DIDA; Elekeokwuri And A Proactive Governor
By; Jerome-Mario Utomi
Each passing day brings to mind the fact that the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, RT Honorable (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori, demonstrates the attributes of a pragmatic leader with vision and political will to actualize his electioneering promises.
This particular feeling often comes flooding when one reflects on the Governor’s leadership recruitment strategies, appointments and assemblage of worthy Deltans into strategic positions to assist fulfill his electioneering campaign promises as pictured in his MORE Agenda; Meaningful Development, Opportunity for all Deltans, Realistic reforms, Enhanced peace and security (M.O.R.E).
Out of so many examples of such effort by the state government, the torrent of excitement that trailed the recent appointment of there appears a general feeling of excitement for the appointment and sense of gratitude to the state governor by his political family in Umunede, his hometown and beyond. supports the assertion.
To many, the Elekeokwuri appointment has finally confirmed the governor as a good leader who recognizes that his first responsibility is to find the right people and assign them a rightful position geared toward strategic actualization of public good. For others, considering the strategic importance of Delta State Investment Development Agency (DIDA), it is obvious that the state under Oborevwori leadership is particularly committed to attracting Direct Foreign Investment in ways that will assist rejuvenate the state’s economy.
For a better understanding of the newly appointed, Hon Anthony Elekeokwuri, he is a ‘focused, articulate, intelligent and highly resourceful’ young man from Umunede, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State-born politician who represented as a lawmaker, the good people of Ika North East Constituency at the 7th Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba, where he also functioned prominently as Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, and at a time when the incumbent state Governor, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwerei, was the Speaker of the now rested 7th Assembly.
A further peep into, and objective analysis of his antecedent as a member of the House reveals that the state Governor, Oborevwori, was not only wise in his action but acted smartly with his choice.
To the state Governor, Anthony Elekeokwuri, as subsequent paragraphs will reveal, is tested and trusted- and most importantly, laced with capacity needed to function in such exalted position.
Beginning with his most profound contribution to the state’s financial stability and overall development, it is factually supported that as the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Anthony Elekeokwuri was instrumental to the passage of the State Public Finance Management Act. Presenting the report, he said the bill when passed would help to strengthen the management of public finance in the state.
On March 2, 2022, while noting that violators of the new law would face jail terms or payment of fine not below Five Hundred Thousand Naira or both, the Umunede born lawmaker reportedly expressed confidence that the bill would be quickly acceded to by the governor just as he commended his colleagues for their commitment “to the passage of the very important bill.”
On August 11, 2021, the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, as he then was, commended Hon. Anthony Elekeokwuri and members of his committee for painstakingly looking into the report of the Auditor-General in the account of the 25 LGAs of the state for 2017 and 2018.
The Sheriff Oborevwori-led House was particularly happy with Honourable Elekeokwuri aggregation of actual revenue performance of the local government councils, which according to Elekeokwuri, was about 92 percent in 2017 and 142 percent in 2018 in comparison with the budgeted figures. Elekeokwuri also impressively gave the aggregate actual performance against budget figures as 96 percent in 2017 and 147 percent in the 2018 financial year, noting that the overall budget performance in both periods under review was poor as actual revenue could not cover salaries and wages of the councils.
Similarly, on June 18, 2021, Honourable Elekeokwuri, to his credit, organized a two day capacity building workshop for elected councilors of Ika North East local government council.
Speaking at the event, The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, now Delta State Governor, in his Keynote Speech, stressed the need for sound and results oriented legislature at the local government councils in the state, reminding the Councilors that as lawmakers at the local government level, their actions and inactions have direct and immediate impact on their constituents.
Rt Hon Oborevwori who described the Ika North East representative, Hon Anthony Elekeokwuri as a focused, articulate, intelligent and highly resourceful Lawmaker, commended him for sponsoring the training program to prepare the Councilors for the job at hand.
On his part, Hon Anthony Elekeokwuri, said the legislature remains that arm of government charged with the responsibility of making laws that engenders the welfare and security of the people as enunciated in section 14, subsection 2b of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. He explained that he took the decision to sponsor the capacity building workshop to expand and deepen the knowledge and skills of Ika North East Councilors in lawmaking, representation and oversight functions, as human capital development in all areas of life a solid ground for the development of the society.
SEE ALSO: THE ORIGIN OF UMUNEDE By Onyekpeze
“It is based on the above; I opened up a conversation with the legislative staff of the Delta State House of Assembly to replicate what we have at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for the benefit of the legislative arm of Ika North East Local Government Council. I enjoin you all to avail yourselves of this unique opportunity to deepen your knowledge of legislative process and procedures, budgeting, rules, ethics and privileges amongst others “, Elekeokwuri stated.
The Lawmaker also stressed on the need for cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of the Council as according to him, it is the only way the people will benefit in terms of dividends of democracy.
A team of highly resource persons drawn from the legislative and legal departments of the Delta State House of Assembly, trained participants on the following knowledge areas; “Overview of Legislative Practice and Procedure”, “Result Based Monitoring and Evaluation Framework “, Overview of Budget Management “, “Committee System in the Legislature“, and “Supremacy of the Constitution , “Legislative Ethics and Privileges” and Doctrine of Separation of Powers”, are issues being discussed at the workshop.
Others include “Motions and Amendments to Motions, Raising Point of Order, Ruling from the Chair, Adjournment Debate and Adjournment Motion” as well as “Laying of Papers and Circulation of Legislative Materials, Order Paper, Business of the Week, Calendar of Sitting, Preparation of Votes and Proceedings”.
In the area of education, Elekeokuri in conjunction with his colleague at the House stoutly supported the bill for the establishment of three different universities in the state (University of Delta, Agbor; Delta state University of Science and Technology, Ozoro and Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba.
At the floor of the House, he reportedly stressed that the proposed universities would raise the educational status of the State, and submitted that there has been a decline in the number of students seeking National Certificates for Education, NCE. Hence, the urgent need for more universities in the state.
Away from his achievements as a former lawmaker, there appears a general feeling of excitement for the appointment and sense of gratitude to the state governor by his political family in Umunede, his hometown and beyond.
Commenting recently on the appointment, Wendi Nwaham, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA Political) to The Governor of Delta State, described Honourable Anthony’s appointment as deserving.
The elated Nwaham said; “Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for his indispensable support. Also worthy of glorious appreciation are those core loyalists, friends and associates of Honourable Tony from his Umunede base, who stood solidly and stoically by him. But for them, even the strongest of optimists would have caved in and fled from politics. He concluded.
For me, I hold the opinion that with his wealth of experience in public leadership, he will definitely function prominently in his new position.