By Edeki Igafe
Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta, says his administration will not probe Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led government, if elected in 2023.
Omo-Agege, also the Deputy Senate President, however, clarified that the Okowa-led government would only be made to refund the N250 billion it recently received from the 13 per cent derivation refund.
He spoke on Thursday while addressing APC supporters during the Ward-to-Ward campaign at Abari, Koloware, Agoloma and Uduophori, all in Patani Local Government area of the state.
The senator, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, said: “I am not interested in probing Okowa, as long as he returns our money.
“Eye is placed in the front for a purpose, hence, it is not placed at the back, as a governor I will not be looking backwards.
“We do not want to probe or pursue anybody, but we are only saying that there has not been any proper judicious use and equitable allocation of the resources that have come to this state in the past seven years.
“I have decided to lead this challenge and get rid of Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration and set Delta State in a proper course of development.
“And, for us to achieve this, we have decided and have consulted with the best brains we could put together to come up with an agenda and a manifesto which we have christened the ‘E.D.G.E Agenda’.
“In that E.D.G.E Agenda, we are looking at what heals our people and what heals the people of this kingdom.
“For the most part, they have gone to school, graduated over six, seven and eight years ago and have not got any job.”
The candidate said that his government would create an enabling environment to bring back those companies that were here before, but for one or two reasons decided to relocate.
“We are on the course to attract them back to the state so that they can create employment and empowerment opportunities for our people,” he said.
Omo-Agege said that to attract the companies back to the state, the issues of insecurity must be vigorously addressed by way of investing in the security architecture.
The deputy senate president noted that investment in security was quite expensive, but considering its cost-benefits, it worth it.
“About four to five states in the country have invested in purchasing security devices. Devices that can track people that are into kidnapping, banditry and killer herdsmen.
“It is not about my comfort and happiness. It is about the comfort and happiness of the people of Delta,” Omo-Agege said.
He said his focussed would be geared toward addressing the under-development and infrastructure deficits in the state when he assumed office as the governor.
Omo-Agege expressed displeasure over the level of under-development in Patani Local Government area.
According to him, the current PDP-led government in the state has not given Patani people and other riverine communities in the state their due share considering their contributions to the nation’s economy.
“My focus is to hit the ground running when I assumed office as the Governor of Delta.
“This is because there is so much work to be done. After all, the level of underdevelopment and rot in infrastructure in the state needs urgent attention.
“Though, Delta is the richest state in the Niger Delta region, sadly the huge resources that have accrued to the state in the past years are not judiciously and fairly used to the benefit of entire people of the state,” Omo-Agege said.
The APC governorship candidate lamented that the retirees who had put their efforts in the service of the state were not being paid their gratuities. (NAN)
