Delta South PDP Tour: Takeme appreciates party stakeholders, knocks Edumogiren over inciting comments

0

By Ndu Samuel

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta South chapter, Chief (Dr) Julius Takeme has thanked leaders and members of the party for finding him worthy to lead the party and the warm reception accorded him during his visits to stakeholders in the zone.

The appreciation is sequel to the completion of successful tour he and other exco members embarked on to reach out to stakeholders with a view of getting solution and advice on how to position the party on the part of greatness.

In a message he personally signed , a copy of which was obtained by The Liberator Newspapers, Takeme while thanking the elders and stakeholders for the opportunity to serve, pledged his loyalty, allegiance and total commitment to the ideals of the party.

The party chairman noted that the warm reception he got from members during the visit was beyond expectation, stating that it was an indication of the love and unity shared by the PDP family while promising to build on the existing structure he inherited and make it more formidable.

The message partly reads ” It is with infinite pleasure that I convey my deep gratitude and appreciations to the elders and leaders of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for finding me worthy to lead our great party at its zonal level, the Delta South Senatorial District. ”

” I wish to assure all party faithfuls that I shall discharge all duties and responsibility given to me with due diligence and to the best of my abilities. On assuming office, I deemed it proper and very important to take time out to pay consultation visits on party elders and leaders of the zone, and to also used the opportunity to pledge my allegiance, loyalty, total commitment to them and the ideals of our party. ”

” In this vain, I am already going round visiting elders, leaders and stakeholders from the eight local government areas that make up the zone. The warm reception I received from them was beyond my expectations, this is indicative of the unity and love we share in the PDP family.

” And without mincing words, I promise to build and improve on the existing formidable structures I inherited. In the course of my visitations, stakeholders took their stand to intimate me on what to do to allay the fears of party faithfuls, and as well meet their aspirations. I am therefore presently preparing a report of my observations which when completed shall be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for action. ”

Chief Takeme however frowned at comments by some supposedly members of the party who took to the social media to ventilate their dissatisfaction with the party.

He specifically condemned the actions of Hon Austine Edumogiren, a party faithful who through the Facebook social media made alleged inciting comments without exhausting available internal mechanism for resolving grievances.

He said ” The social media, especially Facebook, has availed everyone an avenue to ventilate their feelings, be it gratitude or grudge. Recently, I have come across many write-ups on Facebook, several of them put up by party faithfuls, many of them expressing frustrations and some were outrightly incitive. ”

” All taken together are complaints of abandonment and neglect, after assiduously supporting and working for our great party to achieve landslide victories in the last general elections. One of such piece that grabbed my attention was that done by Hon. Austin Edumogiren. It was a bit difficult to ignore its contents, because it tended to demonize our party. ”

According to him ”Hon. Augustine Edumogiren is a well known and influential PDP stalwart, and a great leader in his own right. I wish he had exhausted all internal mechanisms of resolving grievances, before resorting to come into the open. His post was rather very incitive, and not at all expected from a leader of his status. In a leg of my consultation visit to one of our revered Party leader, in Delta State, who fortunately is from my immediate constituency, Burutu LGA, the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Hon. Austin Edumogiren was amongst party faithfuls present at the reception, at the ex minister’s country home. ”

Explains further, he noted that ”In the course of interactions, he also stood to address the gathering, where he displayed his oratory and wealth of experience, we all had a convivial time. Based on a few points raised by the ex-minister and others, including Hon. Edumogiren, some of which am sorry to say, are now in circulation, in his piece, now making the rounds on Facebook. Issues which I deemed private, and should therefore remain within the confine of those present. ”

” However, in my response, at the occasion, I did my best to allay the doubts and misgiving expressed, promising to convey every opinion and thought, to the appropriate authorities in my report. ”

” I was therefore taken aback that the respected, Hon. Edumogiren, without restraint, chose to trivialize such private discussions, in the social media. In our democracy, a partisan one for that matter, only those with a common ideology come together to form parties. In this regard, it is therefore improper for anyone in the fold to make derogatory public statements that are likely to jeopardize the common good. ”

Takeme advised that ” As an experience politician and party man, Hon. Emumogiren must learn how not to throw caution to the wind, through whipping up needless sentiments and emotions, likely to rock the boat, and give our opponents a straw to latch on to. ”

In his explanations on some of the issues raised by Hon Emumogiren, the zonal chair said ”The issue of marginalization of Ijaws in appointment by the Governor Okowa’s government, and the derogatory tag of the portfolio of Oil and Gas as an inconsequential one, because as he said, the commissioner in charge cannot award oil blocks. It is sad that this should come from Hon. Edumogiren. He should make inquiries to ascertain the importance of that office. ”

” But, he also forgot that Ijaw sons are incharge of portfolios like; Budgets and Economic Planning, Energy and Power, and that the Head of Service in the Delta State Government, is an Izon son. Not to be forgotten also, is that His Excellency, the Executive Governor, had on numerous occasions said he would continue to give appointments. ”

Secondly, ”Lack of infrastructures in Ijaw/Riverine communities: Hon. Edumogiren more than most people knows too well that, the Gov. Okowa’s Administration has done credibly well in roads construction and other infrastructures, in indigenous Ijaw LGAs of Bomadi, Patani, Warri South West and Burutu LGA. Mentioning a few may suffice here. In Burutu LGA, the Ogulagha road, Obotobo 1, Obotobo 11 and Sokebolou/Yokiri road projects, were all initiated and completed by this government. ”

”So is the long concrete Appian way in Burutu township, which stretches from Amba to Okorodudu. This Administration has also revived the Ayakoromor bridge project abandoned by a previous government, and the Governor had assured that he would complete it. The extension of the Tuomo road to Torugbene, Tubegbe, Tamigbe and Ojobo is on going. The Egodor, Agbodobiri, Ogbeingbene road and many other projects are on going. ”

” Though Hon. Austin Edumogiren may not have immediately benefitted in terms of getting appointed to an office for now, the possibility is however not foreclosed. However, several of his siblings have been beneficiaries of different appointments in this administration. And to be precise, his elder sister is the second in command, in the newly constituted Post Primary Education Board, PPEB. ”

”Not to be swept under the carpet, is that, Hon. Edumogiren, had been a beneficiary of several appointments and favours from the PDP governments. And until recently, he was a member of the judiciary, having been appointed into the state customary court service. But this doesn’t mean there won’t be something for him in the present government. Patience therefore is the key word. ”

” Anchored on the foregoing, I appeal to all party stakeholders and faithfuls, that they should desist from making inflammatory statements, which are likely to instigate bad blood and agitate passions, within the PDP family. Let everyone calm down, and if there are issues, they should be resolved through appropriate channels and dialogue. We must all join hands to pray for the success of the administration, as a flower planted, but starved of water would dry up. May the good Lord continue to guide and make provision for us. ” he added.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *