A former political aide to Mr Charles Oniyere, an ex-member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Pius Onodjae, has faulted claims that the senator who represented Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege, favoured his hometown over others.
Onodjae dismissed reports of preferential treatment levelled against the Senator, stating that Omo-Agege was impartial, fair and just during his tenure as Deputy Senate President.
He noted that in the Delta North senatorial district, the former DSP initiated and commissioned an e-library & administrative block, a 100-capacity hostel for boys, a 100-capacity hostel for girls, a one-storey building classroom block and reconstruction of a school refectory.
According to him, the former DSP accomplishments remained unrivalled in the history of the state’s senatorial districts.
His words: “The first institution approved for takeoff under Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s watch was the Nigerian Defence Academy. When it was approved for construction, it was initially to be situated in Okpe Orogun, which is in Orogun Ward One. Okpe Orogun is often mistaken as part of Agbarha clan because it is built together with Agbarha village, called Oto-Ogba, all in the Ughelli North LGA area.
“For over a year after the school was approved and land was shown to the federal government for construction, a litigation arose over the land meant for the school. Some members of the community initially resisted, and the matter lingered for a long time, even before the approval of the Federal Polytechnic Orogun. In order not to lose the right to host the academy and with time running out, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege approached Otorho Orogun to provide land since Okpe was facing internal land issues that were delaying the construction. The Unukpo people of Otorho Orogun agreed to provide the land. However, when construction was about to begin, the Igbuku Orogun people claimed the land belonged to them, not the Unukpo people, which caused another year-long delay. Meanwhile, the Federal Polytechnic Orogun bill was passed and eventually approved.
“Along the way, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege proposed a land for the school that spanned from Orhomuru to Emonu Orogun for the Federal Polytechnic Orogun. However, his own family land was among those willingly acquired for the school’s site. Some of his family members became upset, thinking he wanted to covertly take over their inheritance to site a personal school for his own benefit. Out of frustration, he urgently requested that the Ugono and Ovara people donate land within that area for the commencement of the school.
“Initially, the Ovara people agreed, but after the survey and all necessary documentation were completed, they later withdrew from the plan, insisting the institution should be named the Federal Polytechnic Ovara Orogun. With time running out and no other options, we were left with the land provided by the Ugono community and a few individuals.
“To save time and avoid further delays with the land for the Federal Defence Academy, Senator Omo-Agege wisely decided to take a small portion from the land designated for the Federal Polytechnic Orogun to build the Defence Academy. This decision was made to ensure the hosting rights were not lost. Therefore, the Federal Polytechnic and the Defence Academy are located in the same place, but it was never his intention to have both schools sited in one location.
“He also initiated the establishment of the Oil and Gas Industrial Park, which is located in Sanubi Orogun, with approval and land allocation for about 100 hectares. This was even published in Arise News two years ago. He also personally initiated and oversaw the siting of the Federal University of Medical Studies in Kwale, which is located in another senatorial district, Delta North, a district not his own.
“He attracted the construction and dualisation of the Sapele, Amukpe, Eku, and Agbor federal roads, which are currently ongoing. These roads connect Delta State, and the southern part of the state, to the northern region.
“He also constructed the Anwai Small Bridge that connects Asaba to Kogi State. Additionally, he installed solar lights in all the villages and communities across the eight LGAs that make up the Delta Central senatorial district. He ensured the digitisation of libraries in all secondary schools across the eight LGAs in Delta Central. He also constructed, and construction is still ongoing, at the Ofamgbe Mini Seaport for a jetty in Ughelli South LGA.
“So, when you consider all these remarkable achievements during his eight years as a senator, it’s clear that he was never self-centred, focusing solely on his senatorial district. He was a senator for Delta Central but extended his benevolence to other senatorial districts as well.”
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