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Ben Dunno, Warri
Deputy Senate President and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has described multi-million dollars Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project, Ugborodo and Nigeria Maritime University, (NMU) Okerenkoko, both in Warri South West Council area, as very key to his administration.
Omo Agege who gave the assurance ensure the resuscitation of the EPZ project at a town hall meeting that preluded the rally held at Ugborodo playground on Tuesday, noted that his interest in the gas project that was to create massive employment for the teeming able-bodied youths both within and outside the state in addition to boosting its revenue base.
While lamenting how the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, would allow such laudable project to waste away in the last seven and half years of his administration, Omo Agege stated that this has further demonstrated the insensitivity of Okowa’s government to the yearnings of the people.
It would be recalled that the ground breaking ceremony of the EPZ project, better known as Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) was performed by the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in March 2015 and had since being abandoned by the present PDP administration of Governor Okowa.
Speaking at the town hall meeting with the community elders, opinion leaders, women leaders, youth leaders and student leaders, the party flag bearer promised that the APC government in State, working in conjunction with the APC government at the centre led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would see to it that the EPZ project takes off effectively to maximize its full potentials.
According to him; “My coming here today has the full approval of His Royal Majesty, Ogiamme Atuwatse III, when I consulted with him and made known my intention to contest the governorship seat. I an therefore standing before you to present myself and my team of other contestants so you can accept and vote for us next year inorder to be able to make the desired impact that would move this state forward”.
“On my way to the venue of this meeting today, I took time out to look at the community closely and observed that apart from Chevron that operates in this area and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), especially when my younger brother here, Tuoyo Omatsuli, was a Director that brought the development to this place, nothing has been seen of the impact of the state government”.
“The opposition PDP had been government for a long while and It very sad that a government that made so much in revenue from a particular area cannot provide anything for the people of that area to enjoy as dividends for the gas and oil explored on their land all these years. These are some of the injustices we intend to correct as a party and that’s why we are here today”.
“I want to assure you all today that with me and my team of Senator, House of Representatives member and State Assembly and of course, the President in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that will be sworn by as from next year by God’s grace, all these issues will be addressed”
“And with the resuscitation of the abandoned EPZ project, we are convinced that the issue of unemployment among the teeming able bodied youths both from the state and outside would be reduced and also boost the revenue base of the state”, he stated.
Responding the community in a Memorandum of the Understanding (MOU) read and presented to him by Mr. Alex Eyengho, made a nine (9) demands which included; Ocean and shoreline protection of the area, Reactivation of the EPZ project, Health care delivery, Modernization of the fishing system, Adequate funding of the Maritime University,
Others are; Construction of the Omadino bridge, good and modern means of transportation, the return of the headquarters of the iOCs to their operational base and the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIB) so that the host communities can begin to enjoy certain rights and privileges they are entitled to by the provisions of the Act.
At the venue of the rally at the Ugborodo playground, the party Chieftains and candidates took out time one after the other to address the crowd.
First to speak was the APC Delta South Senatorial Chairman, Mr. Austin Oribioye, who canvassed the need for the people to vote all the party contestants across board inorder to make it easier for he party to achieve its desired goal to inline with its manifestos to better the lots of the people in the state.
In his own speech, the candidate of APC House of Representatives member for the Warri Federal Constituency, Mr. Ekpoto Ekpoto Emmanuel, reassured the people of the party’s determination to making the oil rich city of Warri great again by ensuring that the business environment got all the necessary boost needed to make the area economic viable.
According to him; “This team before you today is made up of men who had tested and trusted in all the fields of human endeavors and have it takes to deliver on their mandate. All we are asking for is your support and votes to enable us get into the positions to serve you better.”
Then the APC Delta South Senatorial Candidate, Mr.Joel Onorwakpo, noted that the change Deltans are craving cannot come at anytime better than this, and urged the people not to allow the opposition PDP to continue to deceive them as they have nothing to offer.
“We have had enough of PDP deception in Delta state. They have ruled us for almost 24 years now and we have seen little or nothing of their impact in terms of development. It’s time we give this new set of APC candidates a chance to prove their worth come next year, he declared.
Also addressing the crowd, the former Executive Director of NDDC and Chief host of the Ugborodo Campaign rally, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli, noted that since change remains the only thing that is constant in life, the people should be ready to embrace change from PDP to APC as from next year and urged then to remain focused.
Chief Ayiri in his remarks said he is quite familiar with the PDP rigging machine in Delta, and is determined to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. “I know all about the rigging process in PDP in the state. We know how we allocated figures in the time past but here I am today a Chieftain of the APC. Please, I am appealing to you all that you should not allow the manipulation of PDP continue in the state. Some of their candidates are used to coming at night. When they come this time around, don’t let them deceive you, “he admonished.
The party governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo Agege, took the advantage of his speech to clarify the issue on the relocation of the headquarters of IOCs to their operational base as demanded by the Ugborodo community elders, noting that it was not only the House of Representatives that passed the bill but jointly passed by the Senate, as he also raised the issue on the floor of the Senate.
While stating that he does not understand why its implementation was not enforced by the present government, Omo Agege, however promised to revisit the issue and expressed optimism that with Tinubu as President and himself as governor, he would ensure that the issue was revisited and fully implemented when they come to power.
Earlier, the APC governorship candidate and his team had a brief stop over at the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Gbaramatu Kingdom, HRM Oboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe (Agadagba), to intimate him of the plan to hold a rally in his domain and the royal father prayed for his success and that of his team in the forthcoming election.
He noted that contrary to impression that traditional rulers had no role to play in politics, the monarch said as the custodian of Peoples tradition and ruler a kingdom, the Royal fathers can influence the outcomes of elections in their domains by either requesting or directing their subjects on who to vote but that they have chosen to remain neutral in the democratic process.
At the Okerenkoko rally, APC chieftain, Chief Michael Johnny, demanded that with its endowments, the community deserves special attention of the APC government. He recalled how not long ago, security forces raided Okerenkoko and destroyed buildings and other structures. He therefore demanded that the incoming state government build a 1000 unit housing project as a compensation to the community.
Chief Johnny also demanded a befitting permanent site for the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, and that its enabling law be enacted. He complained that the community’s floating dockyard was spirited away by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, under the then leadership of Rotimi Amaechi, and demanded its return.
In his response, Senator Omo-Agege said that the Maritime University is not only strategic to the development of the state, but also strategic to the Niger Delta. He clarified that its enabling law, especially the issues of funding, have been virtually concluded, and that hopefully, it would receive Presidential assent soon.
