from political aspirants in their early bid for 2023 governorship and other elective positions.
Senior Political Adviser to the governor (S-Polad), Rt Hon Solomon Funkekeme in a statement made available to newsmen in Asaba on Monday 24th February, 2020, said all political appointees must henceforth focus on their assigned responsibilities and remain absolutely loyal to the governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, instead of display of dividend interests between the governor and their local political leaders especially those who have declared their early interests to contest elective positions in 2023 general elections.
The S-Polad noted that it has come to the notice of the governor and government of Delta State that some political appointees who are meant to serve in this administration have allegedly abandoned their duty post and busied themselves with ongoing political consultations initiated by some early aspirants, adding that the governor and his Aides should not be dragged into such unwarranted political showmanship and ambitions aimed at distracting the attainment of the Stronger Delta agenda of this administration.
Specifically, it amounts to negligence of duty for any political appointee to accompany any aspirant, at this time, on political consultations towards 2023, because of the urgent need for all appointees to remain focused on their jobs, assist the governor and the state to achieve set out goals encapsulated in the Stronger Delta blueprints.
It follows that political appointees who prefer to be loyal to their 2023 aspirants instead of loyalty to the governor, shall be fished out by the office of the S-Polad and may be shown the way out without further notice.
It is now crystal clear that the state governor did not anoint any successor. Therefore, any aspirant deceiving his or her supporters and election financiers; either openly or secretly, alleging that the state governor took secret oath to hand over power to him or her in 2023, should stop such campaign of falsehood and channel energies on productive ventures.
Political appointees must of a necessity stay glued to their assigned official responsibilities, stay away from 2023 political consultations and activities until such a time PDP leadership and the national election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issues official guidelines and directives on 2023 electioneering campaigns.
The S-Polad says the governor gave his office strict and firm instructions to do the needful should any political appointee ignores this official order. By this directive, it is very clear that political appointees are answerable and loyal to the governor and not to anyone else throughout the duration of their appointments. This is sacrosanct.
Stronger Delta, Let’s Build Together.
