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| Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, Delta State PDP Publicity Secretary. |
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has joined
issues with the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, criticising the opposition
party for what it called APC’s “innuendo of lies and mischief against Okowa and
the Kwale Industrial Park (KIP)” project.
PDP made the criticism in a statement by its state Publicity
Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza in Asaba, in response to an earlier statement
issued by APC’s state Publicity Secretary, Barrister Sylvester Imonina, who
accused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration of “misdirection of resources, covert
act of enrichment of few pockets, and a white elephant project in the offing.”
PDP described the opposition party’s claim, and declared that it
was not surprised that APC could stoop so low to insinuate what obviously it
intended for mischief rather than an altruistic move.
Dr. Osuoza said: “Besides, the APC’s stratagem which is to
portray Governor Okowa in bad light falls obviously flat on its face when
viewed against the background that the party’s innuendo failed to pointedly
show that it “is to enrich some persons whose stock in trade is manipulations
(sic) and underhand deals for the sake of their pockets. Yet, the APC wants the
unwary to believe its lie.”
Here is full text of the Delta PDP statement:
PRESS RELEASE
2nd November, 2019
Delta APC’s innuendo of lies and mischief against Okowa, KIP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State wishes to debunk
unfounded claims by the All Progressive Congress (APC) against the government
of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on the proposed establishment of the Kwale Industrial
Park (KIP).
The APC insinuates that the KIP project is a “misdirection of
resources, Convert (sic) (instead of covert) act of enrichment of few pockets,
and a white elephant project in the offing.”
We are not in any way surprised at the unfortunate incident that
the APC can stoop so low to insinuate what obviously is intended for mischief
rather than an altruistic move. Besides, the APC’s stratagem which is to
portray Governor Okowa in bad light falls obviously flat on its face when
viewed against the background that the party’s innuendo failed to pointedly
show that it “is to enrich some persons whose stock in trade is manipulations
(sic) and underhand deals for the sake of their pockets.” Yet, the APC
wants the unwary to believe its lie.
However, as a responsible and responsive government, the PDP
wishes to call the attention of Deltans and observers of the administration of
His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa that the APC in its recent statement
raised four main points to wit: Misdirection of resources, Covert (not convert)
act of enrichment of a few persons, KIP is a white elephant project, and that
Government is a continuum.
It has become pertinent to point out that the APC and its State
Publicity Secretary, Barrister Sylvester Imonina have displayed arrant
ignorance and lack of proper understanding of the issues they have raised. And
like a lot of people with their kind of obsession never to see anything good in
what the PDP administration of Governor Okowa is doing, they have pretended to
be completely ignorant and uninformed.
It is a fact that the Okowa administration recognises much more
than a lot of governments that government is a continuum. Just to name a few of
projects started by previous administration:
1. Okowa completed the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
2. Maryam Babangida Way.
3. Resurfacing the runway and installing ILS and runway lights
at the airport.
Again, in their blindness, APC and its officials, have accused
Governor Okowa of starting the Kwale Industrial Park (KIP) in his Senatorial
District while abandoning GRIP (Gas Revolution Industrial Park Ogidigben) and
the Warri Industrial Business Park. The truth of course, is that GRIP is a
project of the APC-led Federal Government, however not withstanding this,
Okowa’s first one-on-one meeting with President Buhari was to push for action
on the actualisation of GRIP. Only recently some of the steering committees
were put in place.
Also, upon assumption of office, Governor Okowa set up a
committee to know what was holding up the Warri Industrial Business Park,
during which we found out that the land was not properly acquired by the
previous administration. As a result, there are currently between 10 and 13
matters in court by the original land owners.
Governor Okowa, as many people know, is not impulsive. He is a
meticulous, astute administrator with utmost respect for the rule of law. As
any right thinking person would advise in such circumstances, it is best for
the court cases to be properly resolved before proceeding further on the
project. But the APC people, sad to say, have never been known to be right
thinking. Their idea of governance, if you would call it that, is to ride
roughshod over the rights of other citizens and clobber them into submission.
It is important to inform Deltans that the Okowa administration
has been in talks with the litigants and other land owners affected with the
hope of amicably settling the matters out of court. As you would imagine, such
a process is often long drawn; it involves lengthy negotiations because
colossal sums of money are involved. Suffice it to say that Deltans would have
been spared this needless impasse had the right thing been done in the first
place. Once the legal issues are resolved, we assure Deltans, particularly
those in Warri and environs, that the Okowa administration is committed to the
full implementation of the Warri Industrial Business Park project.
Let it be known also that the Kwale Industrial Park (KIP) is a
Public Private Partnership (PPP) project; the State government is holding only
25% of the Special Purpose Vehicle (Kwale Industrial Park Limited), and the
rest will be held by private investors.
It is similarly important to inform and educate the APC that the
land will represent Delta State Government’s (DTSG’s) 25%. The only additional
financial commitment of the State is some minimal expenditure to open up the
land, gather critical data, while the major infrastructural facilities will be
built by the investors. The project is to be driven by the private sector, this
is deliberate to mitigate against failure.
Again, it is perhaps necessary also to let the good people of
Delta State who have shown unwavering trust in the capacity of His Excellency,
Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to lead them to the emergence of a Stronger Delta
with the resounding second term endorsement given to him, to know that the
reason for the trip to China was because the government is looking at
industries that require a lot of gas and energy for either their feedstock or
cheaper/assured source of power, which Kwale has in abundance. Currently
because of the high cost of gas in China some of their methanol plants are
either shut down/producing at lower capacity and looking for new markets.
Same for ceramic factories that are suffering from low demands arising from
sluggish global economic growth. His Excellency's visit to China is to convey
legitimacy to the numerous prior engagements between the consultants and
potential investors, given that key Chinese investors are funded by their home
Government. The investors have found KIP very attractive and Dr. Okowa's visit
has galvanised their interest. It is good news that a company with a 400 MT
capacity methanol plant is already talking about coming to visit the site in the
next two months that definitely does not depict a white elephant project.
Of course, we make bold to state, and indeed, for the proper
education of the APC that a project that has the potential of employing over
75,000 persons cannot be said to be a misdirection of resources.
The PDP and its government in the State will not relent in
working assiduously and remaining focused in the determination to fulfill the
Okowa administration’s SMART agenda and covenant of building a Stronger Delta
the present and future generations will forever remain proud of.
We therefore, urge Deltans to ignore the antics of the APC that
is still firmly buried in disorientation and dismemberment; we urge you to
remain focused in your love and loyalty to the PDP and not be distracted by the
shenanigans of a political party that lacks cohesion, peace and harmony.
PDP! Power to the People!
Long Live PDP!
Long Live Delta State!
Signed:
Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza
State Publicity Secretary,
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Delta State.
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