By Felix Ekwu
Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, says his mission in the National Assembly is to bring fresh ideas and approaches to governance, rather than simply following the path of his predecessors.
Speaking at his Sapele residence during a courtesy visit by the executive of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) Warri Chapel, the federal lawmaker stressed that his private sector background and diverse exposure shape his unique style of representation.
“I don’t believe I should enter the office of Senator and do the same thing everybody else has done before. As someone with a different background and exposure, I must bring something new to the table, not just imitate those who came before me. Otherwise, I might as well have let them continue,” Dafinone said.
The Okpe-born Chartered Accountant, who resigned from the board of the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank to contest the 2023 Senate seat acknowledged the achievements of his predecessor, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, former Deputy President of the 9th Senate.
While Omo-Agege was able to attract significant federal funding to build institutions in Delta State, Dafinone explained that as a first-term senator, his focus is on human capital development, through skills training, employment opportunities, promotions, and facilitating contract access for constituents.
The senator revealed that a needs assessment across the eight local government areas of Delta Central identified over 700 potential projects. His goal is to deliver 60–70 of them in each budget cycle, with a key priority being improved access to electricity through the provision of transformers and solar-powered streetlights.
“We ensure projects are spread across all eight LGAs without concentrating in one area. In our first year, we quickly put things together. In the second year, we focused on areas that had benefited less and where we got significant votes. By the third year, we’ll still maintain that balanced distribution,” he said.
Dafinone also emphasized accessibility as a cornerstone of his leadership style, noting that many politicians deliberately limit contact with constituents to avoid being overwhelmed by requests.
“I believe the more requests that come, the more opportunities I have to help. Whether local, state, or federal issues, my office remains open. Our people are not getting their fair share of contracts and appointments at the federal level, so my role is to help lobby and guide them on how to navigate Abuja,” he stated.
Recognizing the role of the media, Dafinone promised to support DBS Warri by providing solar-powered lights to improve security at its premises and a standard film editing suite to boost news production, as requested by the NUJ DBS Warri Chapel executive led by its Secretary, Comrade Ogheneruona Oyibo.
Earlier, Comrade Oyibo, said the lighting project would help curb security challenges at the station, while the editing suite would enhance the station’s reportage and film production.
