David Edevbie
By Adebayo Obajemu
The race to replace Ifeanyi Okowa as Governor of Delta State has gathered steam , and in some way, is turning out to be an epic contest. Less than a month to the conduct of the primaries, going by the timetable fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), no fewer than 10 persons have picked the nomination forms in the PDP, which has governed the state since 1999 and holds the aces in the 2023 election in the state.
Quite a lot of the contenders are veteran such as Kenneth Gbagi, while some have proven tract record of competence and are favourite of the people,in this category can be found David Edevbie, a technocrat and commissioner of finance.
The state arguably one of the best in terms of development indices,has not got there yet, as there are lots of miles to cover, and many rivers to cross.
With a debt profile of N207 billion as at December 2021, unemployment at 24.1 percent as at 2020, and diminishing revenues, the challenges are daunting and requires someone with competence and foresight to drive the state to the next level of development.
For the past 23 years since the return to democracy, Delta State has had the good fortune of three foresighted governors whose primary focus has been on providing infrastructure and opening up the hinterlands and creeks for development.
The triumvirate beginning with Chief James Ibori in 1999 through Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and to Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, have done well, but a visit to the state revealed that Delta State needs a man with midas touch as Edevbie to govern the state come 2023 as the challenges are huge and not a tea party but requires competence, dedication and commitment, attributes all possessed by Edevbiere to a hilt.
“The next governor must be one that can think out of the box, one that drive wealth creation through economic empowerment plans, industrial estates and making our cities more liveable among other things”, says professor Adeagbo Moritiwon, a political scientist in his chat with NATIONAL WAVES.
Dr Olufemi Omoyele, director of Entrepreneurship at Redeemers University told NATIONAL WAVES that ” of all the contenders, David Edevbie is the most qualified, I’m not talking of a horde of pretenders.”
David Edevbie has a proven record of performance to move the state forward, argues Azuka Osiegbu.
However, Delta State, like much of Nigeria, needs someone who is not only well known, but has both a proven record of performance and demonstrable capacity, to move the state forward.
With a debt profile of N207 billion as at December 2021, unemployment at 24.1 percent as at 2020, and diminishing revenues, the challenges are not a walk-in-the-park. Though, Delta State may seem to be doing better than most states in Nigeria, many of which receive far less in national income allocation.
Beyond statistics, a cursory visit to the state tells you that there’s much to be done by whoever becomes the next governor for the state to grow and attain a pride of place. It is therefore not a period to settle for a same-of-the-same kind of leadership that only thinks of sharing the money. To use the much-acclaimed words of Peter Obi, there’s nothing more to share!
Over the last 23 years since the return to democracy, Delta State has had three governors whose focus has been on providing infrastructure and opening up the villages and creeks. Beginning from Chief James Ibori in 1999 through Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and to the roadmaster, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the emphasis on opening up the hinterland through roads and bridges have been well received by the people. There is still some more to do and we must begin to talk about wealth creation through economic empowerment plans, industrial estates and making our cities more liveable.
The next governor must therefore have the requisite skills to meet the expectations of the people for jobs and wealth creation, in addition to an efficient administration. The state needs fresh thinking where job creation goes beyond the regular appointment of politicians to offices but in expanding opportunities for the people to create businesses and jobs. This is where the list of the contenders for the top job then withers and we can begin to sift the wheat from the chaff. In this instance Olorogun David Edevbie stands out like a shining star. Edevbie is the factor in the 2023 Delta State governorship race within and outside the PDP.
As someone I have known and interacted with over the years, Edevbie is light years ahead of the pack. I like to call him a public-private technocrat given his broad experience across both sectors. His attention to detail, knack for parsimonious planning and focus on achieving set goals combines with a detribalised nature to present a model governor for a modern state. He will certainly take Delta State to new heights.
At 58 , Edevbie has paid his due according to NATIONAL WAVES investigations. He is widely accepted by Deltans and is seen to combine youthful age with competence and verve.
He is also well educated and comes with a diverse set of skills. Educated at the University of Lagos where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and at Cardiff Business School, University of Wales. He is also a graduate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK). His broad technocratic experience covers investment banking and development economics.
Before his sojourn into politics with his appointment as Finance Commissioner in 1999 he was Deputy Country Head, Philippines, for the Commonwealth Development Corporation. He has held several other positions and attended several other trainings.
With a rich experience as a development economist, international banker and public sector manager, Olorogun Edevbie comes prepared for the job. Add to this his robust experience across Delta State and at Abuja where he has served at various times as Principal Secretary (Chief of Staff equivalent) to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Finance commissioner under Governors Ibori and Okowa and Chief of Staff to Governor Okowa at various times in the past 23 years.
Edevbie has come prepared and has laid out a robust agenda as he campaigns across the state. As he states so convincingly, “My industrialisation plan aims to make the State a massive production and manufacturing hub underpinned by domestic and foreign direct investment anchored on public and private partnerships. The strategy involves enacting investor-friendly legislation and providing requisite infrastructure, including reliable electricity and suitable road and transportation networks for industrial clusters to be set up across the State.”
He has made a lot of promises to Deltans if he wins the primary and elected as governor of Delta State. He says among other things that he would complete the Aboh-Ogwashi Agro-Processing Park, his government would also see to the completion of the Isele-Ukwu – Isele Mkpitime – Onicha Olona – Akwukwu Igbo – Ugbolu to Asaba express way, to ease evacuation of agricultural produce coming out of those Delta North communities.
Part of his commitment entails completing the Kwale Industrial Parks initiated by the current administration and the Warri Industrial Business Park initiated by the Uduaghan administration, all these would run simultaneously with the fast-tracking into operation of the Jesse Industrial.
According to Edevbie “The private sector will be encouraged to set up solid minerals mining and beneficiation industries to exploit marble, glass-sand, clay, gypsum, iron ore and kaolin, which abound in the State.”
Therefore, In electing Edevbie to succeed Okowa, the PDP and Delta State will be putting their best foot forward. There can be no better time to elect a technocrat who understands the nexus between wealth creation and social intervention.
Edevbie has secured endorsement of eminent Deltans, just recently
the Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, urged political gladiators in the state to eschew politics of violence and brigandage, even as he endorsed the candidature of Edevbie.
He stated that the oil-rich state is exclusive of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying whichever party that choses to challenge the PDP will be doing so in futility as he added that unarguably, Olorogun David Edevbie, is the next governor of the big heart state come 2023.
The Mayor, who made this known in his Easter message to Deltans in a statement he issued through his Media Consultant, the Republic Multi-Concept Communications.
Akpodoro, who is also the national coordinator of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A stated that Deltans won’t allow anyone to bring the massive failure of the APC at the centre to a state like Delta because people are comfortable with the ruling PDP but called on the governor to allow the people of Urhobo land choose who leads them stressing that the citizens are better deciders of their own leaders saying, to force a leader on the people will boomerang and spell doom for the party. The choice of people, he said, is Olorogun Edevbie.
Olorogun Edevbie according to the Mayor, is the choice of the people in the state and any attempt to impede the process of electing the people’s choice may not augur well for everyone as he called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to eschew bitterness and embrace the principle of fairness as an umpire in the politics of transition.
NATIONAL WAVES interaction with the people of Deltans through vox pop conducted in Asaba,Agbor, Ughelli, and Warri revealed the massive endorsement of the candidature of David Edevbie.
Baring last minute intrigue, many analysts say David Edevbie is the governor-in-waiting.
