DELTA 2023: Edevbie and The Rest, The Difference Is Clear (OPINION)
By Fred Edoreh
It is becoming increasingly clearer to Deltans that Olorogun David Edevbie is not only the most qualified but also the best prepared to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to lead the state to greater prosperity.
While Deltans already reckon highly with his huge credentials, experience and track record in the private sector and public service, having served in various administrations of Delta State as Commissioner of Finance and, lately, as Chief of Staff to Governor Okowa, and also at the Presidency as Principal Secretary to President Umaru Yar’adua, Edevbie has shown greater seriousness towards governance by taking time to articulate his plans for the development of the state.
His modernisation agenda which focuses on industrialisation, energy, social infrastructure, security, employment generation, wealth creation and Public Service reforms addresses all the sectors of the economy and the peculiar needs of various districts, segments and communities of the state.
Various political, traditional, community and opinion leaders have appraised Edevbie’s plans as better informed, very realistic and exceptionally relevant not only for their different communities but, more importantly, for the overall interest of growing a robust state economy, achieving wider and higher level of infrastructural development and providing strong foundations for the future and sustainable progress of the state.
On the contrary, various other aspirants are showing no signs of understanding nor preparedness for governance. Some are merely going about dropping the name of Governor Okowa in the delusion that, despite their obvious poor capacity, he will foist them on the people.
Intimidated by Edevbie’s wide approval and acceptance by the people as the best for the job, some of the aspirants have resorted, both directly and through their ill-informed agents, both overtly and covertly, to wild mudslinging attacks.
They delude themselves that Deltans will wish away the sound education, professional expertise and huge experience Edevbie brings to settle for the mediocrity which they display.
Unfortunately, they are unaware that neither will Governor Okowa nor leaders of the PDP be so unkind to Deltans to foist any person of less quality or a dummy on the people, nor will the people be as naive and unkind to themselves to accept any such persons.
Deltans take the governance of their state seriously. They have seen how a poor choice has affected the entire nation and would not wish away the quality and capacity of who is to govern them.
They know that knowledge and experience count and that half-literacy is even more dangerous than full illiteracy.
Deltans also know that merely dropping the name of the Governor is not a substitute to articulating an agenda for the development of the state because they also know that, at the end of the day, governance is about resourcefulness in securing needed resources and managing same for the development of the people.
Deltans cannot also be deceived by the propaganda, smear campaigns, invectives and speculations being bandied about by empty aspirants. They already have seen that such aspirants have no agenda to articulate because they lack the hands-on knowledge and experience required for the high office of Governor and cannot give what they do not have.
Deltans know that among the aspirants, Edevbie is a higher and better breed and the best deal for the development and progress of Delta State. They know that Governor Okowa and the party leaders are fully aware of this area would do the right thing in the overall best interest of the state, when the time is ripe.
