Group Tackles Aniagwu, Latimore On Delta 2023 Governorship

A group operating under the aegis of Delta Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group (DIGAG) has tackled  the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and Chief  Fred  Latimore, Executive Assistant (EAC) to the Governor on Communication over their  comments on 2023 Governorship of Delta State. 

This was contained in a statement circulated and signed by the Director General (DG) of Delta Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group (DIGAG), Augustine Okporu (JP), a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide. 

The statement noted that the duo of Aniagwu and Latimore do not have such powers to dictate the pace come 2023.

The statement reads in full below:

Press Release

18th July, 2021

DELTA 2023: OGHENESIVBE, ANIAGWU CANNOT DICTATE THE PACE

The Hon. Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu and the Executive Assistant (EAC) to the Governor on Communication, Chief Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe JP are becoming political liabilities to Governor Okowa and the State. They are constituting a big political nuisance to governance in the State as they’ve chosen to dabble into the political tempest, leaving the rigors of their executive responsibilities.

Fred Latimore recently responded to DC-23 Lobby group, admonishing them to make political atonement over the Delta Central’s serial disregard to the zoning arrangement in the State PDP. We thought that he was a democrat by displaying such political sagacity. His new found meddlesome disposition has shown that he is just a fickle pawn in the political chessboard of Delta State.

We also thought that Fred was an aid to Governor Okowa on Communication. We never knew that, he is now the self appointed image maker to the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu. Even if Fred interpreted Aniagwu’s personal opinion to represent the position of the Governor on 2023 election, Deltans knew that the duo are just two misguided political irridentist, constituting themselves as a distraction to the Stronger Delta Agenda of the Smart Governor.

The Commissioner for Information we never knew is now the unofficial spokesman to the PDP in Delta State. He is no longer the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and thus, cannot speak in that light. Aniagwu is supposed to be a neutral statesman whose duty is to educate Deltans of the policy direction of the Government. His duty is to rather be apolitical, to chiefly focus on the information management about the programmes and policies of the Government he has sworn to serve.

It’s appalling or rather disgusting that while the Governor just recently took a decision to sanitize his executive committee over the untimely political involvements of some of his appointees, barely some few weeks into office because of Okowa’s magnanimity, Aniagwu has chosen to ring the political bell with such disdain and an unbridled impudence. The best advice for him is to resign honourably since he has chosen this partisan steps in difference to the Governor’s conviction.

Aniagwu and Oghenesivbe should be informed that Governor Okowa has told Deltans that he did not know who will take over from him. He also said his victory in 2015 was not a product of zoning and that there has never been a time Deltans gathered to discuss zoning based on Senatorial District. Just about week ago especially on the 8th of July 2021, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika restated what Okowa has told Deltans at a media briefing in Government House.

For record sake, we may reproduce some of his words hereunder: “The insinuation that it was through zoning that Okowa became governor is also wrong. We are all witnesses to the primaries that brought him to power, persons from the other senatorial districts in the state other than Delta North, participated in the exercise. There was no time in the state, particularly in this present dispensation that any primary for governorship has been allowed to be for only one particular senatorial district. In all the records we have, primaries had been for all comers; people from all the senatorial districts always participated in all of that.

“For the one that brought Okowa to power in 2015, we are aware that aspirants from Central and South Senatorial Districts participated, including a former minister who has become an apostle of zoning and saying that zoning consensus brought Governor Okowa to power.

“Indeed, former Chief of Staff, Olorogun David Edevbie, came second in that race, meaning that if he had come first, there was no way they would have asked him to stay away and allow Okowa to grab the ticket on the grounds that it was the turn of Delta North to produce the governor.

“In other words, it is not true that it was zoning that brought Okowa to power, it was his person, his pedigree in politics and the grace of God. He also had, as he still does, immense goodwill across the three senatorial districts…”

If the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor could say all these in his official capacity then who is Oghenesivbe to have interpreted a personal statement of the misguided Information Commissioner to represent the Governor. Of course Governor Okowa as a man of repute with his political astuteness cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time like the fickle Oghenesivbe or like the confused and misguided Commissioner for Misinformation.

We appeal to Governor Okowa to call Aniagwu and Oghenesivbe to order before they derail his lofty agenda for the State. The State is moving on the pedestal of progress due to his vision of Smart/Stronger Delta mantra. The likes of Aniagwu and Oghenesivbe would be a clog in the wheel of progress if they’re not immediately curtailed. Of course the Governor has said his focus is how to finish strong and not on the distance far 2023 elections debacle. Why then some of the appointees are trying to be a distraction to the man?

 Signed:Augustine Okporu JP,DG, Delta Ijaw 2023 Governorship Advocacy Group (DIGAG)