By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja vanguard
Against the claim of Deputy President of the Senate and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege that the governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa has not constructed any road in the state since he took over the leadership of the state, Okowa said no fewer than 45 road projects have been constructed in his Delta Central Senatorial District by his administration, while four of the projects were constructed in the lawmaker’s village.
Omo-Agege had alleged Okowa that with N4.2 trillion Internally Generated Revenue, IGR and 13 percent derivation in the last seven and half years, the governor has nothing on ground to show for it.
Omo-Agege, also claimed that Okowa, who is touted as ‘Road Master,” uses unknown and substandard contractors in some of the road reconstruction.
The APC governorship candidate also alleged that the governor instead of using the state resources to develop the state has resorted to wasting the state funds for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential campaign.
But the governor has described the Deputy Senate President’s claims as empty lies.
The governor through his Chief Press Secretary. Olisa Ifeajika said that over 2000 kilometers of road has been constructed by him.
While alleging that lie is in the DNA of the Deputy Senate President, the governor said that about 45 roads have been constructed by his administration in Senator Omo-Agege Senatorial District and four to his village.
The four projects are the construction/rehabilitation of Internal roads in Orogun town – Ughelli North, the construction of Arhagba – Orogun Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area (Phase I: From Arhagba/Emonu Junction to Ebor Community)-Ughelli North, the Ogbe-Ikolobie Road Orogun – Ughelli North and the Imodje Road Orogun – Ughelli North.
Speaking to State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Omo-Agege said it was a misconception to tag Delta a PDP state.
Fielding questions from journalists on how intend to dislodge the state currently in firm grip of the PDP, Senator Omo-Agege, who said he was in the Villa to confer with the President on national issues, said, “That is a very serious misconception to tag Delta State, a PDP state. Delta is very ripe for the taking.
He said, “We’re determined to achieve this; we’ve been going round each local government, ward by ward, making the case; drawing the attention of the people of the state to the mis-governance and lack of performance on the part of not just Okowa but the PDP led administration in the past 14 years, but most especially in the last seven and a half years; and the message we’re saying to people is resonating.
“We’ve been able to make the case to them, that Delta State is supposedly a very, very rich state and indeed a very rich state given the contributions that we’ve made, not only to the economy of this country, but also to the economy of the state, because of the receipts we have gotten from federal allocation, inclusive of a 13% derivation and other resources that come to the state by way of IGR.
“By our own reckoning, since the Okowa administration came into being, Delta State has received close to about N4.2 trillion and this came, like I said, by way of federal allocation, it came by way of 13% derivation, and also about N400 billion that the state has borrowed.
“Only recently, thanks to my brother, the governor of Rivers state (Nyesom Wike), who also made us to understand that another N260 billion was given to our state (on account of shortfall payment). So if you look, that will be a total of 4.2 trillion Naira that has come to the state. There’s nothing on ground by way of infrastructural development that is commensurate with all of these receipts that come to the state.”
He further said, “If you go to Delta State today, there is no road, no single road that is a new road that was constructed by Okowa as a governor. The last set of roads that we have in Delta State were constructed by Governor (James) Ibori. Since that time not a single new road, either by Governor (Emmanuel) Uduagan or by Governor Okowa. All he’s been doing is doing patches using mushroom companies to do patches, or remedial work on some of these roads which after three, four months, they get washed away by the rains.”.
Omo-Agege alleged further that Okowa’s administration has yet to settle gratuities and pensions of workers for up to nine years and has yet to commence payment of the N30,000 minimum wage despite the financial status of the state.
According to him, despite being a medical doctor, the health sector in Delta took a nosedive under the Okowa’s administration.
According to him, “Now, we have a medical doctor, who is a governor, the one who was governor before him, also a medical doctor, and in this case, he actually comes from that local government area, that terrain and it beats me, frankly, why they’ve not been able to identify and handle some of these issues.
“So, we intend to bring development, as expensive as it is, and indeed it is expensive, no doubt, to these riverine communities by way of improvements in the health sector, making sure we provide, I won’t say a glorified healthcare center, I won’t accept that, buy something meaningful, commensurate with the contributions of these people to the economy of the state.”
Omo-Agege also accused the Delta state governor of betraying his counterparts in the South by accepting to be a running mate to the PDP Presidential candidate despite their agreement that the presidency should shift to the region after the eight year tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.
He said “It is the position of Deltans and most especially, indeed or the entire southern Nigeria, that given the fact that we have supported Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari, President for the past eight years, it’s only fair, just and equitable that the next President should come from southern Nigeria.
“And it may also interest you that Okowa as the Chairman of the Governors Forum in South South was one of those who led this charge, and met in Asaba, where the case was made, and the position was taken, and a communique was signed to the effect that at the expiration of the tenure of Mr. President from northern Nigeria, the next president must come from the south.
“That position of the governors was equally supported by Mr. President himself. And then we’re also lucky to have had the support of the governors of northern Nigeria,”