For pro-Biafra agitators who want Delta State to be part of Biafra Republic, Gover­nor Ifeanyi Okowa has asked them to forget their ambition because no part of the state will be ceded to the proposed Republic.

The governor said although cer­tain parts of the state speak simi­lar language with leaders of the Bi­afra State promoters, “this does not mean that Delta has become part of the struggle or the South East region.”

Okowa disclosed this on Wednesday during his first interac­tive session with journalists at the Government House in Asaba, the state capital.

Fielding questions from report­ers, the governor said that “Delta State has never been, and is not part of the South East.”

He narrated how Delta was for­merly a part of the then Mid-West­ern Region, then the defunct Bendel State, before it was created alongside Edo State.

Okowa said: “Biafra agitation, we criticise it. Anioma land as it is said, was part of Bendel State; we were part of the Mid-West State, we have not been part of the South East. So obvi­ously, we cannot be said to be part of them (Biafra). We may speak a sim­ilar language, but we are not part of the South East. We were part of the Mid-West, now we are Deltans.”

The governor, who spoke on a range of issues, faulted the alleged Federal Government’s move to scrap some higher institutions, including the Maritime University located at Okerenkoko in Gbaramatu.

He argued that there is need for the Federal Government to set up more universities, instead scrapping the established ones, like the mari­time university which is one of a kind in the country. The governor revealed that leaders of Gbaramatu Kingdom have approached the state govern­ment for negotiations with the Fed­eral Government on the matter.

On the Supreme Court judg­ment of Tuesday, Governor Okowa said he won the April 11 governorship election overwhelmingly, even Del­ta Central where his two opponents: Chief Great Ogboru and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor hail from. He stat­ed that the legal battle among them has distracted governance in the state, and an insult on Deltans, who mas­sively voted for him.

Okowa said that although he had forgiven his opponents over the legal run, they should apologise to the peo­ple of the state.

His words: “As for me, I have forgiven them, because we all knew that we won the election. Ahead of the April 11 election, when we were busy campaigning everywhere, my two brothers (Ogboru and Emerhor) were struggling in one senatorial dis­trict over who will control the votes in that senatorial district, without really campaigning, and they want to gov­ern Delta State.

http://www.authorityngr.com/2016/02/Forget-Delta-Gov-Okowa-warns-Biafran-separatists/

ASABA—DELTA State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, said that he had no axe to grind with his predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

He also said that the Anioma ethnic nationality was never a part of the South-East region and does not subscribe to the renewed agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Okowa, at an interactive session with newsmen, said: “Reconciliation between Okowa and Uduaghan, this is very funny. In the first instance, I don’t have any problem with former Governor Uduaghan. Uduaghan is my friend, he has been my friend. We have been in this state together since 1998 before we came into government in 1999 and you people know it. We have been friends and we will remain friends. We may have had our differences before the primaries but after the primaries, you saw us work together in the election and we have remained so. “He calls me regularly, he offers me advice. Even on Tuesday, he called and we talked. So, there is no question of a difference between us that would warrant anybody going to London to meet former Governor Ibori to reconcile us.
Uduaghan
Uduaghan

“You see, these are some of the terrible rumours that are being peddled all around. That is why I have always appealed that there was need to cross check whatever is going on. You are aware that he visited me at the lodge.

“When he came, it was to offer advice. His wife had visited me twice at the Government House. So we have had no issue, not to talk of somebody setting out to reconcile us. That is the real truth.”

On the issue of Anioma being part of Biafran territory, the governor said: “Biafra agitation, we have criticized it. Aniomaland as it is said, from here, was part of Bendel State, it was part of the Midwest Region.

“We were never part of the South East and obviously we cannot be said to be part of them. We may speak the same language but we were never part of the South East. We were part of the old Midwest, we were part of Bendel, we are now Delta State and we are Deltans.”

On the Asaba International Airport, Okowa expressed the hope that the airport would soon come back on stream, adding that the 3.4km runway was being reconstructed to accommodate all sizes of aircraft.

Speaking on the move by the Federal Government to cancel the Maritime University, Gbaramatu, Okowa said that such move would cause a lot of setback and noted that the country needed more maritime universities to develop the maritime industry.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/i-have-no-problem-with-uduaghan-okowa/


cc
Tonye barcanista, Spanishkid, Edcure,Mynd44

Note: Authority Newspaper is own by ifeanyi ubah

I have said it several times in this forum, anioma are from Edo. Even though their language is similar to ibo, their ancestral is from old Benin empire.

tuale4u:


http://www.authorityngr.com/2016/02/Forget-Delta-Gov-Okowa-warns-Biafran-separatists/

cc
Tonye barcanista, Spanishkid, Edcure,Mynd44

Note: Authority Newspaper is own by ifeanyi ubah

IPOBIANS will not like this at all

tuale4u:
I have said it several times in this forum, anioma are from Edo. Even though their language is similar to ibo, their ancestral is from old Benin empire.

Similar to ibo indeed. They speak pure igbo and they're part of the struggle. OKowa is speaking for himself and his immediate family. He's not speaking for the whole delta ibos

dustmalik:

IPOBIANS will not like this at all

the truth is truth. whether they like it or not

dubemnaija:


Story

"On the issue of Anioma being part of Biafran territory, the governor said: “Biafra agitation, we have criticized it. Aniomaland as it is said, from here, was part of Bendel State, it was part of the Midwest Region." Governor Ifeanyi Okowa

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/i-have-no-problem-with-uduaghan-okowa/

tuale4u:


the truth is truth. whether they like it or not

maybe he forgot to tell you that the 1966 coup was led by anioma not Igbo
HYPOCRITE

Lol, i don't how u ppl expect a governor to support seccessionist