Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, approved the suspension of the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Perez Omoun.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu gave an insight into the Agric Commissioner’s alleged malfeasance in the implementation of the Greenhouse project.
The sum of N280 million was said to have been released some months ago for the greenhouse project located in Mbiri, Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state.
The agricultural project was aimed at cultivating tomatoes and other vegetable plants.
Sources put the amount of money which the Commissioner, now under investigation by a committee headed by the SSG at over N280 million which Omoun is being accused of misappropriating.
The suspension of Mr Omoun alongside the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Bennett Ezon-Abode Agamah; Assistant Director, Agricultural Engineering, Oki Preowei Yintareke; and the Chief Accountant, Mr Gabriel Idiatacheko and other top officials has been greeted with euphoria and commendation from majority of Deltans especially as it resonates with the zero-tolerance slogan for corruption and other sharp practices by Governor Oborevwori.
However, some critically-minded Deltans view differently the suspension of a member of the Delta State Executive Council just eight months into the tenure of the Oborevwori’s administration as a window dressing.
They expressed worry that the suspension and investigation may not yield the expected result given the interest of a highly placed stakeholder in the state that nominated the suspended Commissioner.
When his name first surfaced as a Commissioner-nominee and his subsequent clearance and confirmation by the state legislators, not a few took serious exception to the nomination of the suspended Agric Commissioner, particularly how he managed to scale security scrutiny and his eventual swearing-in by the State Governor despite his unimpressive antecedents.
They recalled a particular case in question where a one-time Speaker of the State Legislature, Rt Hon Basil Ganagana survived what they termed as an attempted assassination when Omoun invaded his Asaba residence and destroyed several exotic cars parked in the compound.
He was subsequently arrested and arraigned in court in the state capital and thereafter remanded in the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre but after intervention by the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter and the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the former Speaker withdrew the charges against the suspended commissioner.
Against the foregoing, concerned stakeholders wondered how someone with such a questionable background would be appointed to the State Executive Council.
They have therefore questioned the rationale behind the Oborevwori administration for accepting the nomination of someone with a dubious personality.
Time has actually revealed the true identity of a man many believe came in through the benefactor of the incumbent.
However, the Sheriff in town has acted swiftly by suspending the Commissioner and constituting a probe panel, the greatest worry is that the Oborevwori’s administration will rob its face in the mud if it fails to do due diligence by allowing the law to take its course.
This is reminiscent of the Edugate wherein President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, speedily suspended her to enable an unfettered probe and also put on hold all social intervention schemes pending the outcome of the investigation.
If found guilty, Mr Omoun and his cohorts should be made to refund the money because it belongs to taxpayers. Where it becomes impossible to recover the funds, their properties should be forfeited to the government.
This certainly will be the moral burden and a litmus test that will signpost the readiness of Oborevwori to tackle the issue of financial profligacy and impropriety as Omoun stands as a metaphor in the Public Service of Delta state.
Indeed, Deltans and the outside world are watching to see how courageous and firm, Governor Oborevwori would be in proving himself as the new Sheriff in town, who is committed to providing the needed leadership that would engender good governance for the realisation of his MORE Agenda for all Deltans.
