By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
THE Urhobo apex socio-cultural umbrella body, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, has commended the Deputy President of the Senate Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege for attracting projects across the nooks and crannies of Delta Central Senatorial District.
UPU leadership, while lauding Omo-Agege for being the shining light of the Urhobo nation, noted that he is eminently qualified to lead the state in 2023.
Stonix News reports that Omo-Agege is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 governorship elections in the state.
President-General of UPU, Olorogun Moses Taiga gave the commendation on Tuesday when Omo-Agege paid a consultation visit to the National Executive of the UPU at his country-home in Okpare-Olomu.
He urged the senator to go round and sell his manifesto to Deltans.
UPU also praised Omo-Agege for helping to strengthen a cordial relationship between the Urhobo nation and her neigbours in Delta State, the South South, and across the country.
“I wish to commend Senator Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, CFR, on your enviable services to the Urhobo nation, and Nigeria as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I must commend you for your great work and achievements in your over seven years in the Senate. You have distinguished yourself as a worthy Urhobo Son.
“We thank you for the success in attracting the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun, the Nigeria Law School, and other projects to our dear Urhobo Nation. Posterity will accord you your rightful place in the history of our dear Nation.
“We admire your eloquence and boldness in presenting issues and Bills at the National Assembly.
“We are proud of your role in the past Constitutional Review exercise, and impressed with your efforts in the Nigerian Electoral Act of 2022, which has brought renewed hope to the country’s Electoral Process.
“The UPU wishes to particularly thank you for powering the Urhobo ation with solar-powered streetlights, installing new transformers, and replacing obsolete ones across Urhoboland,” Chief Taiga enthused.
He, however, pleaded with Omo-Agege to assist UPU with a electric transformer, generating plant, and solar-powered streetlights at the Urhobo House at Uvwiamuge, and the Urhobo Cultural Centre, 18 Okere Road, Warri.
Earlier, Omo-Agege had accused the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration of amassing loans every day and squandering over #2.8 trillion in seven and half years of his administration.
“The Okowa-led administration is amassing loans every day. When Governor Uduaghan left office, he left N80 billion in debt obligation and people were shouting that he almost destroyed the state.
“Today, it’s about N400 billion. And these loans are used for something you cannot see, nobody will quarrel with that.
“It is not a crime to take loans. America is indebted. It is one of the biggest indebted nations in the world.
“Some people have also alluded that ‘You are the Deputy Senate President, Buhari has been taking loans.
“Yes, I can tell you what those loans are being used for. Those loans are tied to projects. They are tied to the completion of rail projects, Lagos-Ibadan Express Road, Abuja-Kaduna Road, Second Niger Bridge and so on.
“Which projects here are these loans tied to? The only project we now know that the loans are tied to is the execution of the 2023 presidential election,” he conjectured.
According to him, “after eight years, the President comes to the North, the VP goes to the South. After another eight years, the President comes to the South, the VP goes to the North. It is established. Though not written in the Constitution it has become a convention like we have power rotation here among the three senatorial zones.
“Now, after Buhari’s eight years as President, some of us went to him to know his thoughts about where the Presidency would come from.
“And the President made it very clear that after his eight years, the next President must come from the South.
“It didn’t end there. All the Northern governors of APC extraction (16 out of 19 Governors) all agreed that it is the turn of the South.
“Before this decision was taken, our governors in Southern Nigeria convened in Asaba.
“These are governors of different political parties. Okowa was the host, he gave them food, and drinks, and they signed an agreement.
“He read the communique. As he was doing so, he didn’t even allow the ink to dry before he betrayed them,” he derided.
Other members of the UPU present to receive Omo-Agege included: Chief (Capt.) Anthony Onoharigho, 1st Dep PG; Chief (Sir) Francis Ifie, 2nd Dep PG; , Chief Kenneth Iwhewhe, National Secretary; Chief Osiobe Okotie, ex-1st Deputy PG; Chief Isaacs Itebu, National Legal Adviser; Chief Abel Opuidi, National Treasurer; Hon. Abel Oshevire, National Publicity Secretary; Chief Mrs Meg Atano, Asst National Pub Secretary.
Others were Chief (Dame) Christy Siakpere, President, Ewheya R:Urhobo (UPU Women Wing), Chief Mrs Grace Akpodiete, Asst. National Fin. Sec.; Chief (Mrs.) Beatrice Olori, 2nd Deputy President, Ewheya (UPU Women Wing); Chief (Mrs. ) Elizabeth Odjugo, 3rd Deputy President, Ewheya Urhobo (UPU Women Wing); Chief Wilson Ovuoyarevbie, Member, Council of Reps, UPU; Chief Barack Uzor, Member, Council of Reps, UPU; Ms Excellence Miller, Member, Council of Reps, UPU, and others.
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