Okowa Approves Handover Committee Members, Ukah, Aniagwu, 36 Others Make List

 Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has approved the constitution of the inauguration committee to coordinate a smooth transition to the next administration in the state. 

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, who is also member of the transition committee announced this in Asaba on Thursday, saying that Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, would head the body.

The committee has the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mr. Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje, as Secretary.

However, Aniagwu warned that membership of the committee and sub-committees were not an automatic qualification for appointment into the next administration in the state, advising against “entitlement mentality” being associated with membership of the committee. 

Aniagwu said, “You are very much aware that the Okowa administration is winding down and in about a month or couple of weeks, we will be heralding a new administration.

“As it is customary, we have put up a committee to carry out a number of activities to ensure a smooth transition.

“What is trending in the social media is as if those who have been appointed into the main committee and sub-committees have been given appointment in the new administration.

“We want to make it very clear that those appointed into the committees have only been asked to come and work for the purpose of seeing a smooth transition from the Okowa administration to the next administration.

“It does not mean that they are the ones that worked more than any other person. It does not also suggest that they are much more important than any other person.

“You know that if everybody who contributed to the success of the election were to be considered it means we will have a committee that will be more than a million.

“It doesn’t suggest that these persons who have been appointed have been automatically engaged by the new administration nor does it undermine the effort of every other person who did not see their names in the different committees.

“There are individuals who contributed very immensely to the success of the election and I can assure you that both the outgoing and incoming administrations take very serious cognisance of those efforts and in due course, the good Lord will instigate a process where they will be rewarded.

“Appointment into the committee is just to midwife these processes that will culminate in the eventual handover to the next administration.

“So we appeal to our brothers to note that the committee will not work in isolation and they will be reaching out to a number of people to assist them carry out the task.”

Nevertheless, he urged the people not to relent in their support for the Okowa administration not only up to May 29 but to the incoming Oborevwori administration adding that the success of Okowa will advance the state.