Opinion

Why Integrity Group’s ‘120 Reasons’ Cannot Return Okowa In 2027

Published

3 months ago

August 24, 2026

The recent endorsement of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for another shot at the Delta North Senate seat by the Chairman of the Integrity Group of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter, Comrade (Dr) Martin Nwachukwu Bolum, accompanied by a much-advertised list of “120 reasons” why the former governor should return to the Senate, is as unconvincing as it is politically predictable.

One hundred and twenty reasons may appear impressive in length, but length is not evidence of performance, and repetition cannot become achievement merely by enumeration.

Governance is not measured by how many bullet points political sympathisers can assemble. It is measured by impact, value for money, equitable development and accountability.

Nobody disputes that an administration which controlled the machinery and resources of Delta State for eight years built roads, renovated schools and executed projects. That is the minimum expected of any government.

The real question is whether those projects justified the enormous public resources available to Delta State between 2015 and 2023.

You cannot simply list the construction of a road as an achievement without asking what it cost, the quality of construction and its condition today. Neither can empowerment be measured by counting sewing machines, motorcycles, tricycles and starter packs without determining how many beneficiaries were sustainably lifted into economic independence.

Worse still, splitting related programmes into multiple bullet points to arrive at an intimidating “120 reasons” does not transform political publicity into an objective performance audit.

If Okowa’s record truly “speaks for itself,” as the Integrity Group claims, then let that record answer the harder questions.

How much came into Delta State? How much was borrowed? What was spent? Where was it spent? And what enduring value remains today?

Those questions cannot be buried beneath 120 bullet points.

OKOWA’S EIGHT YEARS: FOLLOW THE MONEY

Accountability Cannot Be Replaced With Achievement Lists

The Integrity Group wants the people of Delta North to judge Senator Okowa by his eight years as Governor of Delta State.

Excellent.

Then let us examine the whole record, not merely the politically convenient portions of it.

Instead of bombarding Deltans with 120 supposedly spectacular achievements, the Integrity Group should demand answers to the legitimate accountability questions arising from eight years of managing the resources of one of Nigeria’s major oil-producing states.

What was Delta State’s total revenue between 2015 and 2023?

How much internally generated revenue accrued during those eight years, and what measurable outcomes did it produce?

How much did the administration borrow? What projects were financed from those borrowings, and what liabilities were left behind?

What resources accrued under the 13 per cent derivation framework and through DESOPADEC, and what measurable development did the oil-producing communities receive?

What federal refunds and other exceptional receipts came to Delta State during the period, and how were they appropriated and utilised?

These are not insults. Neither are they propaganda.

They are legitimate questions of public accountability that require figures, audited accounts and verifiable public records not political applause.

Then there is the celebrated “Road Master” narrative.

A road does not become successful simply because politicians commissioned it amid fanfare. Its true testimony is its durability and the value it delivers to the people.

Where roads have deteriorated prematurely, taxpayers have every right to ask:
What did they cost?
What specifications were approved? What quality was delivered? And did Delta State obtain value for its money?

That is accountability.

If the Integrity Group wants a debate about Okowa’s record and experience, Victor Ochei and the people of Delta North should welcome it.

But experience must come with receipts.

The people cannot be asked to celebrate expenditure without interrogating outcomes.

And beyond the questions of money and projects lies an even more fundamental issue that no compilation of 120 reasons can wish away.

DELTA NORTH IS NOT A FAMILY POLITICAL ESTATE

Experience Must Not Become Entitlement

Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has every right to be proud of his Ika heritage.

What he does not have is a permanent political title deed over Delta North.

That distinction lies at the heart of Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei’s challenge to the old political order.

Okowa has had an extraordinary run in public office local government chairman, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government, senator, two-term governor and vice-presidential candidate.

Few politicians anywhere in Nigeria have enjoyed such extensive opportunities for public service.

The question Delta North must therefore confront is simple:

Must the political future of an entire senatorial district continue to revolve around one man and the political establishment surrounding him?

The Integrity Group calls it “experience and continuity.”

Many others may reasonably see political recycling and entitlement.

Where questions have been raised about the concentration and geographical distribution of projects, institutions and political influence, the appropriate response is not name-calling.

Bring the evidence.

Publish the figures.

Show the distribution of major capital expenditure and public institutions across Delta State and Delta North.

Let the people judge.

This is also why attempts to dismiss Ochei’s challenge as desperation completely miss the point.

Challenging an entrenched political establishment is not desperation.

Demanding that political opportunities remain open to others is not desperation.

Insisting that the democratic ladder remain available to young people, ordinary citizens and those without political godfathers is not desperation.

Experience is an asset. But when experience becomes an argument for perpetual entitlement to political power, democracy must push back.

Delta North belongs to its people.

It is not the inheritance of any individual, family or political establishment.

No endorsement can change that.

No pressure group can inherit the votes of the electorate.

And no politically amplified list of “120 reasons” can substitute for accountability.

The old order has had its opportunities. Delta North must now decide whether 2027 will be another journey into yesterdayor the beginning of a new political direction.

Victor Ochei represents that new direction.

Austin Edemodu, PhD is an Abuja based Journalist and Public Affairs Analyst.

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Opinion

China-Africa Cooperation: Tackling Insecurity Through Development

Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman B. Dambazau (rtd), PhD, CFR, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the People’s Republic of China.

Published

2 days ago

November 9, 2026

The Gleamer

By Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman B. Dambazau (rtd), PhD, CFR

A farmer who cannot safely reach his land, a child whose school has closed because of violence, and a young graduate unable to find productive employment experience insecurity in different ways.

