I read with feverish apprehension few days ago a news report credited to Chief Ortega Emerhor, the All Progressive Congress Governorship Candidate for Delta State published in some national newspapers. In the story, the governorship candidate was quoted to have queried President Mohammadu Buhari for allegedly nominating Prof Pat Utomi for a ministerial appointment.
He reportedly said the presence of Mr. Godwin Emefiele and Dr. Ibe Kachuku both from Delta North(Anioma) in sensitive positions, forecloses appointment of any more person of Anioma extraction by the President.


Hear him: “ President Buhari only recently appointed Dr. Ibe Kachuku, a Deltan, from Delta North, as Group Managing Director of NNPC. He is aware that the current State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the current governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, are Deltans also from Delta North.


“I believe being aware of this situation, the President will strive to balance further appointments from Delta State by looking towards the other zones, that is, Delta Central and South.”


I have tried to be circumspect on the mission of  Emerhor to become the governor of Delta State for obvious reasons. For one, he is eminently qualified but for another, a couple of his aides are my friends. Until now, the only reason I wished he does not become a governor is because equity rightly placed successor to Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan on the table of Delta North. After all, those who seek equity, come clean. However, his intention to poke Delta North must elicit response of equal ferocity. Any attempt to duck, consigns us to eternal slavery and perennial wood hewers.


The leadership of APC must urgently have a crisis meeting with Chief Emerhor because his outburst, no doubt, will delete some hard-earned points from the party. The comments of the candidate is capable of inciting other ethnic groups against Delta North. The governorship candidate from the very moment he emerged as the torchbearer, is the property of the party. His opinion is that of the party. Put succinctly, he has lost the privilege of personal and private position on any national issue. That he allegedly questions the intention of the President and leader of his party is an aberration. 

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari justified the reason to give jobs to persons perceived to be of northern extraction with strong ties. The president is aware that he takes the glory or otherwise of this administration. Unfortunately, Chief Emerhor is travelling on another route preferring to act like an ethnic chauvinist.


The criticism from Chief Emerhor of the president has colossal damage on both the APC and Delta State. For the APC, Chief Emerhor tells Nigerians that President Buhari has poor judgement and by extension that his party is not cut out to deliver on campaign promises.

To Deltans, he unknowingly posited that the state is unduly favoured. This untoward action will sadly make him a bad sell in future elections if he offers himself again. If I must use the local parlance, “Ortegar fall my hand, big time.” Let’s start this way! Mr. Godwin Emefiele was made the Central Bank boss June last year not because he is from Agbor but more due to his professional pedigree and austere lifestyle. If it were possible for Agbor people to make a choice between his position and extra slot for state commissioner, a greater chunk of the people would tick the later.

The extra commissioner will impact more on the peculiar needs of our people directly. It is not because we love him less; we do not want him to drop to a local champion when he has to provide solutions to the fiscal challenges of the entire nation in the midst of unpredictable economic indices. After all, Agbor people are proven large-hearted and lovers of strangers!
Dr. Kachuku though from Delta North was not nominated by any of his kinsmen. Unconfirmed sources hinted his job was influenced by global collaboration. Besides, Dr. Kachiku has brought goodwill to the state through his cleansing of the corporation few weeks after his appointment. Today, Nigerians are benefitting from his ingenuity to stabilise fuel distribution at approved rates.


At several fora, Chief Emerhor and his aides have taken the social media hostage by claiming that Senator Okowa is a “caretaker governor”. Against this backdrop therefore, it is a great mockery to insinuate that Delta North is saturated with federal appointments knowing that he would become the authentic “ governor” soon. If there is any gain achievable from the recent open hatred for Delta North, It is a clarion call for Anioma people to close ranks without further procrastination. We have been told with great tepid that the oil produced in Delta North is only good for the kitchen. This was at the heat of DESSOPADEC bill debate. Some people have said we are tenants in the state but fortunately, respected stakeholders and politicians from the other zones have always distanced themselves from these rabble-roussers.


The activities of Senator Okowa have portrayed him as one large-hearted enough to run the state. He should be supported by all. This is not because he is the only one best schooled for the plum office but as a result of his stubborn resolve to be a governor of the entire Delta State where dispensation of dividends of democracy is not a factor of ethnic, religious or other mundane considerations.


The governor has approved and indeed funded the entire makeover of three technical colleges one in each senatorial district. Over 6,000 direct jobs have been created for the youths across the state. What Deltans want from the APC candidate is clear assurances on what he can do better than the sitting governor. His subtle recommendation for the sack of Anioma people in choice positions is the least approach to warm into the sensitivity of Deltans. We may have differences but not to the extent of recommending P45 (last pay certificate) for Godwin Emefiele and Ibe Kachiku. I honestly think Chief Ortega Emerhor has a lot to offer Delta State without necessarily becoming a governor.


