Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has charged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Delta State Senatorial District, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, to be magnanimous in victory, ensure fair and even distribution of projects across the District when elected in the forthcoming presidential and national assembly elections scheduled for February 25, 2023.
Ogiame Atuwatse III, gave the charge Tuesday when Hon. Joel-Onowakpo, an accomplished businessman, a chartered accountant and APC Delta South Senatorial District candidate accompanied by members of his campaign Council paid a consultative visit to the palace of the highly revered Monarch.
Olu of Warri while offering his Royal blessing to the foremost Delta South Senatorial District candidate, said, “Being called to leadership will expose one to all forms of insults and intrigues. Should you emerge as the senator representing me and Delta South, do not allow the results to determine where to develop. If the winner takes all and the losers are damned, we shall not be changed.”
“As you continue in this cause, may you not tire, stumble and fall. God will connect you to those that have been destined to help you and you will campaign in blessings,” Ogiame Atuwatse III, stated.
Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, in his well-articulated presentation during the consultative visit, vowed to facilitate and influence massive developmental projects in Delta South when elected.
The APC candidate pledged to seek the construction of the East/West road, construction of Omadino and Excravos road, construction of Madangho Ajudaibo Ogidigben Shore Protection, construction of Arunton – Ugborodo – Canal Shore Protection, revamping of the Warri port and EPZ project for Ogidigben, amongst others.
“These are not mere political promises; these are words coming from a man who is tested and proven. If I, by God’s grace can accomplish all the things I did in Delta State Board of Internal Revenue with my colleagues in less than 6 years, then God will also empower me to do what is right and much more,” Joel-Onowakpo stated.
The foremost senatorial candidate appealed to the people of Delta South not to elect people who cannot make the right choices between service to the people and service to their pockets.
“In all my public service, I have chosen service to God and to my people. People who have occupied similar positions in the past or currently, have made their choices and it is very clear to us.
“I have been tested and never found wanting, the track records of my performance are everywhere in the State despite the fact that my detractors may want to play down on them. I am not in short supply of ability to perform if given the opportunity.
“This is no time for further experiment, we should get it right; we are running out of time, we can’t afford to make any further mistakes. I, therefore, in all humility urge Your Majesty, Ogiame to support me,” he stated.
Continuing, Joel-Onowakpo said, “Isoko man is before the good people of itsekiri to beg them to throw their weight behind me for quality and responsive representation. Historically, the Isoko people have always thrown their weight behind the aspirations of our neighbours in the Delta South Senatorial District.
“For example, the days leading to the 2007 general elections, the notable and highly revered politicians like Chief Solomon Ogba, Chief Macaulay Ovuozorie and many more too numerous to mention were at the forefront of the campaign to elect your son and my father, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan as the governor of Delta State.”
“The Isoko at that time didn’t just decide to support your son and my father as governor because the Isoko people didn’t have a candidate who was interested in governorship. Many and significant among them was Late Chief Bar Young Igbrude of blessed memory, but the Isoko people at that time considered equity and brotherhood and gave their support wholeheartedly.”
“I am therefore here, to say, that I am not unaware of the fact that an Itsekiri man is also interested in contesting this position with me, but my sincere appeal is that that spirit of brotherhood, fairness and equity which has existed among us in the time past where we as people of this senatorial district have come together to elect credible and very competent people to represent us in government should come to play.”
Joel-Onowakpo added, “It will be necessary for me to say at this point that I am a son to Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan. My political life started with His Excellency in October 2007 when I was appointed as the Chairman, Isoko South LGA council.
“He later appointed me as the Executive Chairman Delta State Board of Internal Revenue in 2009, a position I occupied till September 2015. Within the said period, the Board was known as one of the most innovatively, efficiently and effectively managed a department of government driving yearly collection of IGR from N12bn to N53bn per annum.
“We succeeded in building Board of Internal Revenue headquarters in Warri and the headquarters Annex in Asaba, a Data Recovery centre in Koko and Board of Internal Revenue offices in all the 25 LGA of the State.”
