*As Omo-Agege Says Stigma of Traitor ‘ll Remain With Okowa Forever
By Victor Lewis
Following the recent revelation by the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike that President Buhari released various sums of money which accrued to the oil-producing States of the Niger Delta from deductions from 13% derivation fund, the State APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Honourable Friday Ossai Osanebi, has demanded from Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa the release of the sum of N130 billion from the total of N260 billion he allegedly collected from the Federal government, to the Ndokwa nation as their 50% entitlement.
In the same vein, the APC Governorship candidate in the State and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said that the betrayal of the people of Southern Nigeria by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, who accepted to be Vice-Presidential Candidate, instead of the Presidential position zoned to the region, will forever remain a stigma with him.
The duo of Senator Omo-Agege and Hon. Osanebi made their statements when the State APC ward-to-ward campaign train visited Abbi, Utagbe-Ogbe, Kwale, and Utagbe-Uno, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, yesterday.
At Kwale, Osanebi noted that the seven and half years of Gov. Okowa-led government in the State was a waste and meaningless to the people of the Ndokwa nation as there was nothing on ground to compensate the people for their huge contributions to the economy of the State.
Osanebi who was full of praises for Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State for revealing that all the Niger Delta oil-producing States were paid various sums of money by the Federal government as 13% derivation refund, demanded that the Ndokwa nation was entitled to 50% of the N260 billion allegedly collected by the governor.
“As a presiding officer, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, I know the law establishing DESOPADEC. My State chairman had asked Deltans to demand from Okowa, the N260 billion of the State money he collected. The money that came was a refund of 13% derivation fund.
“Ndokwa nation is the oil-producing nation in Delta North. And going by the law, our share as oil-producing area is 50% which is N130 billion. Okowa can do anything with the remaining N130 billion, that does not concern us. But, Okowa, where is our N130 billion for the Ndokwa nation? He must bring our own share”, he said.
At Utagba-Uno, while addressing the mammoth crowd of supporters, the APC Governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege lamented the ignoble role allegedly played by the State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for trading away the position of the President for Southern Nigeria, and accepting the position of Vice president, adding that it amounted to a betrayal of greater magnitude than the Biblical Judas Iscariot.
According to Omo-Agege, the stigma of a betrayer and traitor will remain indellible with Okowa throughout his life time.
“Even, only yesterday, former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, asked Okowa, why are you being a traitor.
“Everybody has agreed that the Presidency must come to Southern Nigeria. Why do you want to trade away, the right, the privileges and the power of the Presidency that is given to us in the South, to the North? Okowa couldn’t provide an answer.
“Whenever I call him traitor, he will be angry. Why didn’t he get angry when Obasanjo called him traitor? E.K Clark, our leader in PANDEF had earlier called him a traitor, Gov. Wike of Rivers State looked Okowa in the eye and said, you are a traitor. He behaved like Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ in the Bible. This name will remain with him all the days of his life”, Omo-Agege said.
The Ward-to-ward campaign train which visited all the ten wards in Ndokwa West yesterday, started with Abbi where the duo of Senator Omo-Agege and Osanebi encouraged the people to vote massively for the APC presidential candidate, National Assembly candidates, the Governorship candidate and House of Assembly Candidates in order to put a stop to the years of neglect and Under-development suffered by the people.
At Kwale and Utagbe-Uno, the duo of Omo-Agege and Osanebi also assured the people that the time has come for them to vote out the PDP-led Government and vote in APC to allow unprecedented development to the Ndokwa nation.
High point of the visits was the hundreds of decampees from other parties who joined the APC fold in Abbi, Kwale and Utagbe-Uno.
Other dignitaries in the Campaign train who also paid a courtesy visit to Utagba-Ogbe kingdom, HRM Nzeuku Isaac Pius, include the State chairman of the party, Elder Omeni Sobotie, Delta North campaign coordinator, Dr. Okolocha and different candidates of the parties in Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
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