The immediate past deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, in this interview with journalists, speaks on the policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, politics of Delta State, among other critical issues. EBENEZER ADUROKIYA brings excerpts.
On the occasion of the homecoming reception held in your honour recently, you indicated that power will change hands from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). We will like you to expatiate, especially on the source of such confidence?
To begin with, in the 2023 governorship election, Deltans overwhelmingly voted for me and the APC, both in the governorship election and in the National Assembly polls. We were robbed. Everyone in Delta knows that we won the election for the governorship; we won the two Senate seats. And, if not for the suit that took a candidate to prison, we would have taken the third Senate seat. But for the governorship, clearly we won. At this time, we are doing post-mortem on how they were able to implement the injustice. So far, we have identified some systemic failure to be a major contributory factor that made it happen. And we are going ahead to tackle it as we move on. And in the course of all this, we are also taking every step to unite the party and expand our scope beyond the coalition of 2023 so that by 2027, we would have expanded our coalition. We will then be in a much stronger position to be able to resist any attempt to rig us out this time around.
To actualise your dream for Delta 2027 as a governorship aspirant, what will be your message to your teeming supporters in the APC, and the entire people of Delta State?
Let me be very clear. When I say my dream, it is not just my personal dream, it is APC dream. The dream of the APC is to bring positive change to Delta State so that the huge resources, that is, the allocations given to Delta State from the Federal Government can be properly utilized for the benefit of the majority of the people of the state. Right now, our fear is that so much money is coming into the state purse, but if you go around you begin to ask yourself, ‘where are all these money going into’? Since my return from Abuja, I have been to Warri, I have been to Isoko, I have been to Ughelli, and despite the very fat allocations to Delta, as Delta receives the highest allocation in the South inclusive of the derivation allocations, but there has been nothing to show for it; no change whatsoever. So, my message to my supporters now is that we should stick together. They should begin to organise themselves and expand their territory as they prepare for intra party contest on the primaries and the congresses to enable us choose into positions the people who will be running party offices preparatory to nominating our candidates. We need to stick together because it is in that endeavour they would have my backing and support.
Can you assess the performances of the ruling PDP in Delta State since 1999? And what precisely are their shortcomings viz a viz the areas where they have failed to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Deltans?
I think it is very clear that the PDP in Delta during Ibori’s administration did remarkably well in setting the pace of development in the state between 1999 to 2007. If you look around, other than development that was brought by the military under Governor Samuel Ogbemudia, all that you see in this State were brought by Governor James Onanefe Ibori between 1999 to 2007. Unfortunately, since that time, all successive governments had failed to build on the successes recorded. They have failed in every aspect of governance. In fact, every government in Delta since 2007 had performed worse than the previous administration. It has been 17 wasted years characterized by economic decline. Developments have stagnated. In fact, they betrayed the trust of our people. The present government is on the track to continue in that direction. By May 29, the present administration would have been there for one full year and with all the monies coming in, even more monies than what was received by Okowa, as it were, nothing is going on. So, they are in the track to continue in that direction of abysmal failure.
In a nutshell, in what specific areas will you be seeking the Federal Government intervention in Delta State to boost the State’s socioeconomic development?
It is in two areas: security and our seaports. In the course of my campaign for Governorship, we made it clear that one of the ways to create employment opportunities for our people here is to partner with the Federal Government to assist us in reopening the Ports – the Warri Port, Burutu Port, Koko Port. It is still doable. Unfortunately, we didn’t succeed. If we had succeeded, we would have been able to hold the seat of President committed on this issue. But, the present state government may not have the credibility to convince Mr. President to do this. Unfortunately, that is the lot of the state right now. However, we need that. Just think about the opportunities right now being created in Lagos, in the Lekki Deep Seaport, for instance. If our ports here are working, you can imagine the opportunities that will be opened to our people either in Warri or in Koko or in Burutu. Of course, in the area of security, it is clear no company will come in here to do any investment when people are being kidnapped and people are scared to leave their homes. So, we need the Federal Government to assist the state government by helping to boost our security and crime fighting mechanism. We need that help from the Federal Government and the state government has to go and make that appeal to Mr. President as to why this is peculiar to Delta State because Mr. President’s obligation is to the entire country. But, we need to have enough leverage on Mr. President as to why he should see your State different from the others. That is a challenge that we face and we believe that this Governor will take the issue of security as topmost priority and a challenge that must be corrected not only by the assistance of the Federal Government, but by also investing himself in security architecture of the state.
On the recent bloody crisis in Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, we understand the Military Tribunal has now commenced sitting. What will be your message to the tribunal, and also to the troubled Okuama community on the issue?
This is a very sensitive issue. First and foremost, I speak as an Urhobo man and this incident took place here in my senatorial zone and, of course, when it happened we issued a statement appealing for restraint on behalf of the military and Delta people. It is obvious that what happened there, the killing of those 17 military officers and soldiers was barbaric and condemnable. We condemned it then and we condemn it again. But having said that, we still have innocent people in the community; innocent children, women and men who have nothing to do with it. We cannot visit the sin of a few on the entire community. So, we are going to be appealing to the tribunal to be just and fair. We will support them in doing all they can to fish out the culprits who carried out the heinous crime. Then, we will also enjoin them to protect the rights of the innocent children, women and others who have nothing to do with it and should not be made to pay for the crime of those people.
