Innocent Ojefia Blog

Anarchy in America! Things are spiraling out of control as more than 25 cities in the US are currently under curfew. Widespread looting is going on in many cities. Over twenty-five, American cities are currently witnessing continuing rioting over the Minneapolis White Police officer’s racist killing of African American George Floyd a few days ago. The following U.S. Cities are experiencing Violent riots that began in Minneapolis Minnesota and have now expanded to New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Oakland, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington DC and many other places. George Floyd was choked to death by 4 Minneapolis Police officers while he pleaded to them that he is not breathing but one officer knelt down on his neck thereby choking him from breathing and the other two officers assisted while one officer watched this tragedy on the side. George Floyd eventually died on the scene when the police killers realized there was no more pulse from his body...

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Friday expressed optimism that as the world continued to battle the coronavirus pandemic, God would take away the challenge and revive the state and nation’s economies. He stated this at an interdenominational Thanksgiving service to mark the first anniversary of his second term in office at the Government House Chapel, Asaba. The governor said that COVID-19 had posed a major challenge to economies of the world and called on Christians to pray fervently to God for a solution to the scourge. He disclosed that the global lockdown occasioned by the pandemic had led to slump in the price of crude oil price, which had remained Nigeria's major source of revenue. Okowa, however, said that with God, there would be victory over the pandemic, and called on the people to put their trust in God for a solution to the challenge and other turbulent situations. He recalled a media publication where he was mocked for his daily ...

Tomorrow, May 29, 2020, is what used to be referred to in Nigeria as  “Democracy Day,”  but now it will only serve as the anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari's regime and that of some state governors. It is usually a welcome excuse for great celebrations, chest-beating and wild claims about humongous achievements, many of which exist only in the imagination of the mostly failed leaders.  Even the term  “Democracy Day”  (which is now observed on June 12) is such an excruciating irony in a country where almost all the features that distinguish democratic societies have been brutally obliterated, leaving the populace continually trapped in destabilizing apprehension.  There would, however, be no parties tomorrow. A hostile, dreaded   visitor called  Coronavirus  is town! Let’s hope, therefore, that the absence of bacchanals tomorrow will afford our leaders the conducive   atmosphere for deep, sober reflections, ...

There is no region of Nigeria that is perpetually always on either the Sunny or the Rainy side on any issue. We are defined not necessarily by our ethnicity but by our places on the socio-economic ladder. Nigeria is like George Orwell’s Animal Farm where a few rulers of different animal species, (in this case ethnic groups) amass untold percentage of the society’s resources to themselves as they rule over a diminishing number of the struggling to middle and working-class and hundreds of millions of the population who live in abject poverty. Some of the richest Nigerians from all over the country have first degree relatives who live in abject poverty. Individual personal experiences do not always reflect the general or even the average experience of the entire population in any jurisdiction or among any specific ethnic group in Nigeria. The socio-economic climate/ conditions in Nigeria are just like Hawaiian weather on any day of the week and any season of the ...

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has barred Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, especially political appointees, to refrain from constituting consultation groups ahead of 2023 general elections. He cautioned that such early consultations were capable of causing distraction in governance and polarisation among State Executive Council members. The governor's admonition was contained in a statement by the Senior Political Adviser to the Governor, Chief Funkekeme Solomon, on Monday in Asaba.   The statement said that such early politicking was hasty, premature and capable of undermining the unity of purpose of the Okowa administration. It recalled that the governor had earlier cautioned members of government to exercise restraint in pursuing matters concerning 2023 now, but observed that some top government officials, particularly State Executive Council members, had continued to disregard the directive. According to the statement, the govern...

The Governor of Delta State, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa on Wednesday, charged political appointees in the state to be fair, equitable and shun nepotistic considerations in the discharge of their duties. The governor made the call while swearing in two new Special Advisers in Asaba. He said that the new appointments were necessary to keep the wheel of governance running smoothly and to ensure that his administration had a formidable team to build on its stronger Delta vision. He charged the appointees to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with section 196 (Sub-section 1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and work selflessly for the good governance and development of the State. The new Special Advisers are Chief Godwin Ogadi and Chief Andrew Osawota. Okowa said, "In the face of the most challenging moment in our contemporary history, we have nonetheless resolved as an administration to continue to do the needful to keep ...