…As Ominimini Reaffirms Okumagba As a Long Time APC Member
- Okumagba Thanks President Buhari for Appointment
The member representing Udu, Ughelli South and Ughelli North federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Rev. Francis Ejiroghene Waive has described the appointment of Chief Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, by President Muhammadu Buhari as square peg in a square hole even as he condemned those who are accusing Senator Omo-Agege for not doing enough to ensure victory for the APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru.
It would be recalled that the appointment of Chief Bernard Okumagba by President Buhari in August as Managing Director of NDDC has attracted pockets of criticisms by a particular ethnic group in Delta South senatorial district of Delta State.
However, while reacting to the appointment, Hon. Waive who is the only member of the House of Representatives from Delta State on the platform of the APC, hailed President Buhari for his choice of the Warri-born technocrat as the managing director of the NDDC, saying it was a square peg in a square hole.
Waive who stated this in an exclusive interview in Warri recently, noted that Chief Bernard was from Delta South Senatorial district of the State, pointing out that although other ethnic nationalities in the District have enjoyed several appointments into the NDDC and other lucrative positions, the Urhobo ethnic nationality in Delta South from where Chief Bernard Okumagba hails has never had the privilege of being appointed.
According to the national lawmaker, Okumagba has all it takes to transform the NDDC in line with the next level agenda of Mr. President, adding that the chartered accountant of long standing repute is set to make the Niger Delta proud.
He said: “It is well-deserved, square peg in square hole; very well educated, very well brought up and he is from the area, that is Delta South. If you look at the trend of appointments in NDDC over the years, whenever it goes to Delta South, it has always been the Ijaws, the Isokos and the Itsekiris. But there are also Urhobos there, they are human beings. It’s just like in the case of Delta Central; we cannot say it should go to only one local government area. So, to say that if anything comes to that senatorial zone, the Urhobos in that area should not get it is nonsense.”
Stressing further on the suitability of Chief Okumagba for the NDDC MD, Waive noted that the city of Warri has suffered so much neglect over the years, adding that at this stage of development, Deltans should rise above ethnicity and consider how to transform the ancient oil city from its present dismal state of poverty and neglect even as he added that oil companies have relocated out of Warri due to the long years of ethnic struggle.
“I think that Deltans should rise above this trend of tribalism and know that we are all humans created by God. Look at Warri today, look at where we are. Shell is gone; all the oil associated companies are gone. Go to the markets and you will see poverty in the land. And we are still talking about tribe? That is nonsense as far as I know. Or do we want the position to go another state? What are we talking about?”, Waive queried.
The national lawmaker also took a swipe at some persons who accused the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, of not doing enough to see Chief Great Ogboru through in his governorship bid.
According to him, it was very sad that some persons would think or conjure such thought and voice it with their mouth, adding that during the 2019 governorship election, Chief Great Ogboru who is the APC governorship candidate, won in the Senator’s Local Government, Ward and Unit. He wondered how those few elements of criticisms expect the Senator to secure victory for the governorship candidate in all other local government areas of the state.
He said: “It is very sad for anybody to think, conjure or voice that out of his mouth. We have 25 local governments areas; our governorship candidate won in the Senator’s local government. I don’t know what the people want to expect from him that he will make the governorship candidate to win in each and every unit, each and every ward, each and every local government? That practically is impossible! I don’t know where that is coming from. Good enough I have not heard it from our governorship candidate.
“So, those who are peddling it; I don’t know what they are expecting. It saddens me, it makes me feel sick that somebody will think of this or say something like this. It’s very sad. I pray that our people will become realistic and more tolerant and not expect magic from the Senator. I don’t understand it. I’m in the system. I ran the election, won the primary and won the general election. I don’t know what somebody will do which the Senator did not do.
“Fortunately, this is not the first time our candidate is running for an election. It is very annoying and very sad. I would call on our party men to be more realistic. The loss of the governorship is a pain to all of us, but to me particularly because it increases the number of people putting pressure on me for whatever.”
On his advice for his fellow party men and women, Hon. Waive called for a stop to the blame game, urging them to put the APC house in order with a view to taking over Delta State in 2023 even as he said that in political term, 2023 is just four days away and not four years.
“My message to our party men on this issue is for them to stop the blame game. Let’s put our house in order. 2023 is four days away, not four years. Let’s prepare, let’s work hard and ensure we win the state. That is what we should do.
The 2019 elections are over. I keep saying this that the 2019 elections are over, but some people don’t listen to this. It is 2023 that we should be working towards. And you know, it is said that the end of one election is the beginning of another. So, anybody who is still thinking about 2019 election, is wasting his time. 2023 will come and pass you by”, he said.
In a related development, more clarification of the new managing director of the NDDC, Chief Bernard Okumagba as an old member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been made.
Speaking with newsmen during a solidarity march for the appointment of Chief Bernard Okumagba in Ughelli recently, a group known as the Urhobo Political Movement, led by Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi reaffirmed that the Delta South-born chartered accountant, was indeed an old member of the party, adding that in the last national congress of the party held at Abuja where Chief Ominimini was a member of the accreditation team, Chief Bernard Okumagba names was the 72nd on the list of delegates in that event.
According to Ominimini, Chief Bernard Okumagba has a track-record of honesty and sincerity, an invaluable character that is in tandem with Mr. President anti-corruption campaign.
The group described those who are opposed to the appointment of Chief Bernard Okumagba as corrupt individuals who live in the past, adding that they wanted their own to be there for them to continue to perpetrate corruption.
He said: “Okumagba stands for the President’s vision to transform and develop Nigeria and his vision to wipe out corruption.
“Those people who are opposing what Mr. President has done, these are corrupt individuals who live in the past, who want one of their own to be appointed so that they will continue to siphon the finances of NDDC to their whims and caprices.
“These are the same people who have been there and they did not do anything.
“For many years of the existence of NDDC, it has been there and it has not achieved its predetermined objective. So, we call on Mr. President and the National Assembly not to listen to these miscreants.”
In the same vein, the President-General of Okere-Urhobo kingdom in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba has defended the appointment of Chief Bernard Okumagba as MD of NDDC, stating that the Urhobo in Delta South who contributes so much to the development of Warri and its environs were entitled to the appointment just as he confirmed that for so long the Urhobo people of Warri South have been denied political offices.
He said: “Well, people in their opinion may say anything, but I tell you that the Urhobos of Warri have always suffered this neglect because we are Urhobos and we are in a territory that is in the core Urhobo centre.
“As the head of the Okumagba dynasty worldwide, I am happy with our son’s elevation. I recall the era of his father, Chief Daniel Okumagba of blessed memory, it was the same joy that received his appointment as Chairman of Ajaokuta Steel Company. This again symbolizes that we have been remembered for high office as a people.
“His nomination by Mr. President has been inundated by calls of congratulating messages, and people have been congratulating me because I am the father, and I have received it with warmth; that our son, a regular round peg in a round hole, a chartered accountant that will be managing the finances allocated to the company to develop the region. I have no fears in my mind of his capability to perform.”
Chief Emmamnuel Okumagba who is an uncle of the NDDC MD, also thanked President Buhari for his magnanimity which, according to him, must have also influenced the election of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to the office of the Deputy President of the Senate, adding that it is a sign of good tidings for the entire Urhobo nation.
“President Buhari’s appointment of Urhobo man into office is a welcome development and I know that he must be instrumental to the emergence of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the Deputy President of the Senate. These are signs of what is to come, and we advised that there should be consideration of Urhobo people in appointments in Delta State”, he said.
