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By Andrew Umukoro
The appointment of Snr. High Chief Askia Ogieh as the new Managing Director/CEO of the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission (DESOPADEC) bodes well for that strategic agency, given the empowerment master’s antecedents
Strategic appointments such as the MD/CEO of DESOPADEC are often a state concern for obvious reasons. One, any one that gets appointed by an articulate Governor like Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa must have passed the crucibles of public scrutiny and endorsement. Two, anyone that satisfies Okowa’s standards to merit appointment in the hot theatre of intrigues called DESOPADEC must have been made of sterner stuff which others lacked. And only someone conversant with the routine and administrative issues that go with, it is best suited to man the DESOPADEC.
The Governor officially inaugurated the Governing Board of DESOPADEC and appointed Askia Ogieh as DESOPADEC MD.
Why Askia?
Snr. High Chief, Bashorun Askia Ogieh is a fellow, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria ( FCNA), Fellow, Association of Chartered Systems Accountants USA, Fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, a Certified and licensed forensic Accountant and Fraud Examiner with the Society For Forensic and Fraud Prevention. He is a fellow, Institute of Management Consultant, Fellow, International institute of Professional security. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland.
He has worked as a staff with the Nigeria Television Authority and NTPC
His first port of call in politics was his appointment into the Delta state institute of continuous Education.
READ ALSO: Meet the new Managing Director of DESOPADEC, Chief Askia Ogieh
He was appointed the Special Adviser, Government House matters to the then Governor James Onanefe Ibori.
The Uzere born politician was also a former director at Eleme Petrochemical Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He was later elected,Chairman Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. He doubles as the state Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and the National Vice President of ALGON.
He also work with First Bank PLC as an internal Auditor where he rose to the position of a Branch Manager.
In a similar development, Askia Ogieh was an auditor and later a marketing Manager at Madara Dairy Company Ltd in Jos
The Duke of Empowerment as he is fondly called, headed several manufacturing companies involved in food production, hospitality and households equipments.
The UDU of Isoko-land is a father to all and a man of good heart. His good deeds speaks volume in 25 local Government Areas of the state and beyond.
Probably, it is on account of his good heart that the Delta youths came out in their numbers to celebrate his appointment.
Chief Askia Ogieh has touched many people positively, within the period he became Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the commission. With the swift permission of his boss,Olorogun Williams Makinde, he was able to manage and resolve crisis that would have taking the soul of the commission, although Askia got himself enemies as a result of his pragmatic views in resolving issues, his actions brought the commission to its true place.
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From the very moment he assumed office as MD/CEO, Askia changed the security formation of the commission, He organized town hall meetings to seek opinions of the oil bearing areas.
Only a fews weeks ago, instead of celebrating his birthday with his lovely family, he lead a team of the reformed board of DESOPADEC to Heritage Oil, Seplat Multinationals and other multinationals companies in Lagos to influence and discuss the development of the oil bearing areas, a situation many stakeholders described as a welcome development. Another big surprise from the board is the commissioning of star projects within few months of assumption in office. Some residents of warri and Effurrun have this to same
“we know he will fulfil all his promises.
“This one is not going to be like the former politicians they put to head the place, and only ended up playing politics with contracts awarded by the Commission.
Obviously, the new DESOOADEC chief is homegrown, having the problems of the oil-producing areas at his fingertips.
Reeling out his achievements as MD/CEO of DESOPADEC,the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Transparency Watch, Andrew Umukoro while announcing the opening of the public governance awards for the years 2019, gingered hope of transformation of the operation of the Commission and its new vision.
Umukoro described the DESOPADEC MD’s pedigree and antecedent as impressive
He however described Askia as the incredible hulk in the movies whose footprint can only be matched by extraordinary successors.
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Also endorsing his performance, A legal luminary and a PDP chieftain, Barr.Felix Amakata also say askia appointment is a round peg in a round hole and his performance so far has not come as surprise to him.
The right man at work
He does not have to start studying the files of his predecessors before he hit the ground running. After all, he is used to the routine.
No doubt, as soon as he got appointed,he organized town hall meetings in all ethnic nationality that makes up oil bearing areas in Delta, to seek their inputs to prepare purposeful and realistic budget plan for the commission.
Another milestone was his visit to the headquarters of heritage oil,seplat multinationals and other multinationals companies. This obviously, is a paradigm shift in the quest of getting things done.
Snr. High Chief Askia Ogieh’s leadership style since the inception of his appointment has attracted much political and economic analysis of the Governor Okowa’s principles, practices and beliefs. Some have presented him as a paragon or an ambassador of Governor Okowa’s stronger Delta, while others present him as a more complex,experienced and evolving character influenced by his educational background and work experience.
For us pen pushers,we think he reflects both attributes. He is a staunch admirer of his master, Governor Okowa and a lover of the Okowa’s policies and programmes. Askia style is reflected on the well thought out ” Stronger Delta” of Governor Okowa.
Though a few mischievous elements read a different meaning to the Lagos trip to ensure that oil bearing areas is given adequate attention, he is focused and determined in achieving a stronger DESOPADEC.
For the first time in the history of DESOPADEC, executing projects will now be at the demands of the oil bearing area.
Meanwhile, we are very certain that high chief Askia is not only a well-bred politician,but also a thoroughbred technocrat who will use his wealth of experience to bring DESOPADEC to the peak.
Conclusively,In any organization, creating and building a foundation comes first and the new Desopadec board have followed the principles of creation. However,Its now evident that future is brighter and bigger for the oil bearing areas.
Thank you and God bless
