Memo to the incoming Governor of Delta state – Part II
By GbaramatuVoice Editorial Board
It is no longer news that the long awaited governorship election in Delta state is just a few days away. What is however, newsy is that out of the sixteen (16) of you that currently angle to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, none can say with air of certainty whether he will win or not.
It is an electoral contest that is characterized by trepidation and uncertainty!
GbaramatuVoice believes that any of the contenders that lay claim to victory with certainty in the coming election embarks on the journey to self deception. Not even the current Governor can boast of using his power of incumbency to support the candidate of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party. The result of the recently held Presidential election bears eloquent testimonies to this fact.
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There are lessons as well as obvious reason for this current state of affairs and it comes in double fold.
First and very fundamental is that the 16 contenders must recognize that in today’s Delta state, there exists an unprecedented growth in political awareness and consciousness among the people of the state. The forthcoming governorship election in the state is not going to be business as usual.
To refresh your minds, Deltans have in the past 24years years suffered leadership failures in the hands of selfish, visionless, ill-equipped and sectarian personalities that led the state at different points in time. Therefore, the people, who are the real victims of these persistent leadership failures, will no longer entertain a governorship with a leisurely approach to governance and development.
Secondly, aside from expecting as governor, someone with development mindset and laced with thematic plan anchored on a tripod of democratized infrastructural provision, human capital development and accountability, Deltans from the electoral experience of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state may not hesitate to booth out of office anybody elected but fails to meet people’s expectations.
GbaramatuVoice holds the opinion that the era of political god-fatherism appears to have died a natural death in the state. The people will not vote for a ‘nationalistic governor’ like Okowa who approached governance as charity service that should be rendered and walk away without follow up procedures and stripped of capacity to see projects through.
In Delta state, it shall be said no more: that the fathers ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
Rather, Delta youths, market women, among others, hope to see as their governor, a patriotic personality that will view himself as a stakeholder who is in government with sole intention to provide service and benefit in goodwill and friendship. They need a humble and well-informed Deltan that will view leadership from positive reciprocation and ‘win-win’ prism.
Finally, come Saturday, March 11, 2023, Deltans shall elect as governor someone who recognizes that, bringing a radical improvement or achieving sustainable development will not be possible if he (the Governor) presents himself as all-knowing, good looking or well-briefed than other Deltans. Deltans need both responsible and responsive public administrator.
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