DELTA STATE AT 25 – MORE OF A TALE OF PUBLIC UNACCOUNTABILITY AND A MISPLACED CELEBRATION OF FAR TOO LITTLE

By Zik Gbemre

We were greatly appalled when it was recently made public that the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has set up an eight-man Organizing Committee towards the celebration of the Delta State’s 25 years of existence. The Governor, according to the statement, advised the Committee to organize a celebration to mark Delta @ 25, “to take stock of the journey so far, achievements recorded and plot further and better approaches at peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups, new development paradigm and refocusing the fundamentals of government to achieve greater and result-oriented improvements in the lives of our people,” Okowa said.

We could help but wonder what exactly are we to celebrate in the 25 years of Delta State existence? What is the Delta State Government with its Committee intending to celebrate with Deltans at 25, when the State is in absolute chaos? With Salaries not being paid;roads and other public-utility-infras tructure at their worst deplorable state; litany of abandoned infrastructure projects that were used as avenues to siphon State funds; Government in serious debts and a ‘sustained culture’ of mismanagement/misappropriation of public funds in government circles, etc, what then is there to celebrate at Delta State 25 years in existence?

To even think that the Delta State Governor had to set up a Committee to appraise the State’s so called achievements to mark its Silver Jubilee, seriously tells us that indeed, we have a government that is without focus and vision for its people. The truth is that we do not need any Committee to appraise the State, as her deplorable state in the midst of so much revenue that accrued to the State, is all evident. Time and space will not allow us to enumerate all the funds that have accrued to the Delta State Government throughout all these years via Internally-generated revenue, Federal allocations, 13 percent derivations, borrowed funds, etc. But let us bear in mind that the figures are mind boggling.

Many Deltans are angry with the current state of affairs in Delta State and are beginning to wonder what is wrong with the State Governor. Does he have to spend money on this wasteful venture to mark the State’s Silver jubilee?Some actually be lieve that there must be some ulterior motive to this. The bottom line is that, apart from the fact that Delta State has just been ‘existing’ as an entity in the last 25 years, Delta State, particularly the present State Government under Okowa, does not need to celebrate nor have cause to do so because there is nothing on ground to show for the trillions of Naira the State has collected over the years – it has all been embezzled. Sadly, we have become a people who celebrate mediocrity rather than excellence from public service.

Some few years back, a Dutch journalist and writer, Femke Van Zeiji, noted that the Nigerian government has been a government of mediocrities, and to a large extent, this has adversely affected the entire Nigerian society, especially at the State level, to the extent that corruption is now seen as not necessarily the bane of Nigeria’s development. Femke’s article, which summarizes that “widespread celebration of mediocrity”, is the new trouble with Nigeria at every level of the society. This clearly paints a picture about the way we have been doing things in Delta State, as one of the worst developing States in the country that enjoys so much public funds.

The issue of mediocrity in Delta State government circles is one whose seed has been sown and spread across every facet of the State, especially in the last 16 years. That seed sown in the democratic history of the leadership structure of the Delta S tate has brought us to the pathetic state we are in today.

Is it not worrisome to all well-meaning Deltans and Nigerians alike that whenever we consider the huge amounts of funds (be it through internally-generated tax revenues, especially from oil companies; 13 percent derivations; Federal allocations or borrowed money) that comes into the Delta State Government’s purse every now and then, and then compare this with what we see on ground in terms of development at all levels of the State, the disparity that exists is enough to drive any sane mind mad.

Is it not appalling and rather unfortunate that Delta State, despite being an ‘oil and gas producing State’, which has over the years enjoyed tremendous revenues from different angles, including the privileges the State enjoys from the Ministry of Niger Delta and the NDDC; yet, at 25 – Delta State is still crawling and highly-underdeveloped with nothing to show for what it has been getting from the ‘oil and gas wealth’. This is simply so because Delta State, particularly in the last 16 years when the ‘oil and gas wealth’ ran at its peak, has been under the “Political Slavery” of the ruling political party and its cabal.

Without mincing words, Delta State has one of the most corrupt State Governments and politicians in the country that has been running the State all these years. To put it more bluntly, the said Delta State Government is still being led by the cabal; comprising of James Ibori (who is still in a UK prison over corrupt practices and misappropriation of Delta State funds), his cousin the immediate former Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and presently – Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. Despite leaving the Government House, Ibori for instance, have kept the present Delta State under his clutches, and they have been running and handling the State resources with reckless abandon and impunity as if it is their private business.

Practically all the State funds are going to the private pockets of these Delta State politicians and their Permanent Secretaries and other top Government officials who loot the State’s funds at will, to the point of indebtedness of the State. This ‘looting spree’ with reckless abandon and impunity has continued under Governor Okowa and his team. And all that the people keep hearing from the Governor is that “there is no money in the State.” But the much that still come into the State as revenue/Federal allocations/Derivations; are never accounted for.

Sadly, even our so called lawmakers collaborate with the Delta State Governor to loot public funds, just the same way Ibori and Uduaghan did while in government. They have kept on stealing Delta State money, which they do not reallyneed, through various avenues like ‘fake projects’ and setting up duplicated government agencies that are not needed, example – the so called Delta State Investment Development Agency.

Honestly, the situation in Delta State is so sad and pathetic that one can only hope for some “divine intervention or the miraculous”, for any major positive and wholesome change to take place. Delta State is a practical example of the unfortunate status most African countries finds themselves in presently; where the political leaders over the years have practiced “voodoo democracy” by using every trick they can muster to remain in government circles and refuse the peoples’ voice, votes and interests to count or matter in their development. And when the people are denied the right to choose their preferred political leaders, what we have evident over the years are political leaders without vision and without sacrificial commitment.

