Okpai IPP Project: Oborevwori’s Media Team Just Avoiding The Message But Attacking The Messenger 

FRED AKPEWE 

Since early this week when Senator Ned Nwoko drew the attention of the world that the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has not been fair to Delta North in terms of infrastructural development, there has not been any official response to the Senator’s sobre observation.

What we have seen so far is a rag tag response from some the Governor’s Aides, who do not have a grasp of the real issues. These Aides believe quite erroneously that they can drive their points through the deployment of uncouth language or hate speech.

Unbeknownst to them the complexity of the issues in question are too big for them to fathom.

What are the issues? Senator Ned Nwoko believes that the best governance model is that which deals with the acute needs of its citizens, which in this case is water and light.

That the Okpai IPP project is a joint venture project is already trite and Senator Nwoko is aware of it. The Okpai IPP Joint venture partnership which involves Nigeria Agip Oil, NNPC, ConocoPhillips and EniPower is already generating 980 megawatts of electricity into the National grid but this effort does not serve the electricity needs of the catchment area, being the Delta North Senatorial district. What remains is a step down to enable the area enjoy 100 megawatts of electricity as was earlier envisioned.

Senator Ned Nwoko believes that the Delta State Government has enough resources to support this step down for the benefit of his constituents. If the State Government cannot support a project that guarantees regular electricity supply to about two million people in Delta North then there is something wrong with its priorities.

The Senator has also asked the Delta State Governor to assist to bring the Ogwashi Uku dam to fruition for the benefit of Ogwashi Uku and 60 other adjoining communities in Delta North. Because of the topography of Ogwashi Uku, it has been difficult for the community and those adjoining it to enjoy pipe borne water from time immemorial.

Also the areas need water for the irrigation of their farms. Senator Nwoko is not oblivious of the fact that the Ogwashi Uku dam is a Federal Project but he is also aware that its completion will serve the interest of Deltans more than any other group of persons.

As a matter of fact the Federal Government has handed over the project to Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) and the authority is waiting for the Delta State Government to do the water supply component of the project. The Senator believes this is not too much to ask of the governor of the state.

The media aides of Governor Oborevwori displayed crass ignorance and lack of capacity to understand government policies and the scope of its responsibilities. They failed to understand that the Federal government has no spatial location and that all their interventions are within states.

One of the fault lines of the 1999 constitution is that there are two many functions in the Executive Federal list with fewer items in the concurrent list. The need for the implementation of true Federalism has been in the front burner with the National Assembly already working on devolution of power to the Federating units on issues such as Power, State police,Aviation, Security and even oil exploration.

Abia State has had its $800m Geometric integrated power project commissioned by President Tinubu. The project is a 141 megawatts power generation , transmission and distribution facility with expandable capacity to 188 megawatts. The project is built to supply uninterrupted electricity to businesses and households across nine local government areas in Abia state. Abia state receipt from the Federation Account is nothing near what accrues to Delta state from the same source. Yet Governor Alex Otti understands the importance of power and the multiplier effect on the SMEs in Aba and environs. That is what a visionary governor ensures: a productive venture that will bring his people closer to wealth.

The Delta State government that is grappling with the N23b failed Oghara IPP project should have tried to retrieve its embarrassing image by latching on the opportunity of the Okpai IPP project to procure 100 megawatt of electricity for benefit of the Delta North people.

The media Aides of His Excellency need to be educated that the failure of Governor Oborevwori to support the Okpai IPP and the Ogwashi Uku dam on the excuse that there is no money amounts to an abdication of the responsibility of government towards its people. If Governor Oborevwori can deprive the people of Delta North of light and water, two critical life surviving factors of livelihood and business, then of what use are roads and bridges to the citizens?

If you ask the people of Warri and Delta Central what they critically need at the moment they would perhaps be more interested in their welfare and security, which is in fact the primary purpose of government. Roads and bridges are good but of what use are they to a hungry people who cannot afford decent meals.

Talking about State and Federal government projects, a good governor sees them as overlapping. Many State governors support the Police command in their states with utility vehicles, working gadgets and tools to enhance their performance.

The 167 kilometer Asaba-Ughelli dual carriage way is a Federal road, yet the Emmanuel Uduaghan Administration awarded the contract for the road construction because it will primarily serve the interest of Deltans. The Koka flyover and interchange in Asaba which was embarked on by the Okowa administration is on a Federal road just as the Effurun roundabout flyover and the interbau flyover,Asaba are on Federal roads.

There is no justifiable reason why a state government would deliberately refuse to assist on a project that will be hugely beneficial to its people, on the flimsy excuse that it is a Federal government project or on the unbelievable excuse that there is no money.

Senator Ned Nwoko is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and understands the priority projects that would be beneficial to his people. Whilst he can lobby some from the Federal Government angle, he is equally entitled to lobby some through his state government, but if the state governor consistently refuses to accede to the Senator,s appeals despite persistent requests, then there is something relating to mutual relationship is fundamentally wrong

– Fred Akpewe
Senior Media Analyst
Writing from Asaba