Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Saturday revealed to the people of Delta State that the politics of who will take over from him will start in the next one month.
The Governor who spoke at an event organised for empowerment of people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in Asaba, the state capital, however warned politicians eyeing his seat to be patient and not to heat up the polity.
“So, I urge our people that this is the time to stay together; this is the time to think alike and I want to reassure you that in the next one month, we will start the politics,” Okowa said.
He added that his administration had been fair in the implementation of policies and programmes across the state and that the next governor of the state should equally be someone that would carry everyone along in the scheme of things.
According to Okowa, the collective interest of the people should be placed above self, irrespective of ambitions.
“We are politicians and politics will have to be played. I can see that a lot has been on in our dear state, especially the scramble on who will replace Dr Ifeanyi Okowa come 2023.“Unfortunately, some are not even patient. They started their campaigns in the first three months of my second term in office.
“I want to charge our leaders and people to be cautious because politics is such that if you don’t read it rightly, you will directly throw your people into fire,” Okowa said.
On which part of the state his successor will come from, Okowa said, “I am not all-knowing, but at the appropriate time, leaders must be ready to sit down for us to do a proper analysis politically, before we take decisions so that we will not lead our people into darkness.
“I want to caution our leaders who are jumping the ship because of the very little thing that has been provided for them.
“It is not about self, it is going to be about the people.
“I am the governor of the state and I appreciate it. I believe in equity and will not shy away from the fact that I am from Delta North Senatorial District,” he said.
“By the grace of God, in our approach to governance, we have been fair in what we do.
Okowa, however, asked the people to shine their eyes so that people will not come to lure you with N500,000 and N1,000,000 and to sell the conscience and lure them into fire.
“I believe in equity; It has shown that we are not inferior in Delta North. Please let us stay cautious, especially, the leaders.
“Who ever is coming to rule this state, by the grace of God, must be somebody who is ready to ensure that there is fairness, equity and justice.
“We want somebody who will come to Asaba and see Asaba as his home and not somebody who will come and feel that Asaba as headquarters is misplaced,” Okowa added.
