- Gives Account Of Stewardship
By John Oghojafor
Barely two months after he spent well over N20 million in empowering women petty traders in various markets across Delta Central irrespective of tribes and political leanings, the Senator representing the Urhobo people in the National Assembly, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has doled out several empowerment packages worth millions of naira to hundreds of his constituents to lift them from poverty and squalor.
Last Saturday, hundreds of beneficiaries thronged the Senatorial district office of the Senator in Ughelli Township in expectation and collection of the various empowerment items procured by Urhobo nation voice in the Red Chamber, for distribution to them. The items included about several tricycles (keke Napep), several grinding machines, block moulding machines and sewing machines, among others.
Addressing the earmarked beneficiaries shortly before the distribution of the items, Senator Omo-Agege urged them to put the equipment given to them to good use, adding that he expects them to be transformed to entrepreneurs and employers of labours from the judicious use of the items.
The Senator also informed thousands of APC supporters who thronged the ‘Urhobo House’ (as his Senatorial district office is named), that more of the empowerment equipment were on the way to take care of those who were not fortunate to be beneficiaries in the first batch, urging them to be patient till it gets to their turns. He urged the people to support the APC in order to change the government of the state in 2019 to ensure a better living condition for Deltans.
Also speaking at the occasion, the APC chairman in Ughelli North, Chief Felix Ekure, who accompanied the Senator to the occasion, thanked the National lawmaker for his kind gesture to the people of the area. He urged the beneficiaries to judiciously apply what they have received to the glory of God and the APC party, even as he asked them to pray and support Senator Omo-Agege for a second term in office.
Sen. Omo-Agege’s Stewardship In Lawmaking
Aside the Senator’s empowerment to his constituents with various income-yielding items, he took time off to have an interactive session with journalists from different media houses in his country home at Orhomurun, Orogun.
He reeled out several bills and motions sponsored and/or co-sponsored by him in the Red Chamber including several public petitions from his constituents which he facilitated in just two years of his assumption of office as Senator representing the Urhobo nation in the National Assembly.
Prominent among the bills Senator Omo-Agege sponsored were the Bill for an Act to prohibit Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions which has been passed by the Senate and now awaiting the House of Reps concurrence; a bill for an Act to Establish the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun which has been passed by both the Senate and House of Reps and now awaiting Mr. President’s assent; Electoral Act. No. 6 (Amendment) Bill 2016 which has been passed by the Senate and awaiting House of Reps concurrence; the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Amendment) Bill 2016 which has been passed by both chambers and now to be transmitted to State Houses of Assembly for their concurrence; as well as the Court of Appeal Act (Amendment) Bill 2016.
Other popular bills which the Senator sponsored and/or co-sponsored include the National Industrial Court Act (Amendment) Bill 2016; a Bill for an Act to Amend the Company and Allied Matters Act (Amendment) and Establish States Corporate Affairs Commissions, 2016 and the Dormant Accounts Bill, 2016.
They also include the Compulsory Haemoglobin-Genotype Screening Bill, 2016 which was co-sponsored with Senator Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central) and a Bill for an Act to Establish the National Electoral Offences Commission Establishment which was also co-sponsored by Senator Abu Kyari from Borno North.
Within the period, Senator Omo-Agege also sponsored several motions on the floor of the Red chamber. These include the motion in Honour of late Senator Felix Ovuodoroye Ibru, First Executive Governor of Delta State; motion in Honour of late Olorogun Michael Christopher Onajirevbe Ibru (OFR) which was co-sponsored with Senator James Manager (Delta South) and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North) and motion under Matter of Urgent Public National Importance on the Need for Need for National Security Intervention to stop gruesome killing of Urhobos and other Nigerians in Delta Central Senatorial District and other parts of the Nation by terrorist elements masquerading as herdsmen in rural communities, forest and farms.
He also sponsored a motion under Matter of Urgent Public Importance for the Senate’s intervention to urgently stop monumental financial recklessness and economic waste by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Senator Omo-Agege also facilitated more than 10 various petitions from some of his constituents which were heard by the Senate and some received favourable resolution to the petitioners.
The Distinguished Senator used the occasion to also outlined constituency projects that were contained in the 2016 budget that were completed/ongoing under his supervision. These include the construction of 30,000 gallons Braithwaite, hybrid solar powered water supply scheme coupled with reticulation at Abraka PO-Oria in Ethiope East LGA; construction of 30,000 gallons Braithwaite, hybrid solar-powered water supply scheme coupled with reticulation at Orogun Town, Ughelli North LGA and the construction of 20,000 gallons Braithwaite, hybrid solar- powered water supply scheme with reticulation at Ophori village, Agbarho in Ughelli North LGA.
The 2016 budget projects in sited in Delta Central that are ongoing include the upgrading of existing distribution network installation of 11kv/415V, 500KVA transformer sub-station in Ughelli town; the dualization/construction of Amukpe-Agbor road (phase 1); the solar street lights project at Igun town in Ethiope East LGA; supply and installation of solar street light at Abraka, Ethiope East LGA and the supply and installation of dental and ophthalmological equipment at the Ughelli Central Hospital.
The Senator also disclosed that there are about 32 infrastructural projects which he influenced to be included in the 2017 budget, some already awarded and ongoing while others are awaiting award. According to him, a provision of N5 billion was made in the 2017 budget for the Sapele-Ewu dualization while N191 million was provided for the Benin-Abraka road dualization project.
Others include the construction of River Port and Cargo handling equipment at Okwagbe, Ughelli South LGA under the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority; empowerment schemes for local artisans in Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu, Okpe, Uvwie, Ethiope East, Ethiope West and Sapele LGAs among several other projects.
Responding to a question as to how all the 32 listed interventionist projects in the 2017 budget would be completed or provided for in the 2018 budget, Senator Omo-Agege said:
“Yes, there is a move by the executive arm to transmute to the January-December budgetary cycle, meaning that by December, the bulk of the projects in this 2017 budget would by then would have elapsed. But I can assure you that most of the projects I’ve mentioned to you, in fact at least, all my projects which I have mentioned to you, they will be implemented. Anyhow, anyhow, they will be implemented. So, to answer your question, every project that is there will be implemented one way or the other.”
