THE dissolution of the Delta State Executive Council has been described as the best course of action to take in order to free those with political ambition to concentrate on their quest.
It also had the added effect of bringing down the “rising temperature in the state.”
Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, until recently the Senior Political Adviser to the governor, stated this while speaking on a Delta Television, Asaba current affairs programme.
The governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, had on May 18 dissolved the state executive council, sacking the commissioners, including the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff as well as all senior advisers.
“The governor’s action was in the right direction. He needed to concentrate on his task of serving the people. Remember, he still has two years to the end of his administration and that is a long time to still make additional impact on the people. Okowa has impressed Deltans with his achievements and it is logical of them to expect him to do even more.
“So he needs a compact team that will not be distracted by political permutations and jostling on 2023.
“As Senior Political Adviser to His Excellency, I had cause to issue warnings on two occasions over the ambitions of some people serving in the administration. Some of them started almost immediately after the second term began. Gov. Okowa is not vindictive neither is he looking to scuttle anybody’s political ambition. But he still has a lot of job to do”, Solomon said.
“Noting that the governor has already began assembling a new team with Monday’s appointment of some advisers, Solomon called for continuous support for Okowa as he seeks to finish strong.
“Those aspiring to be governor should play by the rule, be moderate in their approach and respect the supremacy of the party. The executive council needs unity of purpose to continue to implement Gov. Okowa’s agenda. And nobody should forget the God factor.
“The governor has made it clear that no individual, including himself, has the power to determine who becomes governor in 2023. God has unquestionable judgment in the affairs of men and only Him knows who will emerge in 2023”, Solomon who was a deputy speaker in the Delta State House of Assembly and one time Commissioner for Works said.
He said Okowa has been able to stabilise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State and appealed to party members to exercise caution. “PDP members should not be over zealous. We should not lose focus. Everyone should exercise caution so that there will be a seamless transition. Okowa has stabilised the party and the state”. He said Deltans are satisfied with how PDP and Okowa have been running the state.
On Okowa’s achievements in the past six years, he said the governor has “upped the ante in governance” because he came prepared for the job. “He has been in government, has knowledge of governance, understands and knows the entire terrain in Delta and so hit the ground running.
“From his SMART Agenda theme in 2015, he identified key areas that needed total revamping. Urban renewal, boost to technical education, huge road projects, equipping of over 100,000 youths to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour, creation of three new universities to enable every child in Delta achieve their aspirations in education are some of the areas where Gov. Okowa has made a massive impact in the wellbeing of our people”, Solomon stated.
He also commended Okowa for driving and hosting the unprecedented meeting of 17 governors of southern Nigeria. “The resolutions they made are right and germaine. Through this, the Presidency was unraveled in their uninformed reaction to the governors’ declaration. By questioning the power of the governors to decide how land is managed in their respective states, the Presidency displayed an embarrassing lack of knowledge on the content of the Land Use Act that vests on governors the authority to manage lands
“I salute the southern governors and appeal to them to ignore the Federal Government and proceed to enact relevant laws that will give effect to their declaration.”
