Shame, sorrow, misery as power supply system collapses at Delta PDP secretariat

·        Okowa berates elected, appointed party officials for being selfish, uncaring

It was a day of the display of shame, sorrow and misery on Saturday, 25/2/2017 as electricity power supply system collapsed at the Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asaba during the stake holders’ meeting of the party.

Governor Okowa exchanging pleasantries with Former Deputy
Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama.

Virtually everybody in the domelike auditorium was subjected to harrowing experience of an environment that was harsh for human habitation. Yet, even in their not too pleasant conditions of seating under the very badly ventilated auditorium, party faithful sweated it out profusely in the oven like setting.

When the situation became overwhelming and unbearable, even the Deputy Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro had to seek solace for free air out side, where numerous party chieftains, elders, leaders, elected and appointed officials and other party bigwigs had relocated to get ease from the unfriendly and nasty situation. The hall indeed burnt like a heated cooking compartment.

Party faithful discussed the matter in hush tones bemoaning that day as hellish, while others tried to figure out how the managers of the secretariat who planned the meeting never considered it necessary to put in place an infrastructure as important as electricity. To such party faithful, argued that the situation amounted to the secretariat’s leadership failure.  

Party elders, from right, Mrs Enamuotor, Prof. Sam
Oyovbaire, M. Agas, and Chief Patrick Fovie.

Besides the feeble effort of one of the announcers who pleaded with the audience for understanding over the badly ventilated setting the leadership of the party did not show courtesy in calling attention to the situation and pleading with party faithful to pleas bar with them over the unpleasant condition of the meeting venue.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, a former State chairman of the party announced that he and his colleagues at the national Assembly would provide 10 split air-conditioning units to help ease the situation.

It could not be immediately ascertained what caused the bad situation, but BMN learnt from sources that it was the belt of the power generating set that got cut.

A cross section of PDP members at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who described the gathering as “PDP stakeholders meeting of strength” decried the selfish and uncaring attitude of some elected and appointed members of the party to party affairs. He berated such officials for not showing love and care to the plight of the less privileged in the party and for distancing themselves and not taking enough responsibility to party affairs at the wards, local government and state levels.

To members of the Delta State House of Assembly the Governor said: “Members of the Delta State House of Assembly must learn that they are the principal strength of the party, and henceforth we shall shout when it becomes necessary; we shall no longer keep quiet.” The Governor was telling them to live up to their responsibilities as the power house of the party at the wards, local government and state levels by making contributions towards party activities.

To the unelected officials Okowa said: “Every political appointee will be required to produce their record of achievement and contribution to the party at the wards, local government and the state levels. This administration will be two years in office by May 29, 2017, I will ask for your record and if you have not lived up to expectation in offering assistance to the party will you be shown the way out.” He decried reports of the selfish, uncaring and tight fisted attitude of the political appointees to the less privileged some of whom they could not help with needs as paltry as N5,000.

“It is time to change. We cannot use our positions to spoil the party that our leaders have toiled to build. If you cannot support the party that put me here as governor then you have no reason to be with me as an appointee,” Okowa said.

He called for general reconciliation in the party, saying: “I plead for general reconciliation. We must learn to forgive everyone and work together for the good of the party.”