An Asaba, Delta State-based journalist, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo, has described as lies the claims by the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state that the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, was dismissed from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Gbagi was quoted to have alleged that Sir Onyeme was dismissed for forgery when he (Gbagi) was the Minister of State for Education.
Egugbo, on Monday, however, observed that though the case for the 2023 gubernatorial election was before the tribunal, Gbagi could have made the allegation to cause disaffection and possibly incite Deltans against the administration of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
He said: “I am confident that no Deltan will take the spurious, unfounded allegation of Mr Kenneth Gbagi seriously, because we are all aware about his antecedents. It is unfortunate that instead of accepting defeat as expected of a true democrat, he is in the tribunal trying to cause disaffection among the people.
“The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, has an unblemished record as a civil servant before he was called upon to take political appointments.
“Without going back memory lane to list places that Sir Onyeme has excellently rendered service to humanity, we are all aware that as at 2015, Mr Gbagi was not the Minister of State and it was the year 2015 that Sir Onyeme took leave of absence from the NOUN to enable him effectively take charge of the affairs of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service (DSIR) as its Executive Chairman.
“The immediate past Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, believes in excellence and his administration was able to woo Sir Onyeme, a tax expert from the NOUN to head the DSIRS.
“Gbagi alleged that as a Minister of State for Education, he set up a panel to investigate Sir Onyeme and also, sat on the panel as its chairman and went further to recommend the dismissal of Sir Onyeme as a Bursar; and failed to institute legal actions against Sir Onyeme for forgery. Such a situation can only be imagined as Sir Onyeme took leave of absence years after Gbagi was dropped as Minister of State for Education.
“Someone described his allegation as ‘cock and bull story’ as Nigerians are all aware that Sir Onyeme after his appointment, applied for and was granted leave of absence in 2015 when he answered the call to serve Deltans as the Chairman, DSIR, a position he again, relinquished voluntarily when he was chosen as the running mate to Rt. Hon. Oborevwori in 2022.
”As the Deputy Governor of Delta State, members of the National Open University of Nigeria Alumni Association (NOUNAA), Delta State Chapter, a few days ago, paid a congratulatory visit to Sir Onyeme at his office at Government House, Asaba. That visit clearly attests to how the Deputy Governor is valued at the NOUN.
“Following his emergence as the running mate to Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in 2022, it became clear that his career at the NOUN had ended and as a man who believes in due process, Sir Onyeme who resigned his appointment at DSIR, also resigned as the Bursar of the NOUN.
“His resignation put to an end a robust nine years as Bursar of NOUN, a position that he put his expertise to use as he was never queried nor faced any panel whatsoever within the period. It was not surprising as Gbagi was also the only witness in his case before the tribunal.
“It is unfortunate that what Gbagi went to the tribunal with was a ‘trophy’, that he personally raised criminal issues against the Deputy Governor, set up a panel which he was the Chairman, tried him, found him guilty and dismissed him, without having in mind that Nigerians are aware that he left office as a Minister for State years before Sir Onyeme voluntarily retired from NOUN.
“We can recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his running mate, Sir Monday Onyeme as the winners of the 18 March governorship election in Delta State.
“The State INEC Collation Officer, Onuwari Georgewill, a Professor and Vice-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, said Oborevwori polled a total of 360,234 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Party (APC) who scored 240,229 votes.
“Georgewill said Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party came third with 48,027 votes, while Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Grand Alliance came fourth with 11,021 votes, so, discerning Deltans are wondering what Gbagi is doing in the tribunal but it is his constitutional right to do so.”
