By Victor Lewis
Worried by the level of under-development and wanton neglect of the Itsekiri and Ijaw Communities in the Delta South Senatorial District, the APC Governorship Candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has vowed, to complete all the strategic projects abandoned by successive PDP-led governments in the area, when he is elected governor in 2023.
Omo-Agege who gave this commitment during the visit of the APC ward-to-ward campaign to Koko, headquarters of Warri North LGA, lamented that although the Itsekiri and Ijaw Communities in the State account for more than 70% of the revenue accruable to the government, there is nothing on ground commensurate to their contributions.
Expressing anger over the failure of the PDP-led 8-year administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who happened to be a son of the soil, and the outgoing eight years of Gov. Okowa administration, Omo-Agege noted that there was no reason why the Ugbenu-Koko dual carriageway and the Koko Township Stadium projects should be abandoned.
Omo-Agege however assured the people that when they elect him the next governor of the State, he will not only complete all the projects abandoned by the PDP-led government in Warri North Council Area, but initiate and complete new ones, especially in the area of health care delivery, tertiary Institutions and other social infrastructure.
He reminded the people that they stand to benefit more in terms of development if they mobilize to vote massively for him as the governor and also vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is their son-in-law, as the next president so that job opportunities can be created by way of resuscitating the once-viable Koko, Warri and Burutu seaports.
According to him, with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next president and him as governor, the dredging of the Escravos Bar of the Warri port which has been an issue, shall be addressed and the ports will become functional and be able to create jobs for the ever-growing population of unemployed youths in the area.
He said: “”The Koko-Ugbenu road that Uduaghan could not complete as a secretary to the state government for four years, as a Governor for eight years and could not influence Governor Okowa to complete for seven and a half years will be completed by me if elected as a Governor.
“The Koko stadium that the construction commenced in 2008 has been abandoned by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and its abandonment tolerated by your son, former Governor Uduaghan, I, your son, will complete it.
“For our pregnant women and nursing mothers who have no access to healthcare facilities in riverine areas, despite having two doctors as governors, I commit to you just as I did in Egbokoda that I will build a functional hospital to address your medical needs if I am elected as the governor come next year.”
The Deputy President of the Senate who has carved a niche for himself by the numerous projects he has attracted to his Senatorial District of Delta Central, assured the people that what former Governor Uduaghan could not do in Koko as a son of the soil, he (Omo-Agege) a second son of the soil will achieve it.
He assured the people that, unlike in the past where electoral materials were hijacked and ballot papers were snatched and illegally thumb-printed, this time around, with the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BIVAS machine, electoral malpractice would become a thing of the past, adding that their votes will now count.
Earlier, while addressing the mammoth crowd of party supporters in Koko, the founding leader of APC in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, had urged the Itsekiri nation to come out en masse to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as President and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as governor, adding that they were very fortunate to have both as their son-in-law and son respectively.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Delta South senatorial candidate of the party, Hon. Joel Onowakpor Thomas, said that the Koko he used to know was one of the business hubs in Delta, but today it has become a shadow of itself because of years of neglect.
He assured that if Tinubu, Omo-Agege, himself and other APC candidates are voted into office, they will ensure the construction of Koko-Ogheye road and turn Koko into a gateway city.
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