By Ononye VC
Prince Nduka Obaigbena, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Arise TV, has donated the staggering sum of one billion naira to Western Delta University, Oghara, in the Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The institution, which belongs to a former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, celebrated its 25th Founder’s Day on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
It raked in monetary donations and offers of sundry help with Obaigbena giving out the amount to help enhance the school’s development.
Others like Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the just concluded general elections, and Dr Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, agreed to become visiting lecturers at Western Delta University (WDU), Oghara, Delta State.
Fayemi delivered a lecture at the well-attended event with the title “Sub-National Governance, the Ekiti State Example”, promising to set up a school of policy implementation in the institution.
He also promised to become the first lecturer once the school is completed.
Femi said: “One of the important challenges that every governor will face early is that of making key appointments. Apart from the challenges of ethnic and religious balancing, you also have political IOUs to settle.
“Every governor will have to strike the right balance between appointing core politicians who have been involved in the long and tortuous political struggle like mine that brought the governor to the office and appointing technocrats who will be required to undertake specific assignments for the smooth running of the government.
“While the local political context will determine what the right balance is, this is something every new governor must always be mindful of. But it will always be helpful if you understand what your key priorities are. This will help you to understand those appointments you can play politics with and those you have to assign to the best possible hands.
“The balance is that you cannot take all away from politics and you can also not give all to politics. However, a key lesson from my own experience is that whether one is a technocrat in government or a core politician, all political appointees must be strongly connected to their communities. Otherwise, they will become liabilities to the governor.”
