Mr.Matthew Poko Opuoru, a former House of Assembly Aspirant in Warri South Constituency II is now Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties. Heis a renowned grassroots politician and PDP Chieftain in Warri South Local Government Area as well as a graduate of Political Science from Hunter College of the City University of New York.
In this exclusive chat with Our Correspondent, the former USA based politician and technocrat bare his mind on the performance of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as well as his aspiration.
Excerpt:
Why do you want to be among those fighting to preserve the legacy of Governor Uduaghan?
There are those who have been ordained by God and destined for greatness, Governor Uduaghan happens to be among the chosen few. How he utilizes this great gift from God and how those around him help to preserve it is what I am all about. He is a Medical Doctor,he was a Commissioner, SSG and later became the Executive Governor of Delta State how many people can boast of such resume? He is also a trail blazer. Him being elected as Governor has provided hope for other ethnic groups such as the Igbos, ijaws, Isokos to one day become the Governor of Delta State. Some of the attacks he has endured are borne out of ethnic hatred not because he is not performing. I am appealing to all Deltans to look at the bigger picture and appreciate the Uduaghan phenomenon, because he has paved way for everyone.
What is your take on the outcome of the 2011 April election?
In Warri South where I was the Secretary to the Warri South Campaign Council, the election was free and fair so was the election through out the state. This fact has just been confirmed by the recent Tribunal ruling regarding the April 26 gubernatorial poll in Delta State. The campaign leading to the election was intense and at the same time very exciting. Dr. Joseph Otumara, the Honourable Commissioner for Health whom I call the Godfather aka The Last Man Standing in politics as well as an extraordinary leader led the campaign. We went from district to district, ward to ward and door to door reaching out to thousands of people, at times we campaigned from 9am to 9pm. It was indeed a grueling campaign, considering the fact that Warri South is almost 50% urban accommodating different ethnic groups. I happen to hail from Okere Urhobo where the wards in my area were hotly contested. We know those who worked tirelessly during the election and those who didn’t across the state.
I was very angry on how close the election was but at the same time very grateful to God for Governor Uduaghan’s victory as evident in the recent Tribunal verdict reaffirming his victory at the polls. Governor Uduaghan did everything to reach out to all Deltans but the level of betrayal against him was very high in some areas.There were some so called political leaders who were fully mobilized during the election but failed to deliver, rather they turn around seeking political appointments after the election. Some even threatened that the Governor must return them or else they won’t support him. It turned out that it was the Governor who delivered them. There are some of the so called technocrats who played nice to the grassroots and after their appointment was secured, they said screw you!Forgetting that 2015 general polls are around the corner, and they will be seeking for appointments again through the efforts of the grassroots. That is when we are going to say, screw you too.
What is your evaluation ofthe Governor’s first tenure and what to expect during the second tenure?
He did exceptionally well considering all the legal challenges over the years coupled with the global economic meltdown- the fall of the price of crude oil and various projects thathe completed. Notably consolidation of peace to Warri and Niger Delta creeks,completion of Asaba International Airport and upgrading of Osubi Airport, which when completed will make Delta one ofthe few states that will have two International Airports, thereby increasing commerce activities in Delta State. He is also embarking on the dualization of the 160-kilometer Ughelli-Asaba highway,Koko-Ugbenu-dual carriage-way, the Warri Industrial Business Park as well as the establishment of Independent Power Project. This was further reaffirmed on The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday November 1, 2011 by the State Commissioner for Information, Barr. Chike Ogeah, where he noted that N14billiion was recently approved for projects. Other notable achievements of the Uduaghan administration includes the launching of the Green Economy Initiative, Micro Credit Scheme geared towards poverty eradication, the Youth Empowerment through Agriculture (YETA) planned establishment of four new polytechnics to compliment the existing ones as well as the award of automatic scholarships to Deltans who attain First Class in their degree courses.Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s free maternal health care for children who are below 5years as well as for pregnant women and those above 70 years deserves great commendation by all well meaning Deltans and Nigerians in general. I must also note the free rural health scheme which was recently introduced by the Governor. He has also impacted positively on the lives of Deltans through DESOPADEC. In this tenure, I believe that the Governor is determined to ensure that projects awarded are executed to logical conclusion.
What do you think about the Caretaker Committee?
I strongly believe that the Governor will set up local government Caretaker Committees. Providing the opportunity for those who worked during the election to become part of the system via the local government Caretaker Committees will not only assist the grassroots financially and boost the morale of the masses, It will further strengthen the Governor’s resolve aimed at ensuring people oriented governance at the grassroots. The Governor is a God fearing man and I believe he will do it but the time frame of setting the committee I don’t know.
How do you see the rising level of unemployment in the country?
It is worrisome,considering the fact that employment opportunities are boundless for a developing country like Nigeria.All over the world, people consider the continent of Africa as the only frontier left for massive structural development. The continent needs more infrastructures, energy and telecommunication just to mention a few areas. Nigeria is highly blessed with the human resources to transform the country, through employment creation. It is when we put the majority of our people at work that we can boldly stand shoulder to shoulder with the developed countries.
We have untapped mineral resources that the rest of the world needs. One wonders why a country like Nigeria with abundant intellectuals can’t fashion a formula to address these key issues.Most times, people look up to government alone to address these challenges, but that shouldn’t be the case. Take a country like the United States of America for instance; it is the private sector that creates most of the jobs. The major role of the government is to create the enabling environment for the private sectors.
In Nigeria, the federal and state governments have the means to create millions of jobs for the unemployed. It’s not rocket science; it’s all about looking inwards,strengthening the various ministries to maximize opportunities. It is very easy to achieve this. All that is needed is a blueprint that takes into consideration the peculiar characteristics of the various states across the country. I will strongly emphasize that I have the blueprint to create thousands of jobs. Only time will tell. It is what it is……..
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