From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
An aspirant for the 2023 Delta State gubernatorial election and former Commissioner of Finance, David Edevbie, has vowed to restore the master plan of the state if elected.
Edevbie, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member, expressed his readiness to address peculiar challenges of all senatorial districts and ethnic groups if he emerges as governor.
The governorship hopeful spoke in Asaba on the flagship programme of the Delta State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), ‘The Meeting Point.’
He said the major challenge of Delta South senatorial district where oil is produced in large quantities, was the production of the crude in the creeks.
‘Everything that has to do with oil production is a problem. Then, certainly, because it is riverine, it costs a lot more money to develop but, specifically, they need all the basic things.
‘If you really want a state where everybody has and feels an equal part of, we must spend more on the riverine areas,’ he said.
According to him, residents in Delta South are very concerned about the sub-optimal operation of the Warri Port, adding that if the port can operate optimally, the multiplier effect would be very significant.
He said the difficult terrain of the Ijaw area should not deny it of the needed development, adding that “if we spend the money we need to spend, within 20 years, and especially if you are working with the private sector, there is no reason why we can’t have it looking much better than it is today, more like a Dubai, more like a Miami.
‘But in terms of specifics, I have been going around consulting and one of the things that they keep raising, constantly, is the need for a higher institution in the Ijaw area. There isn’t.
‘So, I think we would need to look at the finances of the state at the time, whether it does justify another higher institution.
‘But in the short term, what we could do is to look at existing institutions. The School of Marine Technology in Burutu, if we spend more money there, I think that will bring some succour in that area, especially with respect to higher institutions.
‘The same applies to the College of Engineering in Oleh, the Oleh Campus of the Delta State University. I think if we spend more money there and upgrade it, that would satisfy a lot of people with respect to higher education.”
Edevbie said Delta North has riverine and upland, noting that the upland is mostly challenged by gully erosion.
Besides, he said there was the issue of lack of industries, adding however that Delta North was relatively peaceful and easy to attract investment.
‘I would start by breathing life into the Kwale Industrial Park. I will start by breathing life into the Asaba Industrial Park. There is an Industrial Park in Asaba but it hasn’t been functional. I would like to bring it up.
‘Because of its proximity to the Airport that is a very quick win. There are several other Industrial Parks that have been created by His Excellency that I would like to continue to pursue.
‘The final thing in Delta North of course is Asaba. We need a master plan for Asaba. We need to develop Asaba. I don’t see any reason why we cannot have an inner rail network,’ he said.
Edevbie lamented that Delta Central used to be an industrial hub with so many businesses that generated employment opportunities.
He said his administration would focus on industrialisation in Delta Central after addressing the issue of electricity.
‘We will first address it in the Oghara, Jesse, Sapele axis and then come down to the Ughelli, Udu axis. Once we address the power situation, we address the security situation, the government would be able to attract the private sector into industries in those areas.
‘If necessary, the government can take equity in order to bring in those industries to that area to create jobs.
‘And then, we have Abraka. It is already there. It can be a developmental hub for us in Delta Central.
‘What we can do is to have a way of bringing in industries that can take the feed from the university into them in order to have a synergy between industry and the university,’ he stated.