While reacting to the views expressed in an interview published
in The Vanguard of
Saturday, January 13, 2018, Ekwugum noted that the Ologbotsere (Prime Minister)
of Warri Kingdom is dragging the revered Itsekiri traditional institution into
politics.
Ekwugum
in press statement stated that in attempts to discredit the administration of
our hard working Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Emami fed the public with
falsehood, innuendoes, unsubstantiated allegations.
He described Chief Emami as, “a
political huckster desperate for relevance and motivated by unbridled quest for
political patronage from his APC benefactors.”
The
statement read in part: We have carefully read Chief Ayiri Emami’s interview
published in The Vanguard of
Saturday, January 13, 2018. Brash and unguarded as usual Chief Emami strove,
albeit unsuccessfully, to discredit the administration of our hard working
Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
“Instead
of doing his utmost best to insulate the revered Itsekiri traditional
institution from politics, we are greatly disturbed that the Ologbotsere (Prime
Minister) of Warri Kingdom is doing exactly the opposite and, in the process,
threatening to undermine the trademark civility and profundity of the cultural norms
of the Kingdom. It behoves all well-meaning Itsekiri sons and daughters to call
Chief Emami to order before he does the unthinkable of bringing the hallowed
Itsekiri traditional institution into disrepute.
“It
was Chief Emami’s claim in the Vanguard interview that it is his responsibility
as the Ologbotsere to fight the cause of the Itsekiri people and attract
development to the kingdom. Good, but we would like Chief Emami to explain to
the Itsekiri people what happened to the N800m advance payment he received from
the previous administration for a contract to tackle the coastal erosion
ravaging the entire shorelines of Aruoton, an Itsekiri community in Warri-South
West Local Government Area.
“On
February 11, 2013, the Delta State Government (STB/10/T/60) awarded the
contract for the construction of Shoreline Protection Measures (Phase 1) at
Aruoton community to Emami’s company, EasyQuest Nigeria Limited at a
total sum of N1,694,211,750.00 (one billion, six hundred and ninety-four
million, two hundred and eleven thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira). The
company was mobilised with the sum of N800m (eight hundred million naira) as
per the terms of the contract. But despite repeated appeals, Chief Emami’s
company has not done a single work at the site, five years after the contract
was awarded.
“For
someone who professes to have the best interests of the Itsekiri people at
heart, it is most unconscionable, wicked and the height of insensitivity to the
plight of his people for Chief Emami to abandon a project for which he collected
a whooping sum of N800m as advance payment. So where is his professed love for
the Itsekiris?
“It is
important that Deltans know that on April 04, 2016, the administration of
Governor Okowa, through the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, demanded for a full refund of the N800m from EasyQuest Nigeria
Limited. Following their non- compliance with the demand, legal action has
already commenced against the company as Governor Okowa is determined to rid
the State of unscrupulous and failed contractors.
“Chief
Emami was speaking from both sides of the mouth regarding the prevailing
atmosphere of peace in Warri North. He acknowledged that there was peace in the
area during the recent local government election as a result of the meeting
Governor Okowa had with the communities, yet he refrained from giving the
Governor full credit for this. It is an indisputable fact that the people have
enjoyed more peace in our recent history under Governor Okowa, thanks to the
peace building machinery he put in place since coming into office.
He
added that, “Chief Emami sought, again unsuccessfully, to make political
capital out of the Trans Warri-Ode Itsekiri Bridge and Access Roads project.
The fact is that there is an outstanding liability of N8.066b due to the
contractor inherited by the Okowa administration for 68% of work executed under
the previous administration. The contractor, Setraco, is insisting that this
debt be settled before they continue work. Given the challenging economic
environment since 2015, it has not been easy for the Government to cough out
N8.8b at a go, but arrangements have reached advanced stage to offset some of
this liability and get the contractor back on site.
He
also described as laughable and fraudulent, Chief Emami’s claim that the
administration of Governor Okowa has not executed any project in Itsekiri areas
of Delta State.
Noting
that, “it is either the Ologbotsere does not reside in Warri (which will be a
huge disservice to his people) or he is a victim of horrific hallucinations.
Otherwise, how can he not be aware of the 15 internal roads in Ode Itsekiri
that were executed before the coronation of HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli as Olu of Warri
Kingdom? Besides these, the Okowa administration has completed the construction
of the Access road to Awaritse Industrial Park, Obitugbo (Phase 1) in Warri
North Local Government Area as well as rehabilitated the NPA Bye Pass Road
(from New Port Gate to Old Port Gate), Warri South Local Government Area.
“There
are currently other on-going road projects in the Itsekiri axis of Delta South
Senatorial District, including but not limited to the reconstruction of Ubeji
Access road (from NPA road interchange to Trans-Warri Junction), construction
of rigid concrete pavement road at Obitobon-Elolo-Ajaokurogbo-Orubu road in
Ogidigben, Warri South West LGA, and the construction/reconstruction/completion
of Lucky Kpenosen, Korobe and Iwere College roads in Koko, Warri North Local
Government Area.
“It
is highly delusional for Chief Emami to say that “all schools in our areas are
being abandoned by the current Delta State Government.” For the avoidance of
doubt, the Okowa administration has completed infrastructural work at Egbema
Primary School, Ogbimbri in Warri North Local Government Area, while extensive
infrastructural upgrade is currently on-going at Agbeje Primary School,
Ugbuwangue, Warri South Local Government Area, Egharegbemi Primary School,
Ubeji, Ojomba Primary School, Koko, Dore-Numa College and Ubeji Grammar School
both in Warri.
“The
Okowa administration has also completed the following inherited projects:
Construction, furnishing and equipping of Atuwatse II Model Primary School,
Warri and Construction, furnishing and equipping of Alema Model College, Abigborodo.
Ekwugum
stated further that “the State Government supplied 2,315 students and 386
teachers’ furniture to selected schools in Warri North Local Government Area.
Another 1,300 students’ furniture and 152 teachers’ furniture were supplied to
selected schools in Warri South-West Local Government Area.
“It
is crystal clear from the foregoing that Chief Emami’s moonlight tales are only
fit for a village fireside chit chat. It is all sound and fury, signifying
nothing. But then we do not expect anything better from a man who wears his
badge of notoriety with disgusting pride.”
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