Deputy Senate President Optimistic of Becoming Next Delta State Governor 

The Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege says he is optimistic that the All Progressives Congress, APC will win the gubernatorial election in Delta State.

Omo-Agege, who is the APC candidate for the governorship election taking place in March, made his view known in an interview with State House Correspondents after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

He said he would tackle the problems of unemployment and insecurity in order to attract investors.

“If you go to Delta State today, there is no homestead where you will not meet a child who has gone to school, well educated, graduated 6,7,8,9 years ago, who is unemployed. This unemployment challenge knows no party boundaries, knows no language boundaries, no religious boundaries, unemployment is unemployment.

“Our people at home, all they seek is an opportunity to hold a daytime job, to be able to take care of their families. So, we’re making this a priority through that plank of our manifesto, which is employment and the employment of our people.

“In the past, we’ve had so many companies in the state that, when the economy was booming, gave employment opportunities to our people, but most of these companies, for one reason or the other, but for the most part, citing security concerns, have moved away from the state to other states, where they are contributing so much to the IGR and other revenue sources of those states.

“So we’re asking ourselves, what we do to attract them, to bring them back to a Delta State. We intend to address this issue of security. Like I said, it’s a matter of political will, should you decide to make the appropriate requisite investment in that sector. There’s no reason why we should not able to attract these companies to come back,” he said.

The Deputy Senate President stressed that technology would also be deployed to hasten the process of the return of companies that left the area due to security concerns.

“Like I said, we a few states, for security reasons, I won’t mention them, but these are issues that I have privileged access, because of my office, in my interaction with security agencies, we got to know what those security devices, how expensive they are and which states have decided to make the investments and the results that have yielded from those investments.

“I’m confident that it’s something we’re determined to do, to invest in Delta and once we do that, all these companies will come back to the state because that’s the reason they left in the first place, beyond and besides giving them further incentives, to bring the companies back, maybe dwell so much, take advantage of the pioneer status, which they’re entitled to; to bring them in there, to help them with their taxes, provide land for them,” he added.

Infrastructure Development

The gubernatorial candidate also said if elected, he will dwell on infrastructure development, to better the living conditions of his people.

“In terms of infrastructural development, look at the roads, for instance. I keep giving an example, I was in Imo State, I believe about 3 to 4 months ago, when Mr. President was invited to commission a 50 kilometer road that was constructed by my friend, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma. It’s a federal road, I’m emphasizing that, it’s a federal road, but the Governor used the resources of the people of Imo State to do that road, double carriageway, with streetlight all through,

“I heard him when he was remarking to Mr. President that this is a federal road. Ordinarily it is the obligation of the federal government, but he also realized that the people who ply that road are not federal officials from Abuja; they’re indigenes of Imo State who ply the roads.

“Likewise, we intend to do the same in Delta. The two major routes, as you know, the one leading from Ughelli through Isoko, to Kwale to Asaba, is a federal road, we admit.

“The one leading from PTI to Warri, through Agbor to Asaba, also a federal road, admitted. But it is not the federal people who will ply these roads, it is you and I, Deltans, and there’s no reason why, given the resources that we have, the amount of money that has come to the state, inclusive of the borrowing, why some of this money should not be used to complete the construction of these roads,” he stated.
Confidence Okwuchi