DELTA STATE: SENATOR OKOWA SHOULD PUT SQUARE PEGS IN SQUARE HOLES — Arch Clement Onowono Aduze

In this interview, he spoke on the just concluded general elections and the need for Delta State Governor- Elect, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to give appointment to the right persons.
On his assessment of the just concluded 2015 general elections in the country? He noted that the elections are done and dusted and we are happy that the exercise, against all expectations turned out to be very peaceful and credible. Some people even predicted that there will be no Nigeria after the 2015 election, but the process, apart from some hiccups here and there, was free and fair and we can say that democracy has come to stay in the country.
In respect of Delta State, the people are happy with the victory of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in the governorship election and we all see his emergence as the best thing that can happen to the state at this time. We are optimistic that he will bring his wealth of experience in governance to bear as he pilots the affairs of the state for the next eight years.
On his expectation of Dr. Okowa in the selection of his team, he pointed out that governance is a process of governing the people; it is about serving the people and impacting positively on the lives of the citizenry. We cannot continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. There must be some positive change in the area of governance. It is when we put the right people in the right positions that we can really enjoy the dividends of democracy. Delta State is a big and complex State compared to other states of the federation. It requires good leadership for you to get it right.
On DESOPADEC, he opined that the essence of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, is to develop the oil bearing communities and the Governor-Elect can only realize the aims and objectives of the commission if square pegs are put in square holes. Every human being has his own area of specialization, so if veterans from the construction industry are appointed as members of the board to manage the affairs of the commission, it will surely give accelerated infrastructural development in the oil bearing communities and the state in general if the same principle of putting square pegs in square holes is applied to all our ministries and other government department.
The word of God in the book of Psalm 11:3 says that, if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The foundation must be good before the building can stand or else the building will collapse.
There is no doubt that political consideration is taking the centre stage in the area of political appointment, who becomes the next commissioner, chairmen of boards, members of boards and heads of government agencies to mention but a few. But in considering the prospective candidates for these positions, the Governor-Elect should be guided by professionalism; this is the only way we can get it right and transform our dear state to enviable heights.
If really we are sincere to ourselves as a people of this great state, we must have a rethink on how to govern our dear state by putting square pegs in square holes. The principle is simple, put a seasoned professional in his or her area of specialization and the result will be amazing.
Arch Clement Onowono Aduze is a People’s Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain and a Quantity Surveyor.
He vied for the Delta State House of Assembly position for the Isoko South constituency I under the platform of the PDP but lost at the primary.

Comments