Okowa’s Plan To Reward Political Loyalist Runs Into A Storm

Patrick Adamagu

GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, has run into a storm over his appointment of one of his closest political enforcers in the state as the head of the board of one of the state’s most juicy boards, the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Developed Commission, DESOPADEC.

Michael Diden, a former member of the House of Assembly was one of the early supporters of Senator Okowa’s political aspiration who opposed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s plot to stop Okowa’s governorship aspiration in the days leading to the 2014 governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Diden, from the Itsekiri ethnic stock and popularly known as Ejele, served in the State House of Assembly and between 2015 and 2019 was the governor’s right hand man in the House of Assembly who was the points-man in some of the governor’s political schemes in the House.

In the run up to the 2019 election, Diden stood in the PDP Delta South Senate primaries that was eventually won by Senator James Manager and that initially had the former governor of the state as a likely contender.

It is generally believed in the state that Diden came into the contest at the prompting of the governor to scar Uduaghan out of the contest. Uduaghan eventually moved over to the All Progressives Congress, APC and lost the seat to Manager in the main contest.

The appointment as chairman of the juicy DESOPADEC is believed to be a reward for his loyalty to the governor.

However, that proposal is now being challenged at a Federal High Court, sitting in Warri.

Other defendants in the suit are the State Attorney General, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and Mr. Diden himself.

The group, Center for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, among other reliefs, is seeking the nullification of Ejele stating that by virtue of the provisions of Section 7(1) a, b & c and (2)a & b of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law, 2015 (as amended in 2019) the 1st Defendant (Okowa) who has earlier appointed one Godwin Ebosa representing the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality as Chairman in the Governing Board of DESOPADEC, cannot validly appoint the 4th Defendant who is also from the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality as Chairman in the Governing Board of the commission. 

The group is also seeking a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of Section 15(1), (2) a & b and (3) of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law, 2015 (as amended in 2019) the 1st Defendant cannot nominate for appointment any person as a member of the Governing Board of DESOPADEC whose ethnic nationality produced the immediate past Board Member of the same office.

A declaration that by virtue of Sections 2 and 7(1) a, b & c and (2) of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law, 2015 (as amended in 2019) the 4th Defendant is not qualified to be appointed as Chairman in the Governing Board of DESOPADEC whose ethnic nationality has produced the immediate past Chairman of the Governing Board of the commission.

A declaration that by virtue of Sections 2, 7(1) a, b & c and (2) and Section 15(1), (2) a & b and (3) of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law, 2015 (as amended in 2019) no Ethnic Nationality who has produced or is producing either the Chairman, the Managing Director or the Executive Directors can succeed itself without following the rotational circle as provided in the law.

It is therefore asking the court to compel the governor to withdraw the appointment of the 4th Defendant forthwith who it alleges is not qualified to hold office as Chairman of the commission whose ethnic nationality has produced the immediate past Chairman of the Governing Board of the commission.

Other reliefs are an order of the court to nullify the confirmation of the 4th Defendant by the 3rd Defendant as chairman in the Governing Board of DESOPADEC and an order of perpetual injunction restraining Ejele from acting in the capacity of the Chairman of the commission or whatsoever subject to the provisions of the Law relating to the rotational circle as provided in the Law.

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