Immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr
Emmanuel Uduaghan has deridingly urged
ace economist, Professor Pat Utomi, to go
contest for a councillorship position in his
Ward to learn the ropes of government in
the state.
According to the Nigerian Tribune,
Uduaghan made the sardonic remark in
Asaba, on Friday during a stakeholders’
meeting of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP).
He debunked the wild allegations of
financial mismanagement against the state
government by Prof Utomi at an event in
Warri and urged him not sacrifice the truth
on the altar of political expediencies.
Dr Uduaghan urged the Lagos-based
economist to consider actualizing his
political ambition by first contesting for
Councillorship position to get basic facts on
issues affecting governance in the state.
He described Prof Utomi as someone more
of a bogus ideas, but lacking in the practical
execution of his ideologies.
Uduaghan disclosed that as governor of
Delta State, his administration made Prof
Utomi chairman and member of several
committees as opportunities for the
professor to contribute to the development
of the state, but did not show goodwill and
character.
“If Prof Utomi attends any of the meetings,
he will not spend more than five minutes.
“He bragged about his reach internationally,
how he was going to bring international
investors and we had to partner with him to
organize a business forum outside the
country with Nigerians in the diaspora for
us to get the investors, but he did not spend
five minutes before he left us, no investor
came to the state through him,” Uduaghan
disclosed.
Speaking further on his experience with the
Professor of Economics, Dr Uduaghan
challenged Deltans to put him on the hot
seat on his stewardship concerning projects
that we’re in his care.
“You people should ask Prof, where is the
Silicon Valley? He took us to his home town,
Ibusa for the foundation laying ceremony of
Silicon Valley, till date, there is nothing to
show that the project has commenced.”
“He has contested for the presidency, he
now wants to be the governor but, I think
he should start from his Ward, he should
contest for Councillor,” Dr Uduaghan
advised, amid a thunderous applause from
the excited members of the PDP.
