In the wake of the recent press interview granted to the Nigerian Guardian
Newspapers by the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Mr. Ovouzourie
Macaulay,
regarding 2015 Election and the aspirations of Anioma sons and daughters
to the
highest political office in the Delta State (i.e. State governor), Anioma
World
Assembly (AWA) decided to conduct a painstaking consultation exercise with
our
stakeholders at home and in diaspora, to gather ideas on how to proceed.
After due
consultation with the aforementioned parties, Anioma World Assembly is
compelled to
state as follows:
The recent press interview granted to The Nigeria Guardian Newspapers by the
Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr. Ovouzourie Macaulay, which was
published
on Sunday, January 19, 2014, has created a dilemma. Mr Macaulay’s
expressions
obfuscated the Position of Delta State government. We believe this
requires urgent
clarification from the Delta State Government.
In the Guardian publication, the Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr.
Ovouzourie
Macaulay, had expressed his lack of knowledge of any Power Shift Pact in
Delta
State. According to the report, Mr Macaulay has been turned-off by Delta
North
aspirants power shift and campaign slogans of Equity and Fairness;
negative campaign
of marginalization that sounds like Anioma are out for a revenge mission
against
other parts of the state; and Anioma past voting pattern that almost elected
Democratic Peoples Party [DPP] candidate, Great Ogboru, from Delta Central
as Delta
Governor in 2011.
According to Ovouzourie Macaulay, the above are the reasons why people
like him will
not support Anioma person for Delta Governor in 2015.
Ordinarily, we at Anioma World Assembly do not join issues with free
citizens who
exercise their right to freedom of expression on important state matters.
The
freedom is one inalienable right that constitutional democracy bestows her
citizens
as its dividend. We uphold and encourage the right to freedom of speech and
expression of opinions as tenet of democracies.
However, when such expression of opinion emanates from an individual who
occupies a
sensitive position in government, there is the danger that personal
opinion may be
misconstrued to be the official position of the government that he or she
represents. This unfortunate but recurring dilemma requires clarifications
from the
government itself.
Anioma World Assembly does not begrudge Ovouzorie Macaulay the fancy and
attractions
of his Office, and does not question his freedom of expression. However,
when State
Agents make public comments on important matters on which the position of
the state
they represent is uncertain, ordinary folks may misconstrue their
position for the
states’ position.
Since the publication of the Guardian interview, ordinary folks from the
three
senatorial districts of Delta State have inundated our local and
international
offices with telephone calls asking to know whether the Secretary to Delta
State
Government was stating the position on Delta State Chief Executives or his
personal
opinions when he stated “I am afraid people like us will not support an
Anioma
person for the governor, as we are scared”.
In Delta State, the three highest executive Offices are the Office of the
Executive
Governor, the Office of the Deputy Governor, and the Office of the
Secretary to the
State Government. Could Ovouzourie Macaulay be speaking for the trio?
Anioma World Assembly believes that it was high time Governor Emmanuel Eweta
Uduaghan come out of the closet and quit playing the Ostrich. It was high
time he
thread the honorable path and speak up on his position on Power Shift in
Delta State
like his colleagues in the South- South and South-East States have done.
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in
miseries”. …Williams Shakespeare.
Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] has presented its
Timetable for the
2015 Elections, and Delta State is waiting for Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan to
declare
his position on Power Shift. There is no better time to speak than now.
Dr. Charles Oseji
Chairman, Anioma World Assembly,
Echiemeze Chizekene Ofili
Secretary General, Anioma World Assembly
Regards,
Echiemeze Chizekene Ofili
Phone: 1-786-314-0798
Email: zykosky@yahoo.com
FB: chizekene.ofili@facebook.com
Twitter@zykosky