… THE NEED TO ALLOW THE EXISTING DESTMA BOARD TO RUN ITS TENURE
By Zik Gbemre
With the established fact that section 12(1) and 12(3) of the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA) law 2013, states respectively that “there shall be a Director General of the Authority (DESTMA) who shall be appointed by the Governor SUBJECT to the confirmation of the House “and” a person to be appointed DG of DESTMA must possess ten (10) years professional experience in traffic management, we seriously do not see why the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, would blatantly disregard the said law, to have reportedly nominated and appointed one Cdr. Samuel Azubuike Idah (Rtd.) as Director General (DG) of DESTMA, despite the fact that the incumbent DG, Mr. Stephen Dieseruvwe’s four year tenure will expire on June 2020.What better way to describe this, other than the fact that it is clearly an abuse of Executive powers?
The recent development has already set tongues wagging as to why Governor Okowa is bent on flouting the Laws setting up DESTMA, and in violation of originating court summons just to favour his Ika ethnic kinsman, Idah, who was said to had boasted all along that he will be the next DG of the DESTMA. What is even more annoying is the fact that the said Idah, does not possess the ten years professional experience to be so appointed DG of DESTIMA, as required by the Law setting it. Disregarding the Law and the Court, the Delta State Governor still went ahead to send a nomination letter to the State House of Assembly (which was on the same day the Ughelli High Court 1 was approached to address this issue), to confirm Cdr. Azubuike Idah (Rtd) as DESTMA DG.
The crux of the matter here is that Mr. Stephen Dieseruvwe, who was appointed DG of the agency in June 2016 after being duly screened and confirmed by the Delta State House of Assembly, has not served his four year term of office, which ends in June 2020, and has not been officially relieved of his position. One begins to wonder why is Governor Okowa bent on violating the laws setting up the agency, and even disregard the Ughelli High Court 1 by nominating Idah, his Ika kinsman, when the tenure of Dieseruvwe, an Urhobo man, whose tenure is yet to expire?
What we also find quite appalling is the fact that some reports have revealed that the said Idah, has since September 23rd 2019, been functioning as the DG of DESTMA, in clear violation of the Agency’s Laws of 2013, which Governor Okowa hastily tries to legalize by sending Idah’s name for confirmation just few days after having been served as 1st Respondent in the originating summons instituted in Ughelli High Court 1.
We therefore consider it expedient to strongly advise Governor Okowa to allow the existing Board and DG, Dieseruvwe, to run to the end of their tenure on June 2020, and stop tribalizing his administration. If the Governor must appoint Idah his kinsman, then he should, as usual, appoint him as one of his aides. At least until the tenure of Dieseruvwe tenue as DG DESTIMA, runs out in 2020. Otherwise, this is a clear abuse of official power, is totally uncalled for. Must Okowa’s kinsman be appointed to head every Delta State Government Department? This is clearly not how to govern and lead any State as a Governor. Okowa should be reminded that he is there to govern the whole State on ‘equal basis’ irrespective of tribe/ethnicity and socio-political differences amongst Deltans.
Zik Gbemre.
December 2, 2019
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
