On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Deltans will join their counterparts in other participating states to elect their choice of leaders in gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly elections. Several political parties have presented candidates for Delta’s top seat. However, the line-up of governorship candidates in the state’s election leaves no one in doubt as to who the cap truly fits. From the dossiers, character audits, credentials and antecedents of all the candidates, it is clear that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, CFR, stands head and shoulders above the other contenders.

The Subject Matter: Why Deltans Will Vote Massively for Omo-Agege…

For preparedness, Omo-Agege unveiled a 60-page manifesto dubbed the EDGE – E for Employment and Empowerment, D for Development (Economic, Infrastructural and Industrial), G for Good Governance, and E for Enduring Peace and Security. In his laudable and painstaking plan to positively transform the commercial ecosystem of Delta State and create an investment-friendly charter that makes access to funds and infrastructure a natural way of life, he proved his connection, and indeed excellent understanding of the intersection between emerging global realities and capacity to domesticate such designated best practices for the overall growth and development of Delta State. He also demonstrated his deep knowledge and firm grasp of the issues in state he aspires to govern and indeed lead by placing human capital development, agricultural revolution, food Security, infrastructure, housing, tourism, security/peace building and related labour-intensive interventions at the core of his agenda.

A leader of a multi-cultural and dynamic state as Delta must recognise the need for inclusive development. To that end, DSP Ovie Omo-Agege has pledged to facilitate the establishment of one cluster industry in each of the 25 local government areas in the state as governor, through his well-articulated Delta State Employment, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (DEEP).This strategy provides renewed hope for Deltans to benefit from developmental programmes right at the local government and ward levels.

Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, the Delta state APC gubernatorial candidate in his broad vision for a truly revamped Delta State has equally articulated plans to create an enabling environment for industries and manufacturing; establish tech hubs, set up small businesses, offer funds guarantee schemes, promote skills acquisition and enable the institution of a Career Development Centre for Deltans (CDC). Indeed, his manifesto forges a clear path to Delta’s renaissance. Remarkably, it holds vast promises for many including the youth and women demographics, who are ever willing to unleash their talents and potentials for the overall development of Delta State.

At the heart of the Issues . . .

But beyond its articulation, the broader hope of the good people of our beloved Delta State lies in the fact that Omo-Agege’s APC’s manifesto will be superintended by a man of stellar vision, courage, excellent education, unshakable determination and integrity, whose tireless commitment and devotion to service and unbridled positive transformation of the lives of all Deltans is needed at a time when our dear state is in dire straits.

As many public commentators and public spirited Deltans have rightly asserted since 2015, the overall development of the “Big Heart” has been relatively hamstrung, showing very abysmal, poor outlooks especially in terms of economic dynamics. Not a few people think this is a misnomer for a frontline oil producing state embedded with rich human capital. Yet, the near absence of strategic thinking in Asaba over the last eight years has exacerbated the state’s uncomplimentary socio-economic status.

Delta State, under the current and outgoing Peoples Democratic (PDP) administration, is on its knees. The state is on a clear economic, financial and developmental backslide. Sadly, Delta State became one of the least performing states on many indices. Its capital city, Asaba, showed no marked development and its commercial hub of Warri reversed to a parlous state.

The people of the state endorsed their recognition of the leadership void in government house, Asaba, through the vote of no confidence passed on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state during last week’s elections. Leadership of a state government is a serious business and the people of Delta deserve the very best of it, as represented by Senator Ovie OMO-Agege. DSP Ovie OMO-Agege is a man who would drive a realistic developmental agenda with credibility and capacity. In him, we have a leader who can offset the many upsets of the last 8 years; a person who understands and envisions the concepts of planning, policy design, innovation, socio-economic development, technology and human resources. As he has done with the office of the Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he will assemble the right team with the skill-set needed for contemporary governance and improve the socio-economic lives of all Deltans drawn from all the three Senatorial zones, namely Central, North and South.(In alphabetical order). Omo-Agege understands the pains of Deltans. And he has the capacity to unlock the door that has sadly inflicted so much harm on Deltans in the last eight years of PDP’s years of the locust!

Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege holds the mantle for a positive transformation and upscale development of Delta State and is most deserving of the mandate to lead the state at this crucial time. He deserves your vote! Accordingly, I endorse DSP Omo-Agege for the office of Governor of Delta State. He is the best for this job at this very critical time to lead our dear State from its current economic straits occasioned by leadership void, undisputed reports of a hanging debt profile of N850bn – monies borrowed by the outgoing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s PDP-led government!

Omo-Agege has the right networks, to tap open the right doors across various jurisdictions including Abuja in order to lift the state from its current parlous state! Because we all deserve a Delta State we can all truly be proud of! Thank you very much for your kind attention! Go out and vote for Ovie OMO-AGEGE on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

•His Excellency, Ambassador Oma Djebah, is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nigeria to Thailand and two-time Delta State Honorable Commissioner for Information. He is also a well-known international journalist by profession and an author of the compelling book, “Niger Delta Crisis: Media and Peace Building Options!”

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