Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Saturday applauded the House Minority Leader for initiating people-oriented bills and motions, employment of 150 Personal Assistants for youth and women affairs as well as facilitation of projects/employments at various federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), commended his resolve towards lifting thousands of Delta citizens out of poverty with the view to make them self-reliant.
The disclosed that the recent call by the Southern Governors’ Forum to convene National Dialogue and restructuring was aimed at strengthening the unity of Nigeria.
Governor Okowa disclosed this while delivering his keynote address at the distribution of multi-billion naira Empowerment Programme items including a total number of 111 electricity generating sets, 90 deep freezers, 148 motor cycles and 107 tricycles to 350 beneficiaries by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.
While expressing grave concern over the reaction to something about of a National Assembly member to the Southern Governors’ resolutions on restructuring, open grazing and other sundry issues, Governor Okowa argued that the proposed National Dialogue will provide platform for all stakeholders to harmonise their positions on what is best for the country.
“Unfortunately I read in the papers that somebody said we ought not to talk about certain things being elected people. If the voice of our people have been heard loudly and have continued to talk and you as elected person shy away, you can’t give further voice to their voices, then you ought not to be in the position that you occupy.
“So I thank our people in the House of Representatives who have responded to the speech made by their Colleague in the National Assembly. As I did say, all the things that were discussed nothing is against the unity of this country, we affirmed that as a people, as elected Governors we believe in the unity of our country but we also went further to advance the need for certain things to be done in order to give strength to that unity. That cannot be a reason for us to be vilified, obviously not.
“We talked about restructuring which has been on the table for so long, both PDP and APC itself have endorsed restructuring and restructuring is all inclusive, all encompassing. We may have different views, different approaches to restructuring but when we sit down on a table in dialogue, we will be able to agree best for what is good for Nigeria and what is good for the component parts of Nigeria.
“The conversations are obviously needed because if we do not talk and we allow the voices of our people to continue to speak and the leadership shies away, then we are giving room for further crises.
“So I thought that it was time for other persons, other leaders across the country to thank the Southern Governors for uniting to give a voice to the conversations because it is only when these conversations coming at that level and it is driven in the interest of the larger majority of the people that we can have a truly united nation in which there’s fairness, in which there’s equity and in which there’s trust amongst our people and its leadership,” Governor Okowa stressed.
On the open grazing, he hinted that the Southern Governors demonstrated sufficient solidarity to Federal Government’s decision to use national resources for the ranching and federal reserves thereby putting the national interest at the front burner.
“We do know that it’s not going to stop in one day but attempts must be made to take some actions at the national level, those actions that will give hope that we have started a journey to stopping it. Today, the developing world is struggling to catch up with the developed world; things are changing fast and until we are ready to begin to look futuristically, we may not be able to get ourselves out of where we are at the moment.
“There have been several, several grazing reserves that have been abandoned, why were they abandoned? We have heard that the Federal Government even spent part of the national resources to help start new pilot schemes for which those of us in the South do support that some federal reserves be spent to start off some of these ranching or whatever you call it, grazing reserves and put necessary things in order to slow down and eventually put a stop in years to come, to every form of open grazing.
“And I don’t think that is a wrong decision, it is in the best interest of our nation, it is in the best interest of the people. And I do believe in that manner our cattle will grow bigger, much fatter, much better and people will suffer less, apart from the fact that every insecurity associated with the farmer/herders clash will gradually be put to a stop. That cannot be said to be a bad reason.
“I urge that all leaders in the country, all stakeholders must look into the good suggestions by the Southern Governors and it is time for us to embrace it as a people; it is in the best interest of the economy of this nation otherwise we will get to a state where there will be food insecurity in the land and may God forbid that,” Governor Okowa stressed.
In his remarks, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu disclosed that he has over the past two years, influenced people oriented projects that have directly impacted on the well-being of his constituents.
These projects and initiatives include: facilitation of ICT centers in Ogwashi Uku and Akukwu-Igbo; vocational centers in Ubulu-Unor and Asaba; civic centers for Ogwuashi- uku, Ubulu-uku, Obomkpa and Ibusa; Town Halls for Obior, Ubulu-Okiti, Ewulu and Ugbodu; constructions of Bishop Dibie Road in Agbor, drainage in Ogboli Road Ibusa and the construction of the Onicha-Uku-Idumuje-Unor Road, amongst others; Construction of staff quarters are on-going at FMC Asaba Annex and will very soon be commissioned; facilitates and provided 820 stands of solar street lights which were distributed across communities in the Four Local Government Areas within Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency. We have also facilitated the construction of new staff quarters for the DSS in Asaba as well as the renovation of the DSS compound in Issele-Uku and converted the former DSS head office in Asaba to DSS clinic which is now functional.
“Let me also state that provisions have been made in 2021 budget to rehabilitate the police stations across my Federal Constituency and the CP has been duly notified.
“We also facilitated the rehabilitation of the government hospital at Onicha- Olona; facilitated the employment of over 40 persons in different federal ministries, agencies and parastatals and recommended over 200 candidates for employment.
“During the lockdown occasioned by the global COVID-19 pandemic, we provided palliatives comprehensively to our people and also facilitated the CBN sponsored monetary empowerment programme.
“It is also on record that we facilitated the rehabilitation of flood victims in Oko and sponsored a two-day capacity training programme for 200 youths and women in cassava and rice production, after which starter packs were given to them at the end of the training.
“In our determination to help in enthroning a proactive and efficient leadership in the local Government councils across our Federal Constituency, we sponsored a four-day capacity training programme in Abuja, for our newly elected and inaugurated Chairmen and their Vice, alongside the newly elected 80 councilors in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
“The training was geared towards deepening the drive for administrative competence and synergy towards achieving a Stronger Delta in line with your Excellency’s Stronger Delta Agenda,” Hon. Elumelu noted.
According to him, “within a period of less than two years, he was able to facilitate a CBN Special loan for 150 persons in the first batch, 196 persons in the second batch making a total of 346 persons through the House Committee on Banking and Currency, who assisted in facilitating this for all members.
“We have also achieved the conditional Cash transfer scheme for 337 persons; the N-power program for 251 persons; a Federal Ministry of Water Resources empowerment programme for 79 persons; 335 beneficiaries for the Household feeding programme as well as 30 persons benefiting from Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty alleviation scheme,” he said.
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