By Warefa Pereke.
August 14, 2025.
The recent gesture by Ossai Ovie Success, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Delta State Governor, in offering a paid job and a luxury, all-expenses-paid trip, which includes flight tickets, five-star hotel accommodation, guided tours, and participation in the Delta Social Media Summit scheduled to hold in Asaba on August 28, to Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger recently released from Kirikiri prison, has sparked controversy and strong criticism from many quarters in Delta State.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Ossai announced that a monthly salary of ₦500,000 had been secured for Emmanson. Ovie further stated that the gesture is intended to help Emmanson unwind after her ordeal and he appealed to anyone in contact with her to relay the offer so she can reach him directly. This decision, has been described by many as an unjustifiable, unwarranted and unsolicited misallocation of resources.
Critics argue that the amount of money allotted for Emmanson’s employment and trip, estimated at over ₦5,000,000, could easily cover the salaries of 100 unemployed youths in Delta State earning ₦50,000 monthly. This raises serious concerns about fairness and equity in government assistance, especially considering the thousands of jobless, young, unemployed youths in Delta State who are struggling daily to earn a living under harsh circumstances.
Moreover, Emmanson is not even a Delta State indigene, a key point emphasized by those questioning the rationale behind offering a lucrative job to a non-indigene ahead of countless Delta unemployed youths who have petitioned the government repeatedly without success. The principle of prioritizing state indigenes in employment opportunities appears to have been overlooked.
Many have also highlighted that Comfort Emmanson is not a poor or helpless individual. She was able to afford flight travels and has reportedly made no public appeals for employment or assistance. In contrast, numerous Delta unemployed youths endure grave hardship, scavenging refuse, riding tricycles under adverse weather conditions, or engaging in menial jobs just to survive. This discrepancy has prompted accusations that Ossai’s gesture is tone-deaf and it disregards the real struggles of Delta’s youth.
Detractors argue that such an act could be perceived as a political or personal favor rather than a genuine effort at social support. They call on government officials to exercise prudence and transparency in the distribution of public resources and to prioritize citizens who are genuinely in need.
In conclusion, while the spirit of generosity is commendable, many in Delta State believe that government initiatives should focus first and foremost on the welfare of the state’s disadvantaged citizens. Employment opportunities and state-sponsored benefits should reflect merit, need, and local priority, rather than appearing as arbitrary largesse directed at people with no demonstrated hardship or appeals. Without clear justification, Ossai Ovie’s offer to Comfort Emmanson risks alienating the very people government is meant to serve: the hardworking, unemployed youths of Delta State.
