Omo Agege Lacks Knowledge of Governance - Charles Aniagwu
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, stated on Monday that Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, lacked the necessary skills to manage the state.
Aniagwu stated that given the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government's poor performance at the center, it will be extremely difficult to sell any candidate from that party in the 2023 general elections.
He mentioned this during a press conference in Asaba, adding that he had counseled Omo-Agege to focus his energy on things that would increase his electoral value rather than chasing shadows.
"Not too long ago, I had advised Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Senate and the APC governorship candidate in the state, to try as much as possible to stay with the issues that could help his electioneering campaign and not to start straying in directions that will not in any way advance the course of his interest," he said.
"I used to believe that it was only those who spoke for him who didn't comprehend the concerns.
"I read somewhere that he said we had received over N700 billion in the last seven years and that we couldn't account for it, and I started to wonder what he meant by N700 billion.
"It demonstrates that he has no understanding of how governance works, because the evidence available indicates that we have received more than that."
"I say this because he believes that the cost of running government for a year is N100 billion."
"Our wage expense alone, which is the recurring side of the budget," he explained, "is even significantly more than what he mentioned."
He reminded the Senator from Orogun that Governor Okowa would not be running against him in the 2023 elections, and that he should not make Okowa the focus of his campaign.
"First and foremost, he must be informed that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will not be on the ballot in 2023 alongside him.
"Governor Okowa is not contesting any Delta elections, he is not seeking re-election as governor, and he is not contesting any Delta-only election."
"It's critical that he shifts his focus away from chasing shadows and toward other challenges.
"In the last seven years, as a government, we have been able to reveal, publicly through the press, the many projects and programs that we have undertaken."
"Programs like the several platforms we've employed to empower our youths and a diverse group of Deltans."
"Policies such as those that touch our people's livelihoods, as well as projects that are quite outstanding, such as the New State Secretariat, the improvement and concessioning of the Asaba airport, which has distinguished our airport from the rest of the country's airports."
"We have made substantial progress on the capital side of the budget, with numerous notable achievements in infrastructure development.
"As a government, we have contributed value to Delta residents, whether they dwell in the creeks or the uplands."
"So Omo-claim Agege's that N700 billion is missing begs the question of whether he understands governance issues."
"I figured that as a member of the National Assembly, he should be able to perform some math, because we've never put together a budget that is less than N360 billion."
"We always ensure that salaries are paid on time and that we have achieved significantly on the capital side if we have performed 100 percent in the recurring section of the budget in all of our budgets."
"All of these initiatives have resulted in numerous milestones in road development, school construction, bridge construction, and other infrastructure such as storm water drainage here in Asaba and Warri."
"Be rest assured that when we embark on the electioneering process, we will present what our party, the PDP, has done in Delta State for our people to assess," the Information Commissioner remarked.
In response to certain uneducated analysts' comments about Okowa's burgeoning political prominence, Aniagwu claimed the governor didn't buy it from the market, and that he, Okowa, will bring value to national government with his Delta scorecard.
"The good Lord and the Nigerian people have observed that our Governor has handled his responsibility very creditably well here in Delta, and there are a lot of facts that attest to that in terms of projects, programs, and policies," he added.
The PDP's primary election has come and gone, according to the Information Commissioner, and the delegates spoke out loudly, and those who watched the process can attest to its transparency.
He urged those who ran against the party's candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, to work together with him to keep the party's winning run going in the state.
