Perez Brisibe, Ughelli
The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday accused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State of alleged nepotism in the approved list of candidates who were reabsorbed into the state civil service after their employments were terminated in 2015 by the governor.
Governor Okowa had in 2015 upon his assumption in office, suspended the employment process describing the process leading to their employment as “violating established rules and regulations in the civil service.”
The APC in the state in a statement by its publicity secretary, Sylvester Imonina, also accused the governor of “desecrating traditional institutions in the state,” noting that in order to cover up his alleged inadequacies, “the Governor inveigled and did cow some of our traditional stools into hurriedly putting up an award ceremony for him and some members of his political family, thereby desecrating the age-long revered traditional institution.”
The statement reads: “Delta State APC and Deltans remember vividly that because of the settlement of political scores, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, after assumption of office in the year 2015, cancelled and/or suspended the recruitment of Deltans into Delta State Civil Service, already concluded by his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
“Deltans could remember that during the 2019 electioneering, Dr. Okowa, due to fear of those he unjustly sacked in 2015, working against his coming back for second tenure, made a promise to reabsorb them into the State Civil Service.
“Recently, out of the over three thousand workers that were sacked by him, Delta State PDP led government purportedly reabsorbed approximately four hundred persons only.
“Meanwhile, inquiry shows that out of the almost four hundred persons purportedly reabsorbed, more than half of the figures were new intakes, closely related to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, his political associates and his groomed employment racketeers.
“Moreover, a particular group of people were the most favoured in total negation of federal character recognized by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.”
Describing the award presentation to Governor Okowa by the State Traditional Rulers Council as ridiculous, the party said: “It is preposterous that Governor Okowa was given an award and/or declared the best in a race, he is yet to finish.
“To our royal fathers, learn to bear hunger at times. That is the only way you can recover your lost crown of honour. APC, Delta State will continue to uphold the traditional institution you are charged with.”
Vanguard News