By Zik Gbemre

When it was reported that barely a week after his inauguration, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa sent two bills, namely Technical and Vocational Education Board Bill and Asaba Capital Development Agency Bill to the House for passage and within 24 hours the said two bills were given express passage on the floor of the Delta State House of Assembly without the usual debates that follow bills, many like us were suspicious of the second stated bill on Delta State Capital (Asaba) Territory Agency Development. Our suspicion and uncomfortable state is hinged on the fact the said bill was forwarded by Governor Okowa to the State House just few days after his swearing-in, which means he had the bill already prepared as his first and topmost ‘agenda’ to accomplish once he enters the Delta State Government House. One begins to wonder what was the hurry, and why the hurry by Governor to have this bill passed.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State

The only explanation we can deduce out of this is the fact that Governor Okowa clearly came with an “Anioma Agenda” in mind which is also aimed at satisfying his self-centered interests and that of his kinsmen, cronies and political friends. But before we go any further, let us categorically reiterate here that we are not against the development of Asaba the Delta State Capital. This is because the law has established it so. So whether it was forced on us or not, whether everybody likes it or not, the fact still remains that Asaba is Delta State’s Capital and should rightly accorded its status. But the fact we are trying to establish here is that we do not need s ‘special bill’ to create an agency before Asaba will be developed as a State Capital.

The truth of the matter is that if all the money budgeted and contracts awarded in regards to the development of Asaba were honestly and properly utilized by past governments of the PDP, Asaba would by now be a very modern and attractive city for all manner of investors, businesses and tourism to thrive. But due to corruption and their insatiable greed, all the budgets and contracts awarded to develop the State Capital amounted to nothing. Take the Asaba International Airport for instance, this was an Airport project which former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his cronies, used to misappropriate the State’s funds throughout its reign in government. And despite the fact that the dubious Asaba Airport project has reportedly gulped more than N40 billion, it is yet to be approved by Nigerian Aviation Authorities because of the facility’s haphazard conception, construction and delivery. The same is the fate of many abandoned projects in the State Capital. So the present Governor Okowa government should hold the Uduaghan (and his Contractors) responsible for the deplorable status of Asaba as a State Capital, rather than signing a new bill for the development of the State Capital.

There was no bill before all the monies budgeted and wasted for the Asaba International Airport project and others were carried out by the Uduaghan government. So why should there now be a special bill in this regard for the State Capital-Asaba? Delta State is not peculiar in the Niger Delta region and other oil producing States in the South-East and the South-West regions, when it comes to State Government creating avenues to develop their States. Like the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission (DESOPADEC), other States like Imo, Abia, Ondo, Rivers etc, equally all have “development interventionist Commissions/Agencies” that are given allocations to develop their States. Not to mention the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), plus the 13% Derivation that goes to Niger Delta States for their development. Yet, our people that are political leaders in government circles have failed ‘as custodians of States resources’ to bring about sustainable development and improved standard of living for its people. So, what is expected of the Delta State Government under Governor Okowa is to take the whole of Delta State as ‘his constituency’ to develop the entire State, and not to sign and implement any special bill for the development of a particularly place.

Mind you, we are not the only ones who share this view. In fact, a principal member of the former Delta State House who wanted anonymity confided in some reporters that no area of Delta State that will need a bill before development could be carried out.  In his words: “Few of us who are already aware of the evil intentions of the bill wrapped in a ‘corrupt foil paper’ kicked against the bill immediately it was sent to the house by the governor, because without a bill, Asaba can still be developed like every other areas across the state. The intention of the bill is too corrupt. Some of us who kicked against it were threatened with blackmail and to seize our entitlements if we refuse to cooperate. You know the bills came barely three days to the end of the fifth Assembly and as we talk the bills, especially the Asaba development agency bill was not critically scrutinized before it was hurriedly passed just to curry favour from the governor whom has promised the house with some parting gifts. For avoidance of doubts, the Asaba Development Agency bill is a fraud and clannish bill. Some of us had vehemently refused the passage of the corrupt bill but our objection was not allowed to see the light of the day.” the aggrieved lawmaker said.

Another former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, described as unfortunate the Asaba Development Agency bill by the governor, saying the bill is another avenue to drain the State treasury just like what ex-governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan did with DESOPADEC.

In his words: “Governor Okowa is deceiving Deltans with his prosperity promises for Deltans. We have it from a very credible source that since DESOPADEC was for the Delta South and Central people, he has decided to create a similar thing in Delta North where funds can be fleeted into his private pockets to offset some of his debts incurred during his elections. This is how the ex-governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan used DESOPADEC to his own advantage to amass wealth for himself. All our effort to stop the passage of the bill failed because we were few and some of our members have compromised having been confronted with threats, blackmail and denial of parting gifts and other entitlements. Right from time we know Okowa is a clannish politician which he has already started with his Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill. Where in the federation can you say such a bill is in existence apart from Abuja where similar thing exist because Abuja is no man land and such can be done but not Asaba. I do hope the Sixth Assembly will leave up to expectations unlike our Fifth Assembly which was like a rubber stamp.” the lawmaker lamented.