The emergence of Prof Utomi as minister ought to be a source of relief to Delta APC and indeed Chief Emerhor. In ideal situation, it is Senator Okowa who should be worried that the ruling party is enticing his safe haven with juicy positions. Any Deltan, irrespective of party leaning, who frowns at such grace, has no right to be in our midst. We must remain loyal to the unwritten covenant of equity, power sharing and good governance. We have more to benefit if we discontinue electoral litigation. And I am sure it is achievable. After all, 2019 is not too far away. In the interim, we expect a quick retraction from the politician.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/anioma-should-join-okowa-to-stop-emerhor-from-ethnic-agenda/220597/
Cc lalasticlala

You're talking to someone who doesn't know what "Federal Character" is, and you expect him (Buhari) to understand it at the State level. Dead on arrival!

Delta state..
Wetin concern buhari with balancing equation?

Weh tin now

PMB should not listen to the noise makers and appoint technocrats as promised

I shudder to think that this very clannish Emerhor wants to be the governor of a multi ethnic and thinly veiled volatile state like delta state. The conflagration that will be ushered in is better left imagined

Delta State as structured has Delta Igbos occupying the North Senatorial district, Urhobo occupy the Central district while Ijaws,Itsekiri and Isoko occupy the southern district.
So almost everything there requires a deliberate balancing act.
That said the appointments are Buhari's prerogative to make plus Pat Utomi is more than eminently qualified.
I must say, governing in Nigeria is complicated, so many interests to address.

but Utomi is ok nau

This is why Nigeria has barely made any headway... Emerhor is obviously less concerned about the qualification and capacity of the appointees

I am Delta Igbo, Anioma through and through but I might have to agree with Emerhor, Delta is a very diverse state where all the tribes live remarkably well together with little or no violence.
The solidarity of fellow Deltans in ensuring an Anioma governor emerged is a case in point. Anioma has both NNPC and CBN bosses both the most powerful federal parastatals and the state governor, the ministerial slot for the state should go to the Urhobos or Ijaws or Itsekiri, I trust PMB to be a listening father to all.

Political jobbers will never like the appointments made by PMB because the see every political regime as an avenue to chop from the national cake and not the good of the nation. The balance that has been there since 1999 what has it yielded the nation outside those in positions looting the treasury with their cronies?
The competencies of those appointed should have been this man's headache instead of tribalizing the appointments. He should be thankful that Deltans have be found capable by the present govt and be proud of it instead of his ethnic position. Every ethnic group cannot surely be represented in this govt.

Emerhor see ur life? We warned you of this scam, but you didn't listen. Now dem don change am for you even with your billions spent as the chief pioneer of apc in delta state.


Easy with your wailing, remember you're not a registered wailer.

victorVIC1:
This is why Nigeria has barely made any headway... Emerhor is obviously less concerned about the qualification and capacity of the appointees

The man is clearly not interested in Nigerian progress. Before it was too many northerner now too many Deltans. This is why we are not going to progress in this country.

LordVarys:
I am Delta Igbo, Anioma through and through but I might have to agree with Emerhor, Delta is a very diverse state where all the tribes live remarkably well together with little or no violence.
The solidarity of fellow Deltans in ensuring an Anioma governor emerged is a case in point. Anioma has both NNPC and CBN bosses both the most powerful federal parastatals and the state governor, the ministerial slot for the state should go to the Urhobos or Ijaws or Itsekiri, I trust PMB to be a listening father to all.

Seriously with people like you Nigeria will never move forward.

To think Anioma used to cry of marginalisation years back, now they have a governor, NNPC GMD et al.
When Ngozi was Finance Minister she really ensured she empowered a lot of Anioma people with powerful positions.
Sylvester Monye was GEJ's Chief Economic Adviser, Emefiele was made CBN governor, Okogwu headed the Budget Office and so on.
Delta State as a whole is really full of achievers which is why no govt regardless of how Delta votes can ignore the enormous human capital the state possesses.
Heard even Bismark Rewane(Itsekiri) had a shot at Finance Minister before Tinubu secured it for Wale Edun.
One can only hope all these appointments translates to more development for the state.

This is where i like yoruba people we won't care as long as he is qualified for the task.

LordVarys:
I am Delta Igbo, Anioma through and through but I might have to agree with Emerhor, Delta is a very diverse state where all the tribes live remarkably well together with little or no violence.
The solidarity of fellow Deltans in ensuring an Anioma governor emerged is a case in point. Anioma has both NNPC and CBN bosses both the most powerful federal parastatals and the state governor, the ministerial slot for the state should go to the Urhobos or Ijaws or Itsekiri, I trust PMB to be a listening father to all.

. Its because of people that think sentimentally like you that the south south and south east would never move forward.. You all are just a greedy lot. People are been appointed based on pedigree and you all are mentioning tribe.. Imagine at this modern age instead of we youths to move our country forward, we are dragging it backward like our fore fathers did..What concerns me if Pat Utomi is from the Moon? His getting the appointment cos he earned it, if there was any one as educated as him in the other tribes,they would ave been considered but here is the President Getting the best man for the job and you all here are spilling Poo.....The Mentality You guys must change is that its not political appointment that would make you relevant in Nigerian politics, afterall there are people that have improved their communities without holding political office or appointnment...Even If It Was A Goat From Ekiti That Is as Educated As Prof Pat Utomi, I would Support His Appointment... F*ck Region Or Tribe Let's Move This country Forward

slimfit1:
This is where i like yoruba people we won't care as long as he is qualified for the task.