What will be your message on how to ensure enduring security and peace in Delta communities?
Enduring peace and security happens to be one of the four pillars of my EDGE (Employment & Empowerment, Development, Good Governance and Enduring Peace & Security) Agenda which I campaigned on as we believe that without peace and security, there cannot be development and job creation. To make this happen, we believe in restoring law and order. We can only restore law and order by cracking down on all forms of criminal activities under a zero tolerance enforcement policy. We also need community policing and establishment of community security commission to address a pyramid of these criminal activities and to combat the menace of kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, communal clashes, etc. We need communal conflict resolution through the establishment of conflict resolution commission to help prevent, mitigate, arbitrate and resolve all civil conflict within the polity. And let me say this, proactiveness is also required. I recall as the Secretary to the State Government here in Delta State under Governor James Ibori, I was also the Secretary of the State Security Council and we were meeting regularly, I think, by-weekly and addressing most of these communal issues before they spiral out of control. In other words, this kind of conflict between Okoloba and Okuama, for instance, are issues that could have been resolved by the State Security Council. And I understand that this issue was actually in the red burner because the community had written to the State Governor notifying of these challenges. If the mechanism of the State Security Council had been utilised as it ought to have been, the security challenge could have been nipped in the bud and today, we will not be talking of 17 military officers and soldiers killed and innocent children, women and men being chased away from their community or the traditional ruler being detained by the military.
You were one of the critics of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s penchant for borrowing. What is your view on Oborevwori borrowing more money?
Well, my position on this is very clear. To start with, there is nothing wrong with borrowing as a concept provided these borrowings are tied to targeted projects especially infrastructure. We don’t have problems with that. But what we are against is indiscriminate borrowings that are not in any way tied to development of the State. And so much of that happened during the Okowa regime and we are also continuing to see the same trend. What we hear every day is more borrowing, more borrowing. And you begin to ask yourself ‘Look at States like Abia’. If you hear today that the Governor of that State had gone to borrow money to assist Geometric, for instance, you clap for them. As we speak, right now, I understand that at least nine Local Governments in Abia are enjoying uninterrupted power supply. So, in that, there is justification for borrowing. And so many companies are coming from outside to invest in that State. That is going to create a lot of job opportunities for people and expand the economy of the State. And before you know it, the socioeconomic life starts getting better. We expect same scenario here. That is why we keep saying that things should be done the right way here in Delta. For us to effectively address the economic challenges here in Delta State, we need to address the issue of power supply frontally because with power here, companies will now begin to rationalize why should they stay where they are when, with power here, the cost of doing business here will be less compared to what they are going through outside paying so much for diesel and others. Also on the issue of security, once we get the power supply right, companies will be coming down here and guard security firms too will be coming around to set up their own businesses here and create opportunities for people. Right now, in Delta State, the only industry we have is Government. Everybody is proud to be called S.A. this or P.A. that, to government officials. That is all they do here presently. And that is not what it should be with the huge resources and allocations coming to Delta State on monthly basis.
Nigeria is facing serious economic challenges, how do you think we can get out of the quagmire?
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told us that he knows what to do. When he said that before he became President, people thought he was bluffing. But some of us were confident because of his track record as former Governor of Lagos State. And by May 29, he would have been in power for one year. The bulk of the challenges are being addressed. For instance, look at the issue of the foreign exchange and the bastardisation of the naira. Everybody thought that it had spiralled out of control and that there was no way it could be controlled. In fact, there was a serious threat when the thing was almost selling at N2,000 to a dollar. But today now, it has been reduced to basically a thousand naira to a dollar. If they continue at this rate, before you know it, we might even do better than it was before they came on board which is about N750 to a dollar.
From Day One, before the President took office, we were very comfortable and certain of the economic team. While we did not know those who occupy other offices, everybody knew from Day One, even before the President was elected, that Cardoso was going to be CBN Governor and that Edun would be the Finance Minister. And for those who followed the activities of Cardoso, when Tinubu was Governor of Lagos State, he was one guy that could tell Governor Tinubu at that time that ‘this is A’ and the Governor would not argue with him because he had so much confidence in him, and also in Edun. Do we call it the Lagos formula? And it is working. I believe that in no time, everything will fall into place.
Of course, we still have challenges with power, but I am sure that will also be addressed. Look at the major infrastructure that he has embarked upon here, especially in the South South. This coastal road project is very dear to our hearts. It was originally conceptualized during the time of President Goodluck Jonathan but nothing was done about it. But now, we have a President from the South West who has decided that this road is very very crucial for economic well-being and expansion of Nigerian economy. And he has embarked on it, not intimidated in any way by the cost. Some others, right now, are questioning whether N4 billion should be used per kilometre but what they failed to underatand is that this road construction is novel, we are not using asphalt, we are using cement. It is moulded for low or zero maintenance as it will be there in perpetuity unlike asphalt that washes off after some years.
So, the President is doing a great job and Nigerians are going to applaud him soonest.
So far, so good, as President Tinubu’s administration clocks one year in office by May 29, what will be your message to the people, especially against the backdrop of the economic challenges confronting average Nigerians?
My message to Nigerians is that they should continue to pray for the President. They should continue to support the President. He means well for our people. We knew from the outset that it was going to get worse before it gets any better. But we are confident that the President has a management team in place that turns things around. And Nigerians only need to be more patient with the President and in no time, Nigerians will celebrate this administration.
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