Delta leaders have warned former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, against provocative statements, saying Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is not playing cosmetic politics with the lives of people in the state.

The leaders in a statement issued by the Director of Communications of the People’s Movement, Mrs. Ibifuro Tatua, said the governor is bent on stamping out kidnapping in any form, in any shape, in order to a have a very peaceful Delta State.

The leaders in the statement forwarded to News Express by mail accused Olorogun Gbagi of engaging in a fruitless campaign against Governor Uduaghan and creating fear in the minds of Deltans. They insisted that the Delta State Government is worth its onions and the governor has been doing everything possible toward addressing security challenges in the state.

“People are not fleeing from their homes in the state and Dr. Uduaghan is not treating the matter of kidnapping with kid gloves. Kenneth Gbagi and his co-travellers are just executing a carefully designed plan to discredit the current administration and destabilise the state to further their selfish ends,” the statement said.

The leaders called on the soldiers, policemen and other security agents in the state to wake up to their responsibilities.

They also condemned the position of Ndudi Elumelu, member representing Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency, saying that death sentence has never staved off the perpetuation of capital crimes since it was introduced in the statute books.

“Death penalty as a mode of punishment for capital offences nationwide has not in any way reduced violent crimes in our society as the population of perpetrators of violent crimes are increasing and are even getting more and more desperate,” the leaders added.

•Photo: Ex-Minister Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi has been told to watch his tongue.