‘Okowa Is The “Glue’’ Behind PDP In The South-South’ – ex-Governor Liyal Imoke

Former Governor of Cross River, Senator Liyel Imoke, has said that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State was the pride of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a great leader celebrated by the party, especially in the South-South.

BIGPENNGR reports that Imoke stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating the reconstructed 10.2-kilometre Alihame/Agbor-Nta/Oki road and side drains in Agbor, and Abavo Circular Road Phase II and III, Abavo, both in Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

He commended the governor for his humility and outstanding accomplishments in Delta, saying “Okowa is one governor that we all celebrate and it’s a great honour and privilege to be invited by a man that we all admire as a great leader.

“We respect him for his humility, integrity, God-fearing governor and silent performer, and I believe that Nigeria needs people like Ifeanyi Okowa.

“I have worked with him over the years and I have found out that we have produced a good leader not just for Deltans but Nigerians and I believe that he has more to offer Nigerians.

“He has brought significant transformation, grassroots development and economic opportunities for the people of the impacted communities.

“Unfortunately we don’t have this type of leadership in many other states; what you have there are flamboyant leaders that don’t listen to the people.’’

Imoke said that Okowa was the “glue’’ that held the South-South together, and urged people of Delta to continue to celebrate him, adding that the governor was also “the one person that has made PDP to stand the way it is today in the country’’.

“One of the greatest decisions Secondus made was to allow Okowa to chair the Convention Committee and we have seen that leadership play out beyond Delta State,” he added.

Speaking, Governor Okowa used the occasion to dismissed rumours making the round in  some quarters of the state that he has move the College of Medicine of University of Delta, Agbor to his country home, Owa-Alero.

Governor Okowa said that there was no iota of truth in the speculation, emphasizing that the College of Medicine of University is still in Agbor and not Owa-Alero as being speculated.

He disclosed that the Trauma Centre being built by the state government in Agbor and the Agbor Specialist Hospital would serve as Faculty of Medicine of the university, adding that paperwork and the design for the medical school, which would be sited close to the defunct College of Education, Agbor, was already being prepared.

He said that the land for the medical school had been assessed and acquired, and deplored rumour-bearing in matters of governance.

The governor said that his administration attached great premium to education hence it had been building new and rehabilitating primary and secondary school, technical schools as well as tertiary and health institutions.

“The Central Hospital, Agbor, is being renovated massively now and on the other side of the road, the trauma centre is being built, and that is the truth about the trauma centre.

“There has been a rumour that the medical school of the university is going to Owa-Alero. That is not true.

The trauma centre and the Specialist Hospital, Agbor, will be the main base of the medical school because the medical school does not start with hospitals.

“We are already designing the faculty building of the medical school and the council is aware that I have gone on inspection of the site around the former College of Education, Agbor.

“I needed to correct this because of the rumours making the rounds,” he stated.

On the road, he said “this is a federal road that connects Agbor, Warri to Benin Expressway and I am glad that the road has now been fully completed and you can now move freely to Benin without any hitch.

“We have also just come from Abavo where we inaugurated the phases II and III of its circular road, which were in deplorable states for many years. With the roads, movement and transportation in this area will be enhanced.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr Felix Edafioghor, commended the governor for his determination to build and reconstruct roads in the state.

On his part, Chairman, Ika South Local Government Area, Mr Sunny Tatabuzuogu, expressed gratitude of people of the area to the governor “for his passion to develop the area and other parts of the state’’.