The Deputy Senate President and Delta State Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, has alleged that Governor Okowa led administration squandered money meant to develope the state for his vice Presidential ambition.
Omo-Agege who made this allegation during a World Press in Asaba to unveil his governorship manifesto, lamented that Okowa has squandered over N2.8 Trillion received in the last seven years with nothing to show for it.
He said: “Even more saddening is the fact that the governor has been going around borrowing with reckless abandon, making the state one of the most indebted in Nigeria even with its monumental FAAC allocation and 13% derivation revenue as an oil producing state.
“Okowa’s government alone has swallowed up well over N2.8trillion in seven years. We are all Deltans here. Do you see anything on ground that is commensurate with that receipt? Delta State deserves better. We must reject leaders who will not be independent of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the cabal that brought us to this sorry state.
“For Deltans to get out of these problems and return to a path of economic prosperity, there must be change that offers progress beyond mere promises. With my record of public service, my candidacy represents and offers that change.
“If you make an objective assessment of every village, town, city, and local government area in Delta State, including the riverine areas, you will come to the sad conclusion that the state is lagging behind in every index of socio-economic development and economic prosperity.
” There is poverty and profound infrastructural dilapidation from Asaba to Warri and environs, Ughelli to Udu, Sapele to Effurun, Koko to Oghara, Agbor to Ukwani, Ndokwa to Abraka, and other areas of the State. The PDP government has abandoned the riverine areas of the state to their own devices.
“When compared to other states in the Niger Delta with similar FAAC and IGR revenues, Delta is beset by poor or nonexistent infrastructure.
“Even the few projects that exist are poorly executed. The net effect is that the state looks like a giant junkyard. Most of the roads and structures purportedly executed by the Okowa government in the last seven years have failed and, in many instances, outrightly collapsed.
Many such failed projects that litter the state are being recycled and re-awarded to cronies without a visionary and credible plan for sustainable infrastructural development.
“Today, there are strong reasons to believe that monies meant for the development of Delta State are now being channelled to fund the ill fated ambition of Governor Okowa to become Vice-President of Nigeria in 2023 by every means. Just go around the state.
The poverty and frustration inflicted by this government on Deltans over the years are palpable and scary. Insecurity, low quality projects, lack of vision to revive the economy of the State, misplaced priorities in governance, corruption, nepotism, government waste, incompetence, and lack of accountability are pervasive and profound.”
“This failed PDP government has no solid plan to address the insecurity situation in the State. If elected, our government will tackle the challenges of insecurity from day one. Our administration will create a security trust fund, facilitate, and equip community policing for every ward, village, and town in Delta State.”
” We will create a system to build security awareness and confidence in our communities for intelligence gathering and sharing at various levels. There will be a revitalized and strengthened State Security Council that will assist in the coordination of law and order. To ensure security in our communities, our government will partner with traditional institutions and community-based youth organizations to ensure and promote communal conflict resolution.”
” We believe that the development we desire for Delta State can only take place when there is peace and enduring security. Delta State and our government will benefit more if we also elect an APC federal government. An APC led federal government will partner better with an APC government in Delta State. Our plans to revive the ports in Warri, Koko and Burutu to boost the economic transformation of Delta State will be better enhanced by an APC led federal government. We will be able to attract other federal projects and influence policies favorable to Delta State in an APC led federal government with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief.”
He further called on all Deltans to vote massively for Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as all other APC candidates across board.