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The Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lashed what it described as “the rant of one Zik Gbemre,” against the state governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.
In a release titled, ‘Zik Gbemre’s Infantile Attack on Oborevwori, A Misplaced Rage,’ and signed by the state secretary, Engr. Dan Ossai, the party said, “It would not have dignified the unnecessary attack with a response but for the fact that it made reference to the party, which fielded and worked hard during the campaigns leading to Deltans giving their overwhelming votes to the PDP candidate who today is the governor.
“For us in the PDP, we liken Zik Gbemre’s diatribe to the rage of the heathen which the Holy Bible describes clearly in Psalm 2, asking derisively, why are people plotting a vain thing, setting themselves and political kingpins taking counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed.”
Delta PDP noted “the untoward nature of the write up titled: ‘Okuama IDP’s (sic) Camp: Another Shame Of A Village Champion Governor,’ and in particular, the ill-mannered, ill-bred, discourteous and impolite language used on the person of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori by Zik Gbemre,” who, the party said, “once again exposed his garullous penchant as an irreverent fellow that lacks the rules of acceptable behaviour.”
Ossai said, while the PDP “refuse to waste time by dignifying him and his sponsors with a rejoinder knowing that it is obvious from his mindset that he failed to give proper consideration to the possible consequences of what he wrote on, it is important nevertheless, to clear a few incongruences in his ill-tempered offering.
“First, he is not in government and so is not capable of appreciating the intricacies involved in the Okuama matter. But we know that President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who Governor Sheriff Oborevwori visited to intimate him about the Okuama situation, knows and understands.
“Therefore, we do not think that a dyed-in-wool disgruntled fellow and his shallow minded analysis deserves any rejoinder and we commend the administration of Governor Oborevwori for remaining focused with the committed underground moves being made to restore normalcy to the Okuama community and not pandering to the distractions being weaved by devious elements who constitute themselves as sworn enemies of the Governor.
“Indeed the moves yielded very superlative dividends with the recent announcement by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori himself, that the Nigerian Army has finally agreed to withdraw from Okuama.”
Ossai went ahead to reproduce excerpt from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s announcement, “for the information and education of Zik Gbemre.”
According to the excerpt, Governor Oborevwori had informed Deltans that after “many deliberations and collaborations between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.”
The governor said, “I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on Monday, 6th of May, and as at today, 8th of May, 2024, the Military have withdrawn from Okuama.
“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.
“I want to express my deep and profound gratitude to Mr. President, the Chief of Army Staff, and the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for their understanding and cooperation.
“In my engagements with them, they demonstrated the highest level of concern and care for the plight of the displaced persons. To God be the glory that we have achieved an amicable resolution,” Governor Oborevwori disclosed.
Continuing, the state PDP scribe, Engr. Ossai noted that the party “will not be drawn into engaging the silly and spurious innuendos over the academic status and qualifications of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, which made the rounds prior to the general election and upon which the likes of Zik Gbemre continue to lean on as a wobbly crutch to balm their thoroughly bashed post-election egos.
“Suffice it however, to repeat for emphasis, especially for those who may have been taken in by the acrimonious posturing and malicious invective, that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori holds a Masters’ Degree in Political Science from a renowned Nigerian university and has attended many courses in highly-rated Ivory Towers overseas.
“Besides, not only are members of his cabinet brilliant and well read fellows in their respective areas of study, the cabinet is a blend of the young and old, with gender sensitivity.
“So far, they are doing well and we in PDP and other right thinking Deltans have refused to be swayed by viscious gossips and improper use of the social media to attack with a view to bringing down our beloved governor.
“We will thus restrain from stooping so low and be petty as to challenge Zik Gbemre and his sponsors to display their own academic qualifications side by side those of members of the Oborevwori cabinet, for objective comparisons.
“But we must in good conscience, point out that Gbemre and his cohorts, out of mischief, are feigning not to observe the great work that is going on by Julius Berger in Warri, courtesy of the N78 billion contract awarded by the Oborevwori administration, to give the oil city and environs a face lift.
“They are also blind to the many projects that the governor is doing, especially in the unwavering determination to complete on-going projects inherited by his administration, thus putting paid to the syndrome of uncompleted and abandoned projects.
“So far the health institutions of the state are working, the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are all in top forms; 2,000 school teachers were employed across the state; civil servants are paid as at when due, with pensioners enjoying their pensions. In addition, the roads construction work going on across the state has turned Delta into a huge construction site.
“But Zik Gbemre, beclouded by mischief has bluntly and deliberately refused to take cognisance of all these and many more.
“The governor did not just emerge; he contested the primary election against his opponents and defeated them in a free, fair, credible and transparent election conducted openly, to become the PDP candidate.
“We are glad to have sponsored him to fly the PDP party flag in Delta State gubernatorial election. He went ahead to win the statewide governorship polls and went through 38 intense court cases, which culminated in his resounding victory at the Supreme Court.
“We will let Deltans judge how Zik Gbemre described fellow Deltans, decent compatriots for that matter as “dried woods”. For Zik Gbemre, being in government should be the exclusive preserve of people like him and his sponsors. Talk of unbridled display of arrogance.
“Yet, Deltans know better that “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from above (John 3:27). Most of the things that count with us as human beings don’t count with God.
“This is why Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori fits the bill from God’s own perspective and God honoured him with the governorship of Delta State,” Ossai said.