We are all for competency and merit but Nigeria as presently structured is a delicate mix of ethnicity all of whom possess competent people.
The Yorubas and maybe the Igbos are largely homogeneous so this issues hardly come up but the Niger Delta is filled with diverse jockeying tribes in a political system where to a large extent appointees can influence devt and advancement.
Therefore, every tribe schemes to be somewhat represented both at the state and Federal levels.
It's the same even in the US, care is taken to ensure that minorities such as Latinos, Blacks, Asian-Americans et al are adequately represented in the political system.

their business,

Justdulla:
. Its because of people that think sentimentally like you that the south south and south east would never move forward.. You all are just a greedy lot. People are been appointed based on pedigree and you all are mentioning tribe.. Imagine at this modern age instead of we youths to move our country forward, we are dragging it backward like our fore fathers did..What concerns me if Pat Utomi is from the Moon? His getting the appointment cos he earned it, if there was any one as educated as him in the other tribes,they would ave been considered but here is the President Getting the best man for the job and you all here are spilling Poo.....The Mentality You guys must change is that its not political appointment that would make you relevant in Nigerian politics, afterall there are people that have improved their communities without holding political office or appointnment...Even If It Was A Goat From Ekiti That Is as Educated As Prof Pat Utomi, I would Support His Appointment... F*ck Region Or Tribe Let's Move This country Forward

Stop pretending to be a saint, because the poster said the obvious truth,
there is a reason why people support their own and it happens everywhere in
the world. Even Obama will never have reached the white house if the blacks and
the Latinos weren't sentimental.
You only accuse people of being sentimental when you are not in any way affected.

If merit is anything to go by in Delta state; then Delta north people will continue to hold all the positions in that state.

Delta north people keep improving themselves and adding value to their existence, while marrying it with wealth acquisition. The Urhobos, Ijaws, Isokos and Itsekiris on their path are mostly all about 'bring am make we chop finish'.

slimfit1:
This is where i like yoruba people we won't care as long as he is qualified for the task.

Don't forget the whole Southwest states are one speaking tribe, while one delta states has more than 5 tribes. Think about that

Ok we yaf hear Emerhor

I'm not from Delta state, but any one who opposes the appointment of Pat Utomi as minister, is a bad belle.

neocortex:


Stop pretending to be a saint, because the poster said the obvious truth,
there is a reason why people support their own and it happens everywhere in
the world. Even Obama will never have reached the white house if the blacks and
the Latinos weren't sentimental.
You only accuse people of being sentimental when you are not in any way affected.

Tell me the population and percentage of black/latino Americans that got Obama there??

The baseline is that there is a population that has a swing advantage and is only concerned with competence. It is this same swing population that made Buhari win the presidential election.

This is the internal headache of the APC.... #Wakar...pass

agabusta:


Tell me the population and percentage of black/latino Americans that got Obama there??

The baseline is that there is a population that has a swing advantage and is only concerned with competence. It is this same swing population that made Buhari win the presidential election.

What "swing" population made Buhari won ?
You must be living in Jupiter, if you believed Tinubu's 600,000 votes
got Buhari the Aso villa.

There is no point asking questions you already have an answer to.
Even many blacks that were staunch pro-republican switched their
allegiance to democrats just for Obama's sake.

neocortex:


What "swing" population made Buhari won ?
You must be living in Jupiter, if you believed Tinubu's 600,000 votes
got Buhari the Aso villa.

There is no point asking questions you already have an answer to.
Even many blacks that were staunch pro-republican switched their
allegiance to democrats just for Obama's sake.

I simply asked what percentage are American blacks and Latinos, u could not provide a answer but delving into ambiguities.

The votes were not Tinubu's. They were Buhari's.

Buhari got massive support in the NW and NE.

Jonathan got massive support in the SS and SE.

The swing votes came from the SW and NC, which Buhari won.

Those are the votes that got him to Aso Rock and also ensured he got the constitutional 1/3 votes in at least 24 states.

He never won these regions in the previous elections and that was why he never won.

No matter how u spin it, that is the cold truth. Buhari himself knows this, including Jona.

Jona realised this quite late into the elections and that was why he wanted to buy the SW votes through the Obas he was dishing dollars to. The attempt failed woefully.

Cc lalasticlala

LordVarys:
I am Delta Igbo, Anioma through and through but I might have to agree with Emerhor, Delta is a very diverse state where all the tribes live remarkably well together with little or no violence.
The solidarity of fellow Deltans in ensuring an Anioma governor emerged is a case in point. Anioma has both NNPC and CBN bosses both the most powerful federal parastatals and the state governor, the ministerial slot for the state should go to the Urhobos or Ijaws or Itsekiri, I trust PMB to be a listening father to all.

who tell you say Bubu na listening father? Father to whom sef

What happened to the ' its merit' slogan when buhari appointed northerners? Is apc delta different?

this is stupidity are they not the same delta?