Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Wednesday, advanced the distractions his administration was facing over the personal ambition of some members of the State Executive Council for the 2023 general election as the reason why he dissolved his cabinet.
The Governor had on Tuesday, sacked the 25 commissioners, the Secretary to State Government, Chief of Staff; Senior Political Adviser; Chief Strategist and Special Advisers.
Speaking at Asaba during his quarterly media briefing, Okowa said: “There was the need to re-work the exco in such a manner that there will be less stress such that those in exco would have their minds fixated on what we intend to achieve in the next two years, rather than on their private ambitions and beliefs.
“At some point in time in the course of an administration, there are always reasons to take some actions. If I tell you that there is no reason, then why would I have to dissolve the exco? I believe we have been on in this administration in the past six years but two years in this tenure, we have two years to go.
“Obviously there has been a lot of distractions among some members of exco. We have been working effectively and strongly. Some of them have been very useful and I must thank them. I must acknowledge that a lot of them have worked with me to be able to achieve that which we have achieved.
“But in the next two years, we need to be able to reduce the level of distraction in governance. And if you do not take that action I may have an exco that is currently divided in the two years and that will not enable me to achieve my vision.
“So I thought there was the need to re-work the exco in such a manner that there will be less stress such that those in exco would have their minds fixated on what we intend to achieve in the next two years, rather than on their private ambitions and beliefs.”
On the gentleman agreement for the rotation of the governorship position of the state, he said; “a gentleman agreement is an agreement that is not written and l want to believe that that is what it’s supposed to be.
“But whether there was any formal meeting in which a gentleman agreement was reached, there was no formal meeting where a gentleman agreement was reached and that is the truth as of today.
“It means that whatever we are doing or talking about today is about what is fair, what is equitable, and how to define what is fair and what is equitable and justiciable.
“On allegations of intention to hand over to an Ijaw man, it’s only God almighty that knows who will be Governor after me. I cannot pretend to be God, I don’t know who God is going to bring and I don’t have the intention of playing the role of God.
“You will hear a lot more things just as they said I want to handover to an Ijaw man, I don’t think that I have the strength to play God but the issue is when the politics starts, politics will be played, and God Almighty will take the decision on who will be Governor.
“But as I said, at some point in time as a party, because I can only speak for my party, that we will sit down to look at issues to find out what truly will be fair, what truly will be justiciable, and what should equity really mean. On where the Governorship is going, I think if you pray God will reveal it to you.”
On the refund of £4.2million from the United Kingdom, Okowa said the state has suggested some projects in the state to the federal government which the money could be used to finance.
On the controversy generated by the resolutions of the Southern Governor’s meeting in Asaba, Okowa said; “it is for the unity of Nigeria. Ranching is best for the country and accepted by the Northern Elders and Governors.
“Those who reacted against it got it wrong and they are not fair to the Southern Governors. It stops constant clashes among the residents and herders. The case of restructuring through devolution of powers, state police and others will also go a long way to uplift the country”.
