By CHRIS ODIA.

The age long saying that ‘Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown’ become very realistic whenever a known achiever assumes any position of Trust.

When such position is a political office, where there is a social contract with the people, the expectation/pressure is better imagined than experienced. He is held spell bound by the people with such insurmountable expectations that could best be described as ‘Fetching Water from A Basket’.

The antecedence of the office-occupant that spoke loud abinitio is somewhat easily eroded by political associates or allies who insist on satisfying their selfish desires.

In situations where the office-occupant insists on remaining on the side of the people, he would be confronted with high level blacklisting and possible mudslinging from supposed friends. The decision to brandish every other achievement as ‘Nothing’ with such uncanny descriptions and faultfinding-approach become the order of the day.

Those who feel schemed out in the political equation, majorly because personal issues were not attended to, suddenly decamp to opposition parties and begin to reel out stories from pillar to post.

You begin to hear them make such postulations as if they were not part of the system that brought in the incumbent; one is left to wonder over what has suddenly made them the ‘long-awaited bride’.

Their trademark becomes destructive criticisms, rumour mongering and casting aspersions on the person of the incumbent rather than suggesting better alternative to Governance.

In the case of our State, Delta, such vocabularies like ‘Star Projects’ ‘Ikanisation’, ‘favouritism’ ‘ethnicity’ ‘Egho aria’ amongst others have so filled the media environment that a political neophyte may be deceived into taking these critics for their words.

The unsuspecting electorate could be bandied into the bandwagon of believing that the ‘eternal criticism’ is a function of a passionate heart for service without actually knowing that they are all intended to Pull down the office holder at all cost, just to project ‘self’ and nothing else.

How else would you describe former senior officers of the PDP of Anioma descent both at Federal and State level, who have suddenly become friends of the press just to malign the person of Gov. Okowa?

They cling to any string of reasoning, including rumour peltering, to express their jealousy and ‘bad belleism’ because the man Sen. Okowa has remained focused. One is left to ask about the achievements of these ones to their immediate environment when they held sway in government. Or is it only when they become Governor that they can make impact?

The improvement in the finance of the State has seen the Governor commence wholesome tackling of the challenges faced by the State, in line with his campaign promises, ranging from development of Asaba to other projects in different parts of the State that have gradually made the State a construction site.

Not minding all these visible ongoing projects, payment of backlog of salaries& pensions and human capital development, the self-centered politicians have remained a source of distraction, just to discredit the smart Governor. They have failed because the electorate are informed.

If one may ask, would they have wanted him to run the affairs of the State, the same way they would have done it? Or they expected him to hand over sensitive issues of State to them when they have become friendly foes? Or maybe they want him to change his gentlemanly system of politicking to their callous and desperate approach? So many questions indeed!

Indeed, the saying remains a truism that ‘uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’. Gov. Okowa must remain focused as he continues his development strides.

There is the need to work towards the completion of all projects that are of importance to Deltans and pay deaf ears to these critics who have nothing else to offer but “pull him down for us to enter”.

They and their Aides should remember that no matter the hullabaloo, Gov. Okowa’s impact so far would be a platform for Deltans to stand on in ensuring that he continues as Governor till 2023.