The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has approved the release of N80billion for the reconstruction of the failed Sapele-Benin road and the Amukpe-Agbor-Uromi road.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Deputy President of the Senate and APC governorship candidate in Delta, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, during a meeting with members of the Christian Council of Nigeria, which held in Sapele.
Omo-Agege said that as soon as he became deputy president of the Senate, he requested from Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to know the status of the road all the way from Petroleum Training Institute to Agbor.
He said this was because he knew the contract had been awarded previously and hence requested for a review so he could put it in the Niger Delta Development Commission budget.
Omo-Agege however explained that “because Okowa felt he would not get the political credit, the issue died.”
He also noted that recently, with the reconstitution of the NDDC board, Buhari ordered that N500billion of the commission that was frozen be released for development projects and the sum of N80billion was approved when he pleaded with the President to consider the Sapele-Benin road and the Amukpe-Agbor road.
He also said it would be insanity to repeat the same thing over again and expect different results adding that Okowa has failed to develop Delta State.
He assured that if elected governor he would create an enabling environment for companies that have left Delta State as a result of insecurity and other factors to return.
He said, “When I become governor in May 29, 2023 I will not wait for the Federal Government before constructing strategic roads in Delta and ensuring the implementation of the local content law so as to provide job opportunities for our youths.”
Omo-Agege used the forum to clarify the issue of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC presidential and vice presidential candidates saying, “we want power for development and progress. That’s what we use power for.”
He spoke further, “Tinubu has a wife who is a Pastor and if he could not islamise his wife, how would he be able to islamise other Nigerians?
“I believe that after eight years of Buhari it is only fair and equitable for power to move to the South. I put all my strength into it. Governors of the APC supported it. All governors of Southern Nigeria supported it, met and signed a communique in Asaba. Okowa read the communique.
“But no sooner had that been done, during the PDP national congress, Okowa asked delegates of Delta to vote for a northerner. Yet, he is the one crying about a Muslim-Muslim ticket. The same Okowa that said take the presidency back to the North, just give me vice president?
“The focus should be who can bring development to our people. Okowa who is a Christian has he changed anything, are Deltans not crying?”
Senator Omo-Agege also dismissed the views in some quarters that because his father, the late Justice James Omo-Agege was an adherent of African Traditional Religion, specifically the Urhobo “Igbe” movement , he was also one.
He said while the Constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of religion and to that extent, he could not dictate the religious choices of his father, so too, his father could not dictate his own personal choice of religion. “As a result of this, all my siblings and I are devout christians of the Catholic faith. Christianity is a conscious choice for us,” he explained.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Christian Council of Nigeria, Delta State chapter, Rev Dr Jonathan Iwhiwhu, highlighted the contribution of the Church to development and called for assistance in terms of construction of a secretariat and official bus.
He had drawn Omo-Agege’s attention to the deplorable Sapele-Benin road and the Amukpe-Agbor-Uromi road. He pleaded that policies that negatively impact on the economic ventures of the church such as schools should be moderated if he becomes governor.
Iwhiwhu also called for provision of job opportunities for the youths of the church as a reward for the church’s support for his election as governor.
The CCN is comprised of Baptist, Anglican, Methodist, African Church and the Church of the Lord (Aladura) spread across the 25 local government areas of Delta State.
