From Ochei Matthew, Asaba
All seems not to be well in the cabinet of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as some of his commissioners and other aides are currently groaning over what they described as the “silent offices” they occupy.
A close source to Government House confided in The Dream Daily that some commissioners are complaining that senior special assistants and special assistants to the governor have taken over their functions, thereby making them redundant.
For instance, sources said that over 11 media aides to the governor have been “silenced” by the Chief Press Secretary( CPS) Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who has allegedly taken over the functions of other aides, alleging that the CPS has his own personal media crew being his private company.
“He (CPS) clashed with other aides over advert fund early this year, and he is from same area with Governor Okowa, who listens to him without minding others because the governor has no confidence in the other aides,” a source said.
There are also claims of a disagreement between the Commissioner for Finance, David Edevbie and his counterpart in the Ministry of Economic Planning, Kingsley Emu, over who should be in charge of government expense and report financial transactions to the governor.
Emu, who was allegedly a major financier of Governor Okowa’s election into Senate in 2011 without much compensation, has allegedly hijacked the function of the commissioner for finance, which poses a serious threat to Edevbie.
According to sources, Olorogun Edevbie who was finance commissioner during the James Ibori era, was allegedly drafted into the Okowa cabinet by Ibori’s fiat.
Edevbie, according to sources, had threatened to resign following his frustration with the development but for instructions against this step from former Governor Ibori, who is currently serving a jail term in Britain..
A top government official has also expressing dismay over how the Office of Job Creation has taken over the ministries of agriculture and commence and industry, leaving the commissioners idle.
The office of job creation was one of the new offices Governor Okowa created with Prof. Eric Eboh as director-general and saddled with a lot of responsibility, including job creation. However, many in the state say the office has not lived up to expectation, as no jobs have allegedly been created since the office came on stream.
Meanwhile, The Dream Daily investigation has revealed that over 2,000 political appointments have been made so far by Governor Okowa and more are under way.
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