After
days of musings on the altercations between Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Dr. Pat
Utomi, it is good to make some necessary observations. When did Dr. Utomi realize
that Delta State was into a debt peonage. All these past years, he put up with
his observations, probably out of elite solidarity, because he has been hand in
gloves with those in authority.
It
is therefore obvious that he only came out now, because of his self-interest
based on his intention to become governor of the “highly indebted” State. His
observation is not out of any altruistic or intellectual motives. In all
sincerity, he is part of the problem for putting up all these years with what
he knows was a wrong policy option. The summation from that attitude is that he
does not naturally have the interest of the State and its people at heart.
On
the issue of a youth centre to be built by CVL to give opportunities to youths,
it is unfortunate and laughable that an important project that will impact
primarily on the people of his hometown is abandoned by him, even after the turning
of the sod. Dr. Utomi hurriedly abandoned the project, just because the State
government did not tar the road leading to the site. What a puerile excuse!
Couldn’t the project have started on earth road? In another instance, he
claimed that he relocated a “multimillion dollar agricultural industrial town
project” to Edo State, because he was not patient enough to wait for the allocation
of land. His excuses and the haste with which he left Delta State on all
instances, only goes to show a man who was obviously not keen on bringing
development to his people. There is no doubt that Dr. Utomi has never been
interested in Delta State. His responses
at present, are afterthought of a man seeking elective office.
As
it stands today, Dr. Utomi’s thirty-five years of public service and acclaimed
recognition and connections with international development partners, has been
of no benefit to his hometown and indeed the State. The big question is: what
has he done in the past to improve the life of the people of his hometown,
Ibuzor or any part of the State? Nothing! Charity they say, begins from home.
Presently, Dr. Utomi is sneakily moving around the State,
campaigning to fringe and gullible members of APC, with his skills acquisition
for youths. It is important to point out that everything he is doing right now
across the State and his comments, are just to hoodwink our people. It is most
unfortunate that people like Utomi under the smokescreen of being intellectuals
and technocrats, assume that they know so much, which in most cases, don’t
usually translate into capacity and ability to govern, because sooner than
later, they are overwhelmed by the enormity the economic, socio-cultural and
development challenges.
The big question is: Why does Pat Utomi want
to be the Governor of Delta State after various flirtations with the idea of
becoming the President of Nigeria? Pat Utomi once held a lucrative office in
Shehu Shagari’s government, a government that was ranked among the most corrupt
in Nigeria’s history. Could it be that he had tested the fiscal cookies, which
circulated in those confused days of Shagari that he is anxious to go back to
power. Perhaps, in his own convenient time, he might make a public statement or
write a book explaining what actually was his role as a ’special adviser’
during Shagari’s corrupt civilian government.
Pseudo intellectuals like Utomi always brag and regale their audience about their reach internationally and how they can use their
contacts to bring international investors. It is worse off if they are seeking
elective positions. This is the problem with intellectuals and academicians when they
run for public office. Dr. Utomi is only useful to a handful of Nigerians. As
an academic, his followers consist basically of two classes of people: The
Diaspora Nigerians, people who are living abroad, who think they understand the
basic problem of the nation but can only write and speculate in a very
theoretical basis. And on the other
hand, the elites resident in Lagos and Abuja.
The bane of Utomi’s ambition is based on the fact that throughout his life and career up to now, he did not see any reason to extend his tentacles of connections to his hometown of Ibuzor, his LGA-Oshimili North, Anioma, and indeed Delta State, including our people, especially those at the lowest social strata. The State and its people never really mattered to him, until he now needs our vote. The truth is that he has nothing in common with our people here at home across Delta State.
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