The Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and Delta State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has assured Deltans that his quest for power is to liberate, rebuild and reinvigorate the state.
Omo-Agege who gave the assurance today Thursday while addressing newsmen in Asaba averred that Delta ought to be the leading light of the Niger Delta region, but has been left behind on key development indices despite the huge financial flow from the Federation Account, 13 percent derivation, internally generated revenue of taxes of hardworking Deltans.
The Deputy Senate President hinted that the record from the Debt Management Office proved that the state has the second-highest debt portfolio in the country.
“This is certainly unacceptable. Ours is, therefore, a movement to restore and revive a State that had been misgoverned and rapaciously pillaged by those whom we had entrusted with leadership,” he said.
He explained that he has come up with a policy document that will form his plan to band together to build a vibrant, equitable and prosperous State, based on core moral values of service, hard work and shared sacrifice, where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Omo-Agege revealed that he ventured into the race due to his deep dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in Delta State. “This event, therefore, marks the beginning of a historic journey, which I have committed into the hands of the Almighty God for direction, strength, guidance and wisdom. It is a journey for the good of the generality of the people of Delta State,” he affirmed.
Speaking further, he said, “Today, I am formally presenting myself to you as the Governorship candidate of the APC and also the bearer of the hopes and aspirations of all Deltans. We have come up with a 60-Page Manifesto anchored on the EDGE to Build a New Delta (BAND). EDGE covers critical areas of governance that would drive our agenda when elected governor in 2023.
“The manifesto is our Vision and Mission; It captures our EDGE Agenda which breaks down as: E for Employment and Empowerment; D for Development (Economic, Infrastructural and Industrial); G for Good Governance, and E for Enduring Peace and Security”.
The APC Governorship candidate stressed that the EDGE agenda sums up Deltans’ hopes and aspirations for economic stability, sustainable employment, security, access to modern public infrastructure, solid institutions, and a clean environment.
He emphasized that the agenda was carefully structured to make Delta a model State and a leading centre of excellence. “With EDGE, we bring credibility, efficiency and trust back to governance. It is the ultimate paradigm shift to reform our public service, cut the cost of governance, eliminate waste, and deny corruption and other crimes comfort and safety in our governance architecture. EDGE agenda is our firm promise and its success is non-negotiable.
“…Our vision for a New Delta is driven by the desire to arrest receding hope among Deltans and build a State where the people’s future is brighter than their past. We are aware that our people are seriously worried about the unemployment indices, which are heading skywards as evidenced by the high percentage of our youths roaming the streets for jobs that do not exist, but certainly can be created if we have a government that fosters the right synergy with the private sector to boost employment” he said.
He pledged to address the scary unemployment rate by giving priority to public investment in agriculture and tech-driven entrepreneurship. “My plan as stated in our manifesto will change the commercial ecosystem of the State and create an investment-friendly charter that makes access to funds and infrastructure a natural way of life. Human capital development, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, housing and other labour-intensive interventions will be at the core of our agenda.
“We shall establish a Delta State Employment, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (DEEP), and facilitate the establishment of cluster industries in each of the twenty-five Local Government Areas of our State. We will deliberately create an enabling environment for industries and manufacturing; establish tech hubs, set up small business loan guarantee schemes, promote skills acquisition and set up a Career Development Centre for Deltans”.
Continuing, he said, “As part of our plans to promote ease of doing business, we will undertake institutional and process reviews, remove red tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks, improve infrastructure, and re-engineer our peace and security strategies while establishing a one-stop repository of business knowledge and information.
“We will guarantee the rights of women and invest their unique energy to drive social and economic development in the state. We will initiate a youth development program that moves them away from the hopelessness of today, connect them to creative endeavours and generate energy for honourable work.
“We will make aggressive investments in modern infrastructure capable of opening up the total economic energies of our people; we will lift the State out of a mono-economic dependency by launching diversification into tech and business incubation”.
The Deputy Senate President asserted that they were not in the race for themselves but to assist in charting a new direction for the State and her people adding that it will be a call to service which would be based on open and inclusive government that consults and puts Deltans first all the time.
“We are deeply committed to the cause of changing the current development path of our State. However, we cannot do it without the support and cooperation of our people. Democracy and development thrive on a watchful and active citizenry who should hold us accountable every step of the way,” he stressed.