Their circumstances reveal a common challenge: lasting peace requires protection from violence and the opportunity to live with dignity. This connection should occupy a central place in China–Africa cooperation.

My experience in military leadership, internal security and diplomacy has reinforced my conviction that security operations must form part of a broader national effort. Armed forces and law enforcement agencies have indispensable responsibilities to protect communities, confront violent groups and uphold the law.

The gains they secure become durable when legitimate institutions, functioning services and economic opportunities take root.

Development is therefore a strategic component of security. Where communities can farm, trade, learn and obtain justice, they have stronger foundations for resisting the pressures that sustain violence.

Poverty does not automatically produce terrorism or criminality. Millions endure hardship without turning to violence. Insecurity also arises from political exclusion, contested resources, extremist ideologies, organised crime and institutional weakness. Nevertheless, prolonged deprivation and a lack of credible opportunities can create vulnerabilities that violent actors exploit.

Effective policy must address both those actors and the conditions that enable their influence.
China–Africa cooperation offers a framework for advancing this approach. The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation’s Beijing Action Plan for 2025–2027 brings peace and security into the same programme as industrialisation, agriculture, infrastructure, education, public health and green development. Its significance lies in the opportunity to connect these fields through practical implementation.

China’s development experience provides useful lessons. A joint study by the World Bank and Chinese institutions reported in 2022 that, over the preceding four decades, the number of people in China living below the international extreme-poverty line then in use had fallen by close to 800 million.

The study emphasised economic transformation alongside targeted poverty reduction measures. African countries can examine how agricultural productivity, infrastructure, education and employment expanded opportunity, while adapting relevant lessons to their own circumstances.

Africa’s countries have distinct histories, political systems and development priorities. Cooperation will achieve more when African governments define their needs clearly and negotiate partnerships that strengthen domestic capabilities. African ownership must guide project selection, implementation and assessment.

Agriculture should be an immediate priority. In communities affected by insecurity, restoring farming and rural commerce can support recovery and stability. Cooperation in irrigation, improved seeds, machinery, storage, processing and extension services can raise productivity and strengthen livelihoods. Investment should be accompanied by secure access to land, fair arrangements for managing water and grazing resources, and credible mechanisms for resolving disputes.

A processing facility has greater value when farmers can reach it safely, receive fair payment and access wider markets. Communities emerging from violence also need assistance that enables displaced families to return voluntarily, safely and with dignity, and rebuild sustainable livelihoods. Development planning and security planning must meet at this practical level.

Reliable electricity and productive industry are equally important. Power supply enables workshops, factories, health facilities and digital enterprises to function. Industrial cooperation should create opportunities for African workers, suppliers and entrepreneurs, with clear provisions for skills transfer and the maintenance of equipment and facilities.

Young people need realistic pathways from education to work. Technical training should connect to actual demand in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, logistics and technology. Programmes should be assessed by the capabilities and employment they produce. Partnerships between training institutions and employers can help ensure that qualifications lead to productive work.

Infrastructure must be judged by the economic activity and public services it enables. A railway, road or port can support national integration and trade, but its wider benefits depend on connections to local production and affordable access. Project planning must account for maintenance, environmental protection, community interests and financial sustainability. Financing arrangements should be transparent, with repayment obligations assessed against realistic economic returns and public resources.
Education and health deserve the same strategic attention.

Schools help communities recover continuity and hope after disruption. Accessible healthcare reduces household vulnerability and strengthens confidence in public institutions. Cooperation among universities, research centres, hospitals and technical colleges can build the expertise African countries need to sustain these services.

Women must participate fully in this work. Their livelihoods, access to services and involvement in local decision-making matter to household resilience and community recovery. Programmes designed without their participation risk overlooking essential needs and sources of knowledge.

Development cannot compensate for injustice. Communities require fair policing, accessible courts, accountable administration and protection from abuse. A school or clinic will contribute more to lasting stability where citizens also trust public institutions to treat them fairly. Economic investment and institutional reform should proceed together.

Security cooperation should reinforce these foundations. Professional training, peacekeeping capacity, maritime security, action against illicit arms and stronger responses to organised crime can help protect development gains.

Such cooperation should uphold national law, human rights and accountability. Its ultimate purpose must be the safety of people and the strengthening of legitimate institutions.
For Nigeria, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s September 2024 visit to China provides a framework for pursuing these objectives. It offers an opportunity to connect bilateral cooperation more closely with Nigeria’s priorities for economic transformation and national security.

The next task is disciplined implementation. Every major commitment should have an identified responsible institution, a financing arrangement, a timetable and measurable outcomes. Proposed projects, signed agreements, funds disbursed and completed investments represent different stages of progress. Public reporting should make those distinctions clear.

We should ask practical questions. Has an agricultural project improved farmers’ incomes? Has an industrial investment created sustainable employment and developed local suppliers? Has training transferred skills that institutions can retain? Have communities affected by conflict gained safer access to schools, healthcare and markets?

These questions should guide the assessment of cooperation. They also require African governments to fulfil their own responsibilities: coordinating institutions, protecting public resources, maintaining infrastructure and ensuring that investment benefits communities fairly. Regional cooperation is essential where trade routes, shared resources and security threats cross national borders.

China–Africa cooperation can contribute substantially to peace when development expands opportunity, institutions earn public trust and security agencies protect citizens effectively. Its lasting achievement should be visible in ordinary lives: farmers returning safely to their fields, young people securing worthwhile work and children remaining in school. These are the foundations on which a more secure Africa can be built.

_Abdulrahman B. Dambazau is a retired Lieutenant General, former Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Interior. He is currently the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the People’s Republic of China. He writes from Beijing, China._

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