LAGOS SEPTEMBER 21ST (URHOBOTODAY)-The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State are bickering over the former’s allegation of non- performance levelled against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
The SDP also alleged that the state government had awarded contracts at inflated costs.SDP Chairman, Mr. Oke Idawene, told journalists in Asaba yesterday, that a comparative analysis of states like Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Anambra, Rivers and Delta would show that there has been no development in Delta State.
According to Idawene, the first thing Governor Okowa did immediately he assumed office was to increase the contracts’ approval limit. He said Emmanuel Uduaghan and James Ibori pegged the limit at N50 million, with every project worth more than N50 million duly debated by the State Executive council.
The SDP chief alleged that when Okowa came, he increased this approval limit from N50 million to N250 million.“The question now is: how many projects are above N250 million in Delta State?” he queried.
He alleged that the governor renovated the newly constructed Government House for N1.2 billion, adding that immediate past Governor Uduaghan completed it three months before he left office.
SDP also accused the governor of attempting to destroy the civil service. Idawane, who is also the chairman of registered political parties in the South-South zone, alleged that, “Okowa is deliberately denying civil servants their salaries and other entitlements. Civil servants’ cooperative contributions are being withheld by the government, even when some workers have not received their salaries for months.”
However, in a swift reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the state PDP, Mr. Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza described SDP’s statement as inciting and unfair to Governor Okowa.
“As a responsible political party, which has produced the governor, who is a brand of excellent leadership, progressive dynamism, we do not take kindly to the unlettered, uncultured and primitive statements of SDP,” Osuoza said.
The PDP spokesman said: “We don’t think the SDP exists as a party in Delta State and Okowa’s projects completed in the last over one year speak volumes. All allegations against him by SDP are unfounded and untrue.”