As the Delta State All-Progressives Congress APC Campaign Council officially kicked off its State-wide campaign this morning, the Governorship flagbearer and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has assured the Christian body in the State that it will be carried along in the governance of the State if he is voted in as governor in 2023.
Omo-Agege gave the commitment when he held Townhall meetings with different Christian Groups yesterday at Amukpe in Sapele Local Government Area and Ughelli.
In Amukpe, Omo-Agege met with the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) where he eulogized the church for its role in contributing to the growth of the lives of individuals and the society.
The APC Governorship candidate was warmly welcomed by the CCN body led by Most Rev. Jonathan Iwhighwu, who immediately after exchanging pleasantries with the incoming governor, reeled out a catalogue of challenges confronting the church.
Most Rev. Iwhighwu listed the challenges to include: excess State government taxes on churches’ businesses, poor state of roads and bridges, insecurity, ignoring the church in giving appointments, lack of evangelical bus, lack of Secretariat, lack of industries, poor power supply, among others.
Responding, Omo-Agege noted that it was important for him to meet with the different Christian bodies of the church before he starts with his campaign, as they constitute a critical stakeholder in the polity of the State.
“Before I start my campaigns, I felt that as a major stakeholder in the Delta polity, it was important that I have an interactive session with CCN. There is no gainsaying the fact that you play a very critical role in our lives and our society.
“The kind of people we are, that we aspire to be, and have become, is a function of our upbringing in the church of God in the different denominations.
“We can never underestimate the role expected, not just of the church but of the ministers of the church who minister to our spiritual and physical well-being”, Omo-Agege said.
Quoting from the Bible book of Proverb 29 verse 2 which states expressly that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, Omo-Agege asked rhetorically if Deltans are rejoicing under the current administration in the State.
He noted that Deltans are not rejoicing because, in spite of the enormous revenue accruing to the state, there is nothing on the ground that is commensurate with the receipts of revenue.
“Proverbs 29 verse 2 is very clear. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. We are in Delta State, and I’m not here to knock anyone, but it is accepted everywhere that the people of Delta State are not rejoicing.
“Delta State is a state that is blessed. We have so many endowments beyond what anyone could ask for. On a good day, Delta State is not only supposed to be the richest state in the Niger Delta but one of the richest States in Nigeria.
“We receive so much money from both the federation account and 13% derivation, and even so much from our IGR. But if you look around the state you will not see anything on the ground that is commensurate with these receipts”, Omo-Agege noted.
The APC Governorship flagbearer drew the attention of the Christian body to the recent revelation made by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, that Delta State Governor, Okowa, among other Niger Delta governors, received a whooping N250 billion from the Federal government as accruals from deductions from 13% derivation fund.
Omo-Agege queried Okowa on his continuous borrowing spree in spite of the huge revenue coming into the State, wondering why the State resources could not be deployed effectively to complete some strategic road projects such as the Ughelli Asaba dual carriageway, the Amukpe-Agbor Road and the Warri-Eku Dual Carriageway.
While responding to some of the requests made by the chairman of CCN, Omo-Agege assured that the Warri-Benin Expressway will receive about N80 billion for rehabilitation from the NDDC fund which was just released by President Buhari, adding that the Aghalokpe-Agbor dual carriageway under construction will also benefit from the NDDC fund.
“In all the offices I have held till today, I have only one aspiration, to leave our society a better place than I met it. I’ve always felt that society has given me so much and it is only fair that I give back in return. And that is what has driven me in all the offices I have held.
“I put myself forward today to become the governor of this state. I want to change the narrative. This is why I have come in with the Manifesto on how I want things done.
“It is our obligation as a government to create the enabling environment so that those companies that left can come back to operate and create job opportunities. And that is the first plan of my manifesto – creating employment and empowerment opportunities for our people.
“I’m committing to you that if I become the governor of this state come May 29, 2023, I’m not going to wait for the Federal government to come and construct those roads. That road from Ughelli to Asaba, I’ll use the state resources, that is, our resources, to complete it and after that, I will apply to the federal government for a refund.
“I also want to commit to you today that I’ll use the State resources to complete the Effurun-Eku Road and the Sapele-Agbor Road. We’ll Insist on the implementation of the local content policy to create jobs for our people in the construction of these roads.
“On security, I’m committing to you today that if I become the governor, security will be one of the cardinal issues we will pursue. Whatever needs to be invested to provide security for our people, we will do it. Security is just like power, without adequate security you cannot have any meaningful development”, he assured.
“As we speak here right now, the entire people of Southern Nigeria are very bitter that Okowa betrayed the trust of the people of Southern Nigeria just to become a Vice-President. How can they give us the opportunity to have President and you will say no, give me a vice president?
“So, I want to commit to you that as of now what the focus should be is who can bring development.
“Let me acknowledge your request for a bus and a Secretariat. I want to make a commitment that when I become the governor, you will decide where it will be located and we shall construct it for you.
“As for your request for a bus, before election, you will get that bus from me”, he assured.
Omo-Agege also used the occasion to debunk the allegation by some persons that he is an ‘Igbe’ adherent just like his late father, adding that he and other seven of his siblings were brought up in the Catholic faith and other Christian denominations.
The body, took time off to pray for the success of the APC governorship candidate in the forthcoming election.
At the St. Lazarus African Church, Ughelli where Omo-Agege also held an interactive session with another Christian body, the Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), he was confronted with similar requests.
The Bishop of the St. Lazarus Church who is also the chairman of the OAIC, Bishop Arhavwarien, specifically took the APC governorship candidate to task on his plan for the Christian body in Delta State, plan for the youths, women, security, industry and creation of jobs.
Responding, Omo-Agege acknowledged the role of the body of Christ in the lives of individuals and society and also recognized the fact that Delta is one of the richest in the country but one of the poorest in development assured that his “government will not disappoint the church”.
He promised to invest in technology to checkmate insecurity, guarantee soft loans for women to undertake small and micro businesses, set up a special fund to tap the ingenuity of the youths and transform same to positive use for development.
Omo-Agege, therefore, appealed to the church to support him and all APC Candidates by voting massively for them, adding that “if elected the governor in 2023, I will run a participatory Government and will always consult with you.”
Members of different denominations under that OAIC who gathered to participate in the Townhall Meeting prayed to God to grant Omo-Agege the desire of his heart.
In the entourage of the DSP were the State party chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, the Director-General of the State Campaign Council, Elder Godsday Orubebe, the vice-chairman of APC in Delta Central, Chief Paulinus Akpeki, Deputy DG, Dr. Price Igbusa, Barr. Omasa Agbajoh, amongst others.
