By Our Correspondents
FORMER Governorship candidate of Mega Peoples Progressives Party (MPPP), Alaowei Afro Biukeme has vented his anger on President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, saying they have failed the people.
In an exclusive interview with The REFORMER in Warri, Delta State, the former governorship candidate said that Nigerians and Deltans are not enjoying the dividends of democracy, allegedly that the people were getting poorer and poorer by the day.
In his words; “President Jonathan is a total failure as far I am concerned. South South has nothing to show for it that the President is from the region. Nothing is working in the Niger Delta region. Apapa Seaport in Lagos State is congested while seaports in Delta State are not working. The President is only busy taking care of the militants but this time around we are going to fight the fight in a non-violent manner. We are praying for United Nations (UN) to intervene.”
He added thus “I will not want President Jonathan to contest in 2015 because the man is a total failure. Look at his administration today. Nothing is working in South South. The people of the Coastal area have been deprived of the good things of life. If we cannot meet our agitation by now, we will still remain like this come 2015. So for me, I want somebody who has my coastal area at heart to come and run for the Presidency in 2015. Jonathan does not deserve it and this is why I am saying that there is no need to vote for President Jonathan in 2015.”
“I am angry with President Jonathan; it will be a shame to say that we do not have development after six (6) years in Aso Rock. If he is a true South South, there would have been much more development in the region and there will be no crisis in Rivers State,” he added.
Biukeme also hit Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, describing him as a failure; saying he failed to build on the solid foundation laid by former Governor James Ibori.
According to him, he did not deserve the Governor of the year awarded him by most of the major national dailies.
Alaowei Biukeme said “It is a shame that Governor Uduaghan is describing Enerhen Junction as a Star project of his administration for six years. Enerhen Junction is less than N800 Million and yet the Governor is describing as a Star project, this is a big shame. The Governor has failed in all areas and we will be happy to celebrate his exit from office next year as he has not added value to the life of the average Deltan on the street.”
“Uduaghan has failed Deltans because if you look at the Industrial Park, it is getting to Six years and there is nothing to show for it. The drainages are not working. In Warri for example, except from the street lights that they are making a lot of money from in diesel, there is nothing in Warri,” he said.
According to him, “The Uduaghan government has failed in so many areas. Even the Ibori projects, he has not been able to complete them. Does this mean that Delta State is broke or nothing is coming in as revenue? Other states publish their allocations regularly. But in Delta State, it is not like that. They keep hiding the sharing formula. The PDP government has failed in Delta state.”
I have few words for Comrade Afro Biukeme over his uninformed views about President Jonathan and our amiable Governor,Emmanuel Uduaghan. I am really lost as to where to begin my response or comment. But I want to believe that Comrade Biukeme watches television and therefore should have seen some of the projects commissioned in Delta State under Uduaghan’s administration. The numerous awards from the Central Bank of Nigeria, NGO’s and international meida organisations should have attracted the comrade’s attention to the Website of the Delta State Government so as to download and print some of the achievements of the Uduaghan’s administration to enable him embark on confirmation tour of the project sites.
What else can I say? Ok, maybe the comrade is yet to download the Scorecard of President Jonathan from the State House official website or at http://www.osgf.gov.ng and other official sites of various federal government parastatals to enable him criticise this administration constructively. Any way, his party the MPPP is such a political party that may not stick to the memories of primary school pupils, secondary and post secondary students. It sounds strange, I mean, the name MPPP. I advise that he come over to the big Umbrella where he can be given the opportunity to prove his leadership qualities. The way things are now, the comrade is yet to come to terms with political reality and therefore may not be able to give constructive criticisms. It is therefore necessary for him to go close to a full size mirror to look at himself politically and endeavour to make some amends so as to grow in political skills from where he is now to a greater pedestal by coming to the big umbrella.