Other lawmakers of the Delta State House of Assembly as well also condemned in its entirety the Asaba Development Agency Bill describing it as ill-conceived bill that has no meaningful bearing and impact on the people rather than to serve some individuals interest.

We can all see that right from the onset, Governor Okowa’s intent and actions regarding the said Asaba Capital Development Bill is never really about the people’s interest but about the actualization a ‘personal agenda’ meant for only Okowa and his group of allies. Aside the above raised concerns; there is even a more serious subject issue that we would like to bring to the attention of all here, which negates the existence of the said Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill in first place and its content.

During the Old Bendel State (Benin-Delta) Province, the Asaba and Anioma areas (of now Delta North), excluding Kwale (Ukwuani), was formerly and had always been under the Benin Province. Anioma and Asaba has never been part of the Delta Province, except Kwale (Ukwuani), which has always been part of Delta Province and the struggle for Delta as a State of its own. The Anioma people have never been part of the agitation for a Delta State. It was Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) who, in his bid to please his then in-laws in Asaba that decided to create Delta State in August 27 1991. He not only created Delta State, Babaginda also gave them a parting-gift and used his military force and made Asaba part of Delta State and the State’s Capital. Hence, Asaba has been the Capital of Delta State since then.

But before that, there was yet another ‘State creation movement’ originally designated as “Niger State” comprising the old midwestern Igbo speaking Asaba divisions and Ukwuani speaking Aboh division of the old Midwest region. This transformed into “Anioma” following the creation of Niger State from the old Northwestern State by the Murtala Muhammed’s administration in 1976. However, it should be noted that Asaba was not even the designated capital of the proposed Anioma State originally. The proposed capital was a virgin land or “Anioma city” in the heart of the two constituent divisions that had evolved to become the Anioma area. Delta State was once integrated in the Mid Western State from 1963 to 1976 and later Bendel State, from 1976 to 1991. The name “Bendel” (Ben-Del) coined from the old Benin and Delta Provinces of Western Region-Delta to reflect the integration of Benin and Delta provinces.

From this brief history, one then begins to wonder why is it now that the Okowa Government thinks they can come up with the said ridiculous bill specifically for the development of Asaba as a State Capital. The question is, does Asaba need a specific bill or agency to be created before the Delta State Government under Okowa would do what is needed to develop the State’s Capital? If all the various State Government’s would have to forward a bill for the creation a development agency before they can develop their various States’ Capitals, then we wonder what the State Governments were elected to do in the first place. It is like a man asking his wife or his parents to create a separate ‘agency’ for him before he can provide the basic needs of his own children. It simply does not make sense.

The Governor Okowa Government is only coming up with the so called Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill because their ‘true intentions’ is for initiating the bill in the first place, is self-centered to satisfy their personal ambitions. What is even more worrisome is the question of where will Governor Okowa get the funding to actualize his ambitions in the said Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill? Where will he get the money from to fund the intents of the said bill? Is Governor Okowa going to use the funds coming from Delta South and Delta Central (where the oil and gasproducing areas are more), to actualize his ambitions in the said bill? These are questions we would like Governor Okowa to provide answers for. And if it happens that Governor Okowa is planning to use the funds/revenues coming from Delta South and Central to carry out the selfish intents in his so called Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill, then we fault him on this.

We strongly declare that Governor Okowa should not touch a penny or dime coming from Delta South and Delta Central areas to fund and actualize his obvious “Anioma Agenda” that is disguised in the said Asaba Capital Territory Agency Development Bill. Governor Okowa should not use the revenue coming from Delta South and Central to fund a bill that does not concern them. The good people of Delta South and Delta Central will not accept this foul play being orchestrated by Governor Okowa.

We also believe that it is in his bid to forge ahead with his ‘Anioma Agenda” that Governor Okowa also went ahead in collaboration with some members of the Delta State House of Assembly to amend the law establishing DESOPADEC and have it passed to suit his hidden agenda. This he did, in spite of all the protests and calls by relevant stakeholders, including all oil and gas producing host communities’ in Delta State, that Governor should not amend the law establishing DESOPADEC as planned, but to leave the Commission the way it is. This is rather unfortunate, that a governor who is supposed to always listen to the “voice of the majority of the people” he is meant to ‘serve’, has decided instead to listen to that of some selected few. And we believe their aim is to practically render DESOPADEC ‘useless’ while their newly carved Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency is fed fat to thrive for their selfish interest. But like we said, if Governor Okowa is planning to use the funds/revenues from Delta South and Delta Central to fund this “Anioma Agenda”, then he should just forget it. Because concerned and well-meaning Deltans will not seat back and allow this broad day light fraud to thrive.

Zik Gbemre,JP.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)