Delta governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is a man of few words. Neither showy nor given to vainglorious flamboyancy common among some politicians, Oborevwori has mastered the art of deploying actions to speak for him in lieu of oratorical flippancy which many politicians use to deceive the public.
The recent donation of 31 operational vehicles to the Police and other security agencies in the state to boost their armoury and strengthen their operations is one of the many actions that define the leadership of Oborevwori, a governor famed for pragmatism rather than enticing language sophistry. Oborevwori would rather do it than say, ‘I will do it.’ The 31 vehicles consist of 23 pickup trucks and eight Sienna wagons, in addition to four Hilux vehicles previously delivered. This brings the fleet to 66 vehicles available to the task force aimed at enhancing daily patrols, surveillance and actual combat where necessary. And he did it without the fanfare of live television show across multiple TV stations. The gesture was just one among many in the line of duty. A routine.
Securing Delta was one of the cardinal components of the governor’s M.O.R.E agenda. During the electioneering days, he was unwavering about his devotion to the security of the oil-resourced state. Delta ranks among the top three largest producers of crude oil in Nigeria. This makes it one of the layers of the proverbial golden egg from which the country is being fiscally nourished over the decades. It has also been ranked among the most peaceful states in Nigeria, comparatively. Except for occasional cases of inter and intra-community upheavals, Delta since 1999 has been a haven of peace and a refuge for Nigerians from other insecurity-infested states.
While presenting the vehicles to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, an overtly upbeat Oborevwori said the vehicles were meant to further enhance the joint security operations in the state, code named “Operation Delta Sweep”. It was not just a donation; it was an act of courage.
He said the donation was informed by the general insecurity being experienced in the country and urged the security agencies to work together and share intelligence to ensure effective security in the state. The governor was being forthright. Insecurity of the most vicious order has eaten up what remains of the socio-economic fabric of the nation. Terrorism, once an offering on the fringes of the north east, has permeated the entire nation, spreading its fatal fangs from the precincts of Borno state through the rain forests of the south east and south-south to the south west. The terrorists have become the unwanted neighbours of the frazzled populace.
Strangely, the bloody gang of goons appears to be ‘winning.’ Despite assurances by the top echelon of the nation’s security apparatchik that they are winning the war against insecurity and forcing the vampires to beat a retreat, the reality speaks differently. Kidnapping, banditry, dare-devil bank robberies and raw show of force continued to top the menu in the buffet of insecurity across the nation. To add to the fear factor among the citizens, viral videos of low-ranking security personnel drafted to the terror-infested forests and highways to fight the bandits and their ilk have been trending in which they complained of being under-equipped thus multiplying the anxieties of the law-abiding citizens.
And here’s the truth. Nigeria’s security agencies are under-equipped. President Muhammadu Buhari in his days tried to strengthen the national security arsenal. He bought a couple of Tucano jets said to be among the best war jets of the modern era. Some state governors followed in this stead by offering to equip the security agencies within their jurisdictions. It’s the right thing to do. This is the sense in which Oborevwori’s gesture of donating operational vehicles to the Delta state special anti-crime squad is not only commendable but illustrates the desire of a worthy leader to protect his constituents. Delta needs peace to sustain the spur of development which the Oborevwori government has triggered across all the local governments in the state. When there is peace in Delta, the nation gains. When there is peace, Deltans, a hardworking breed of Nigerians, are encouraged to engage in activities that broaden the frontiers of prosperity and shrink the circle of poverty. But Oborevwori did not just donate vehicles, he rebranded the state’s special security squad from ‘Delta Hawk’ to ‘Operation Delta Sweep’ to underscore the new thinking and strategy to deal effectively with mutations and devious initiatives of the demented denizens of gangland.
Rebranding helps to refuel confidence in a brand; inspire a new threshold of zeal among the owners/operators of the brand, in this case, the security agencies involved in the joint task force. Rebranding the state’s anti-crime squad will help build public trust, increase commitment and loyalty among the operatives; and reinforce the values of the squad in the minds of the citizens.
Oborevwori has always believed that meaningful and sustainable development cannot take place without security and sustained peace. His vision has always been to create a secure environment where investors will be at peace to grow their investments; an environment that will also easily attract more investors into the state. He is doing just that and the partnerships his government has inked with private equities since his ascension to power attest to a leader with the vision to create wealth and jobs in his state.
He has sustained peace and security in the once-upon-a-time restive oil communities and along the Warri-Sapele corridor which he is gradually restoring its old glory as the commercial hub of the state. Oborevwori’s unwavering disposition to peace and security has significantly insulated Delta from the feast of violence and organized insecurity visited on neighbouring states. The net effect of this is the daily migration of Nigerians from other states to Delta either to live in or to do business.
A good barometer to measure this high level of security and social calmness in Delta is to look at the growing night life in the state; consider the raft of business ventures springing up at dizzying frequency across the state and to look at statistics on national security index.
The Delta joint security task force, established on December 10, 2020, as a policy response to rising violent crimes in the country, comprises the Nigerian Army, Police Force, Air Force, Navy, DSS, and the Civil Defense Corps.
Ever since, the task force has recorded significant successes in combating crimes of all shades including illegal oil bunkering, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, and drug-related offenses. This has resulted in the sustained peace in the state especially in the push back to spillover crimes from neighbouring states. On account of this peace, farmers (both agrarian and aquatic) have been able to go about their daily schedules. And recent statistics support this. Delta currently ranks as one of the safest and cheapest states to live in, with food inflation of 35.0% and total item inflation of 28.1% as of October 2024, both lower than the national average.
This is no happenstance. It is as a result of the sustained peace in Delta courtesy of the conscious efforts of the Sheriff of a rising Delta state.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Umukoro, public affairs analyst, writes from Warri, Delta State
