Omo-Agege meets Buhari, speaks on chances in Delta gov poll

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Ovie Omo-Agege, on Thursday dismissed the notion of the strong grip of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

He told journalists after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja that “Delta is very ripe for the taking” adding that it is a misconception to tag the state PDP.

“It is a very misunderstanding to tag Delta State, a PDP state. Delta is very ripe for the taking.

“We are determined to achieve this; we have gone around every local government, ward by ward, making a case; drawing the attention of the people of the country to the mismanagement and underperformance on the part of not only Okowa but the PDP led administration for the last 14 years.

“The message for people is resonating; we have been able to make it small for them that Delta State is supposed to be a very, very rich country.

“And it is a very rich country because of the contribution that (the APC government) has made, not only to the economy of this country, but also to the economy of the country.

“This is because of receipts obtained from federal allocations, including the derivation of 13 percent and other resources that come to the country with Internally Generated Revenue,” he said.

The governorship aspirant said that the APC considers that since the Okowa administration assumed office, Delta State has received about N4.2 trillion as part of the federal allocation.

“And this came, as I said, with federal allocation. It came by way of derivation of 13 percent, and also about N400 billion that the state borrowed.”

He, however, stated that the incumbent governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has nothing to show for the N4.2 trillion that the state received in the last seven and a half years.

The senate vice president said he was at the Villa to talk to the president about national issues.

According to Mr. Omo-Agege, the Okowa administration has not settled the gratuity and pension of workers for nine years and has not started paying the minimum wage of N30,000 despite the financial status of the state.

He said that despite being a medical doctor, the health sector in Delta has taken a nosedive under the Okowa administration.

Mr. Omo-Agege also accused the Delta governor of betraying his partners in the South by accepting to be the PDP Presidential running mate despite the agreement that the presidency should move to the South, after eight years of President Buhari’s tenure. northerners.

He said: “This is the position of Deltans and especially, all southern Nigerians, because of the fact that we have supported Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, for the last eight years, it is only fair, just and fair that the next president should come from southern Nigeria.

---

Also read: 2023 polls offer unique opportunity for Deltans to achieve prosperity – APC Campaign spokesperson

---

“And you may be interested to know that Okowa who is the Chairman of the Governors Forum in the South South is one of those who spearheaded this allegation, and met in Asaba, where the case is pending.

“So to the dismay and dismay of many at home, Okowa betrayed the cause by selling our right to be president, and even vice president when the whole country offered us the presidency.

“So our people did not consider this treason and decided to punish Okowa.”

Mr. Omo-Agege, who insisted that his chances of winning the governorship election are bright, assured that he would overcome the challenges of unemployment, insecurity and infrastructural decay in the state on his assumption of office.

He also said that he will make the business environment attractive for investors to return to the country so as to create jobs for the people.

(AT)