Between Ken Pela’s hollow vision and Oborevwori’s High Performance

Poor Pela! Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori knocked him down and out in the March 18, 2023, Delta gubernatorial polls to become his governor.

Oborevwori won with 360,234 votes and pushed Pela to far third with 48,027 votes, outlandish numbers; he undeservedly grabbed poaching on the shoulders of Peter Obi.

Even as a hoax state LP governorship candidate, superficial in standing and trivial in ballot reckoning, Pela had learnt nothing in eating the humble pie.

Rather than muted introspection, he had been mocking his electoral blunder with embarrassing garrulity.

An absurd press statement recently credited to him, cluelessly attacked Oborevwori administration for what Pela labelled as “low vision “.

He just unveiled a dubious agenda, which, according to him, is intended to address “ deficiencies” in the governance of Delta.

Published as third edition of his “ Letter to Deltans”, the title is as amusing as it is confusing: “ Vision Better Delta Movement, VBDM”.

Lacking in depth and purpose, Pela’s pirated VBDM is a banal dummy. But Deltans are wise. They are not hoodwinked. Even a cursory glimpse at his pontification would unmask his bogus intentions -delusion about 2027.

In a democracy, everyone is entitled to try even under a pipe dream. But Pela’s “deep” throat over a distant tomorrow would have been excusable if he had not veered off to throw stones from a glass house.

Good governance is about character, coordination and focus. Leading is not lazy talk. Neither cheap chance nor “cho cho cho”.

Like the careless canary, ever yakking in the open, Ken Pela bears no meaning, chattering every now and then about Delta revenue profile and expenditures under Oborevwori administration.

Only a phantom godot who lives in absence would fight shy of the governor’s bold steps in Delta.

Oborevwori is leading Nigeria’s most difficult state, and he has so far managed it very well with stoic aplomb.

The first day he took charge, he made a powerful proclamation: “I will be the Governor of all Deltans”.

The new Sheriff in town knew the deep implications of his pious declaration, delivered with solemn pledge. If Nigeria is vast and complex, Delta is among the most ethnically and culturally diverse components of the federation.

With Urhobo, Anioma, Itsekiri, Ijaw and Isoko constituting Delta in unique diversity, only a handful of states in Nigeria can compete with the state in complexity. Delta is not Lagos or Kano, or Rivers state. Even as popular as the three huge states stand, they are far smaller than Delta in peculiarities of human experience.

Governing Delta is not for the faint-hearted. It is not a frivolous voyage.  More serious than the funny mirage of VBDM. Who will tell Ken Pela?

From Asaba to Ashaka, Warri to Irri, Koko to Kokodiagbene, Ughelli to Tsekelewu, Oborevwori is making fair strides in infrastructure and urbanisation. M.O.R.E. Agenda, his governance vision is transforming lives and places.

His success story  – wondrous mega bridges, roads with smooth tar, rising schools, hospitals, harbour markets, as well as handsome grants for wealth creation and poverty alleviation, especially among youths and women.

The milestones are all guided by zero borrowing, decreasing debts and fiscal discipline.

In Pela‘s hollow letter, he touted that Oborevwori should choose “transparency over theatrics”.  What a dark hack! Talk of painting your traducer with your inherent worst trait. Austrian sage, Sigmund Freud, was right in his psychoanalysis theory of human tricks.

Human memory fades. But past never goes. Ken Pen was once chairman of Delta Building Society when N100 million suddenly disappeared, allegedly from the treasury of the agency. A government probe panel emerged with scathing indictment in 2009. He lost out and fled. Where is the moral justification for finger-pointing? Why play games with guile?

Sheriff lives in our consciousness as a simple man who talks less and never masks his ways and feelings in pretentious niceties. When he is angry, he shows it from the bottom of his heart. When happy, it radiates glowingly all over his bulky body. Tough but tender in spirit. Above all, he is sincere. A warrior who loves peace more than war.

An appreciative state is already drumming support for Oborevwori in anticipation and prayers towards a greater tomorrow. Delta North has endorsed him. Delta South is celebrating him. Delta Central echoes continuity. It is not politics. It is populism. Street credibility not idle orchestration.

Under Oborevwori Delta is still work in progress. There are still challenges, typical of every developing society.

Unlike the trivia of Ken Pela’s vacuous VBDM, Sheriff is moving marvelously with M.O.R.E!

Chiazor is a veteran Journalist/ Media leader