Every time one looks around Delta State, compare what one sees with what the State earns and accrues as revenue on a monthly/yearly basis, one is left seriously disturbed as to how long must we remain in such pathetic condition? But of course, those that are ‘gaining’ and ‘benefitting’ from the system (no matter how distorted it is), will argue here and tell you otherwise that “all is well”.

In fact, since the inception of Democratic rule from 1999, it seems like Delta State has practically been run under ground by past and present political leaders; for nothing seems to be working. As sad as this may sound, the “Third Era” of James Ibori’s dynasty was inaugurated on May 29, 2015 in Asaba, the Delta State capital, when Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was sworn-in as Governor of Delta State, so as to continu e this Ibori dynasty. Some might argue or disagree with us on this but the ‘undeniable fact’ is that whether we like it or not, the stage was set by Ibori and the machinations of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cabal in Delta State for the continuous deplorable dynasty of the former Delta State Governor. And that is why we still see the present Delta State Governor using every opportunity he can get since he came into office, to relish praises and honour his political godfather – Ibori.

This is why we are of the opinion that the present momentum being gathered to celebrate 25 years of Delta State’s existence is just another avenue through which public funds will be misappropriated and wasted. For, what is there to celebrate when those in government circles and their cronies/supporters have been the ones ‘enjoying the wealth of the State’ to the detriment of all.

Every sector of Delta State is bedeviled with one problem or the other, all of which are indications of “cumulated years of bad governance.”

Infrastructural projects are usually poorly and haphazardly carried out or abandoned/failed; institutions and agencies of government and their activities are heavily-influenced-politically; government contracts figures are usually bloated to satisfy various interests, not to talk of the preferential way such government contracts are awarded and even ‘re-awarded’ severally to misappropriate more public funds, and the list continues. Like we said, the really sad part about all of this is the fact that when one considers the enormous amount of revenues that comes to Delta State Government coffers; one would continue to wonder “the level of greed exhibited” by the past and present Delta State Government administrations.

Surprisingly, in the midst of all this, Delta State Governments are very good at making so much noise in public over the little things they do. Perhaps, that explains why Okowa hurriedly set up an Organizing Committee to appraise and gather what they obviously want to use make themselves look like a serious government – during the said Silver Jubilee celebration of the State.

Never have we seen or witnessed a Government that loves to use all kinds of publicity stunts to make itself look good in the eyes of the world, like we have seen exhibited by past and present Delta State Government. In fact, such publicity by the Delta State government are often coated with ‘sweet talks/write ups/Public Presentations/Publicities’ that are pleasing only to the eyes and ears but all aimed at deceiving the public. It is even sadder to note that the democratic attributes of ‘transparency and ‘accountability’ embedded in ‘good governance’ have practically eluded Delta State in all ramifications, especially in the last 16 years or so.

This has made Delta State Government to be branded by well-meaning Nigerians and social critics as a “self-perpetuating government” of the ruling party, which ultimately makes whatever the government does, a well-decorated ‘white lie’ specifically designed for ‘deception’ – for the benefit of some few but to the detriment of many.

The whole ‘publicity stunts’ and self-praise-singing by our past and present Delta Governments are all part of their usual grand design to create the atmosphere for their re-election and continuous stay in power. We are forced to sometimes wonder what Delta State Governors were supposedly elected to do in the first place. It is like a father singing praises to himself for providing food for his children. It makes one wonder whose responsibility it is to provide food for the child. Delta State, like every other State in Nigeria, is where the political leaders praise and congratulate themselves for achieving little or nothing in their constituencies and political domain. It is so demeaning.

It all goes to show the extent the culture of mediocrity and the absence of excellence that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society. It is an attitude that has trickled down from the very top to the bottom, with its sympto ms eventually showing up in all of the society; from bad governance to bad service to bad craftsmanship. Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is under-achievement. And that is why the present Delta State Governor is gearing up to ‘celebrate’ the State’s years of having entrenched mediocrity in public service.

If only Charisma, integrity, public-office-accountability, leadership prowess, honesty, proven integrity, political sagacity, sapience, wisdom and the likes are yardsticks for public office holders’ measurement, then our political leaders in Delta State at all levels will be in light years ahead of their contemporaries in other parts of the country and the world.

After all said and done, while we congratulate Deltans for being in existence as a State for 25 years, the crux of the matter is that if we most move ahead as a people, then this culture of widespread celebration of mediocrity, no matter how long it has been with us, has to be uprooted and done away with; both from the political leaders and the followers alike. No matter how hard or daunting this task may seem, we believe there is no problem that has no solution. But we must first acknowledge the fact that we have a problem as a State in this regard, and then we can take the necessary steps in addressing it.Until we begin to tell ourselves the truth as Deltans, mediocrity would continue to be enthroned as lord over all of us.

And to those sycophants and praise-singers that see nothing wrong with the deplorable dynasty of the said ruling cabal in Delta State Government circles, they should stop deceiving themselves by telling our political leaders “the truth” and nothing but the truth. The truth is that the few people that praise the Delta State Government; which includes Uduaghan, his cousin Ibori and now Okowa, know in their deep hearts that the immediate past administration and the one before it, have not performed as expected going by the enormous revenue they enjoyed. But they will prefer to ‘always’ praise the government because of what they are gaining or expected to gain from the system. But in the midst of this, we are glad that majority of the people in Delta State are beginning to see things clearly and differently. Let us hope that they will be ready and willing to make the necessary sacrifice to bring about the change we all desire, when the time comes at the polls.

Zik Gbemre, JP.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)