Delta State government has carpeted the deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, as someone who lacks the capacity to govern a state like Delta.
Addressing journalists in Asaba, the State Commissioner of Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the governorship declaration speech of Omo-Agege at Effurun near Warri last Thursday was empty and uninspiring.
According to him, Omo-Agege who is representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly (NASS), failed to tell Deltans and Nigerians what he intends to do differently despite having the programme on live television coverage.
Omo Agege had at the declaration quoted as saying in part:
“We cannot fold our hands and allow Dr Okowa and co to continue, they will continue to marginalise us, if you go to Delta North, the Ndokwa nation made up of Ukuwani, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East, they contribute so much to the economy of this country, of the 13 per cent derivation that we receive, it is a function of their contribution to the economy of this country, but if you go to the Ndokwa nation today, nothing is on ground.”
Senator Omo-Agege noted, “Okowa has continued to marginalise the people of Ndokwa nation. If you go to Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimli South, on the back of this four local government that Okowa rode to Government House as the Anioma governor, but today these four local governments if you go to that place, you will not see Okowa government presence.”
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“If you go to Delta south, the Isoko Nation, they contribute just like the Ndokwa people to the economy of this country but if you go there, nothing, all you have there is a state polytechnic that was upgraded to university on paper, it is just a glorified secondary school,” he said.
Speaking further, the Deputy Senate President added, “if you go to the Ijaw nation, Burutu, Bomadi, Patani and Warri South-West, these are the people that produce the chunk of the wealth of this nation but if you go there today, there is nothing to show for it and Okowa actually has a Deputy Governor from the same place and when you enter there, you cannot spot any difference between 2022 and 2015. It is time for us to stand by our Ijaw brothers and sisters that enough is enough.”
The Information Commissioner described Omo-Agege’s attacks on the Okowa administration and the PDP as petty and an indication that the Delta Central Senator was being economical with the truth for political reasons.
Aniagwu stressed that Omo-Agege displayed crass ignorance on developments in the state noting that the three senatorial districts had received reasonable attention in terms of infrastructure and human capital development.
“We have three senatorial districts and in the last seven years, our people do acknowledge the level of unity, of harmony, infrastructural development, advancement in human capital across these senatorial districts.
“But another fact that underlines the emptiness of that declaration is the fact that our dear brother who is occupying a very exalted position, is not even aware of the level of development that characterised these senatorial districts in the last seven years.
On development in Ndokwa axis of the state, Aniagwu quipped:
“We would need to remind him that he needs to visit Obiaruku and see what is going on with the Obiaruku bridge and the internal roads constructed there as well as the Technical College built by the Okowa administration.
“We need to also tell him that before we came on board, our people from Ndokwa West to Ndokwa East were making use of Pontoon to convey vehicles across but let him go and see what is happening at the Kwale-Beneku bridge.
“We need to also remind him that Eziokpor bridge is ongoing, our people in Nsukwa axis, to Ejeme-Aniogor, Ndemili to Umutu, have very good roads because we have been able to link up our brothers in Ndokwa West and their kits and kins in Ukwuani Local Government Area.
“Let me also remind him that the Kwale Free Trade Zone is in Ndokwa Nation and just last Exco issues around the Kwale Free Trade Zone was a subject of discussion.
“We are not talking about the human capital development that cuts across the 270 wards in the state which the wards in Ndokwa nation are also very inclusive.
He said the people of Isoko nation in Delta South can also attest to the infrastructural development in the area adding that the administration in the first one hundred days in 2015 inaugurated the first road project in the area.
“Let’s take him to the Isoko nation, our very dear brothers that have been very supportive of this administration.
“In our first 100 days in office, the first road project we inaugurated as an administration is the Ibrahim Kefas Road in Oleh linking up to the Oleh campus of the Delta State University.
“Let us also tell him that Emore Grammar School Oleh looks like a university even when it is a secondary school. Let us also tell him that we dualized the Emore Road leading very straight into the heart of the Isoko nation in Oleh.
“Needn’t we remind him that the University of Science and Technology Ozoro is in Isoko nation and infrastructure is growing up in that institution at a very fast pace even when the school before now boasts of a world standard stadium and indeed a number of other facilities that a lot of universities in this country cannot boast of.
“We don’t also need to remind him about the Isoko ring Road which traverses from Ellu, Ovrode, Ofagbe, Orie, Okpe-Isoko, Uro and terminates at Ada-Irri and our people in Isoko land sees these roads.
“The dual carriage road that we are completing from Asaba to Ughelli transverse the length and breath of the Isoko nation.
“We Needn’t also remind him that so much has been done including the completion of the law faculty in Oleh campus and of course the accreditation of five departments in the Faculty of Engineering,”
Aniagwu said the Okowa administration had transforned the creeks of Delta with bridges and several road projects including the Ayakoromo bridge, TransWarri road and bridges, the 20.4 km Ogulaha – Obotebe – Yokri, Sokebolou road, Burutu internal roads, Ode-Itsekiri and Ogidigben internal roads among others.
He said Omo-Agege’s only major achievement, is the erection of a signboard for the proposed Federal Polytechnic Orogun without any foundation or block work, adding that the Okowa administration had constructed Aragba-Orogun township roads as well as internal roads spanning four streets in Orogun Town where he hails from.
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