Delta 2023: The Need for Continuity in Progress

Allison Abanum

Myles Munroe quote, “Success without a successor is a no success at all – a pure failure.” For progress in anything to be sustained, there must be a continuity plan, else the whole thing will revert to ground zero. It is either there is a progression or a regression, there is no space for stagnancy, and that amounts even to the tiniest of things. The people perish where their is no vision- Proverb 29:18.

Governance is one key area where this need for continuity is paramount. This is because no matter how good a particular governmental policy is, once the next administration does not build on it, it will not only crash, but it will also leave the people worse than it met them. Examples of such occurrences abound in our country Nigeria today. We have examples of students sent overseas to study on scholarship being frustrated because the administration that awarded the scholarship is no longer in power and the current administration has decided to cause a disconnect. This is just one of the horrible things that can emerge when there is lack of continuity.

Delta State has been blessed with thoughtful and wonderful leaders since her creation. From Chief James Ibori who was the first to handle the paddle, to Governor Uduaghan who took over the steering from the hands of Ibori and handed it over to Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, it has always been from one blessing to the other, from one wonderful policy to the other. The successes recorded by these administrations are manifestations of the tenacity of the good people of Delta State who soften hard soils with their sweat in order to make bountiful harvest; wonderful Deltans who took seriously “the Delta project.”

Building itself may be difficult to do but it takes only one fatal blow for destruction to occur. It takes the handing over of the number one seat of Delta State to the wrong person for the whole successes of these previous administrations to be forgotten as they will be blotted by the next administration’s bad-policies-induced hardship. That is why it is important that the good people of Delta State elect someone who is not just ready, but equipped to continue in the good line and even expand it. That person is David Edevbie.

After graduating from the University of Lagos where he got his Bachelors in Economics in 1985, the young, intelligent Economist proceeded to get a Master’s of Business Administration from Cardiff Business School, UK in 1988. There he also became proficient in international corporate lending. David Edevbie started as a Trainee Manager, Graduate Development Programme, Barclays Bank, London in October, 1988, immediately after graduating from the University. He was Branch Manager from 1988-1989 and became credit Analyst from 1989-1990. Due to passion for work, discipline and financial prudence, Edevbie was promoted to Assistant Manager, Corporate lending from 1990-1992.
He was Corporate Finance Executive, Hill Samuel Bank Ltd, United Kingdom, 1992-1993, Manager, Corporate Recoveries, 1994-1995; Investment Officer, Asia and Pacific, Common Wealth Development Corporation, United kingdom, 1995-96; Deputy Country Head, Philippines, 1996-98, Investment Manager, Minerals, Oil and Gas dept, 1998-99. Edevbie is a member of Chartered Institute of Bankers; Chartered Institute of Marketing. He was Finance Commissioner under the James Ibori-led government and became the Principal Secretary to the President. Because Edevbie had been seen as a man of passion, he was again appointed as Commissioner for Finance in the first tenure of the Okowa-led administration and became Chief of Staff to the same government in the second tenure. Passion for distinction in whatever he does is one of the reasons why trace of any kind of financial fraud has never been linked to this distinguished gentleman. He has always left uncompromising Standard every where he headed. Edevbie’s hobbies are soccer and advance financial modelling. He is an Anglican, happily married with children.

David Edevbie is one man who has been in so many positions that refine and bring out the leader in a man. He has served in the private sector, both internationally and locally at senior administrative levels and positions. He has also, more importantly, been in the corridors of power of Delta State where he familiarised himself with what goes on in the state. His wouldn’t be a situation where a child just stumbles on what he finds very daunting for him and thus messes up the whole thing. He has for the past few decades lived and worked for the Great Delta State and the Good Deltans.
His is an experienced man, who is experienced both in the State’s politics and in the country’s politics at the federal level having served at the Presidential Villa under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. His service to the state has paid off in numerous ways. Forming a significant part of Delta State’s revenue is the 13% derivation oil payments which the state was able to secure due to the efforts of Ibori’s administration. It is important to note that he was the Commissioner for Finance at that time and thus was one of those who prevailed on the federal government to commence the 13% derivation payments.

Beyond Delta State, but still to the great benefit of Deltans, he was very influential in securing amnesty for the repentant Niger Delta militants during the Yar’Adua administration. This amnesty went a long way to bring down the level of violence going on in the Niger Delta area, which had become a big threat to the Nigerian nation as a whole.

David Edevbie is the same man who has worked close with the current governor in different capacities as a Commissioner for Finance and as a Chief of Staff. That is to say that he has been directly involved in developing plans, formulating policies and implementing projects that have made Delta State what it is today. This familiarity with the process is an exceptional one, for it offers him an in-depth knowledge of the successes and challenges ahead of Delta State. He knows what works and can be trusted to come up with what will always work.

It is this in-depth knowledge that can only be gained by being in the system that gets him vexed with the incorrect limitation of the 13% derivation oil payments to onshore oil production. This has informed his decision to leverage the understanding of the intricacies of national politics he gained working for President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to tackle the challenge. His will be the situation of the right hand using the right tools to solve the challenges faced.

It will be an administration where the good people of Delta State will forget that epileptic power supply, insecurity, low level of industrialisation, limited access to sound healthcare and education, unemployment, especially as it relates to the youth, poverty, etc., once faced them as a challenge. Because of his belief in continuity and because he believes in the youth as the future, the administration will be one that welcomes the youth with arms widespread as they will occupy 25% of the administrative seats. It will be one that leverages on all available human capital without allowing gender inequality throw spanners into the wheel.

The previous administration’s successes will be the platform from which he will launch the state to even greater heights. Our moral conscience demands that we hand over the paddle to the most experienced hand and that hand is the hand of David Edevbie. The problem of continuity that will soon be facing Delta State has a solution in David Edevbie.

Abanum is the Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communication and Documentation to the Governor of Bayelsa State.