By Joe Favour
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta state, Sen Ovie Omo-Agege has revealed that his mission to govern the state is to revive, rebuild, liberate and band together a prosperous state.
He made this known at world press conference held at Asaba while unveiling his BAND, EDGE and DEEP agenda.
According to the Deputy Senate President, “Today, I am formally presenting myself to you as the governorship candidate of the APC and also the bearer of the hopes and aspirations of all Deltans.
“Our plan is to band together to build a vibrant, equitable and prosperous Delta State, based on core moral values of service, hard work and shared sacrifice, where everyone has the opportunity to achieve his or her full potential.
“My aspiration is beyond the ordinary quest for power, rather, it is a movement to liberate, rebuild and reinvigorate our dear State, which ought to be the leading light of the Niger Delta region, and indeed, Nigeria.
“Our dear state has been left behind on key development indices despite the huge sums of money that flow into the State from the Federation Account and 13 percent derivation along with internally generated revenue by way of the various taxes and rates that our hard-working people pay.
“By the records of the Debt Management Office, Delta State also has the second-highest debt portfolio in the country. This is certainly unacceptable.
We are in a movement to restore and revive a state that had been mis-governed and rapaciously pillaged by those whom we had entrusted with leadership.
“I have worked with one of the best team of experts to come up with realistic policies and plans, which when implemented will get Delta State going in the right direction again.
“I believe in setting goals and coming up with realistic plans and policies to achieve those goals anchored on the EDGE to Build a New Delta (BAND). EDGE covers critical areas of governance that would drive our agenda when elected governor in 2023.
“Our EDGE Agenda which breaks down as: E for Employment and Empowerment; D for Development (Economic, Infrastructural and Industrial); G for Good Governance, and E for Enduring Peace and Security.
“The EDGE agenda sums up our people’s hopes and aspirations for economic stability, sustainable employment, security, access to modern public infrastructure, solid institutions, and a clean environment.
“With EDGE, we bring credibility, efficiency and trust back to governance. It is the ultimate paradigm shift to reform our public service, cut the cost of governance, eliminate waste, and deny corruption and other crimes comfort and safety in our governance architecture.
“We shall establish a Delta State Employment, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (DEEP), and facilitate the establishment of cluster industries in each of the twenty-five Local Government Areas of our state.
“We will deliberately create an enabling environment for industries and manufacturing; establish tech hubs, set up small business loan guarantee schemes, promote skills acquisition and set up a Career Development Centre for Deltans.
“We will guarantee the rights of women and invest their unique energy to drive social and economic development in the state. We will initiate a youth development program that moves them away from the hopelessness of today, connect them to creative endeavours.
“We are not in this journey for ourselves but to assist in charting a new direction for our dear state and its people. This is a call to service and we solemnly pledge to run an open and inclusive government that consults and puts the people first all the time”.
