A former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and renowned economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, have sheathe their swords.
Uduaghan and Utomi had been at loggerheads over allegations by the latter that all past governments in Delta State have failed the people.
Both men were reconciled Saturday by the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
The reconciliation, it was learnt, took place at the Kukah Centre in Abuja.
Uduaghan had debunked Utomi’s allegations of financial mismanagement against the state government, advising the Director of Lagos Business School (LBS) to first run for Councillorship position to understand issues of governance in Delta State.
The former governor said Utomi and others aspiring for political offices should not be blinded by their political ambitions as to resort to peddling falsehood against government, but should rather concentrate on facts.
Uduaghan made the comments in Asaba at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State.
His words: “Every man has a right to aspire to any political office in the country but such person must not tell lies about government to achieve his aspiration. Tell the people what you can do for them, do not spread lies.”
Uduaghan said his experience with Prof. Utomi showed that he was someone with bogus ideas but without the frame of mind for execution.
”He bragged about his reach internationally, how he was going to bring international investors and we had to partner with him to organize a business forum outside the country with Nigerians in Diaspora for us to get the investors, but he did not spend five minutes before he left us; no investor came to the state through him.
“You people should ask Prof, where is the Silicon Valley? He took us to his home town Ibusa for the foundation laying ceremony of Silicon Valley. Till date, there is nothing to show that the project has commenced.
“He has contested for the Presidency, he now wants to be the Governor, but I think he should start from his Ward; he should contest for Councilor.
“It is not good to condemn what the incumbent Governor is doing because of your ambition, rather you should bring out your programmes and sell to the people. Governor Okowa has done excellently well and we should join hands with him to develop the State.”