*Picks Woman Bishop As Running Mate
By Eseoghene Emuke
The governorship candidate of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in Delta State, Chief Immanuel Edijala, has reeled out his plans to turn the state to an economic hub if elected as governor in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Edijala, who has been seeking to be Delta governor since 2003, said his economic plans for the state, would among other things, deliberate and well designed plans to create and revive ailing seaports across the state to provide job opportunities for Deltans.
He also stated that on assumption as Delta governor he will increase the state current minimum wage to N50,000 for civil servants as part of his economic blueprint to strengthened the naira.
The PRP governorship candidate stated during a press conference held in Effurun where he unveiled Bishop Glory Ndidi Umerah as his deputy governorship running mate for next year governorship election.
Edijala said the choice of Bishop Umerah, who hails from Ibusa, Oshimili North LGA and cleric with the Living Word Faith Fellowship Centre, Kubwa, Abuja, was part of his team’s desire of picking persons with zeal to serve the people of the state.
According to him, Delta is one of the most blessed territory in Nigeria which can survive even without federal oil allocation if the people of the state vote visionary leader as their governor.
While praising himself as the most qualified and prepared governorship candidate to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2023, Edijala promised to sustain the relative peace in the state and run an inclusive government if elected.
The governorship candidate as part of his plans to open the state economy, he plans to build a new seaport at Ogidigben in Warri South West LGA of the state which will serve the Warri port.
Edijala said, “I have spoken extensively about my POWER Agenda which will unlock the potentials of our State. It is awful to note that after nearly 24 years of PDP rule in Delta State, a vast majority of our people are still wallowing in abject poverty.
“Regrettably, those we have entrusted with our votes have betrayed the TRUST of Stewardship and are now blaming the masses for their woes. Going by the fast pace of global development, it is pertinent to say that the people of Delta State do not deserve to wait a day longer to reclaim their destinies from the venomous grip of the PDP.
“To transform the lot of our people, I have come out with an all-inclusive plan of action which I tag the POWER AGENDA, where ‘P’ stands for Productivity berthed on continuous Investments in the Power, Oil and Gas sectors to catalyse speedy Industrial takeoff and Electricity for all our households. ‘O’ stands for Order, Security, efficient Justice Delivery, Equitable Allocation of Government Resources using modern management tools and Data to tackle Environmental and Health emergencies. ‘W’ stands for Wealth creation without Gender Bias having a mix of 70:30 in favour of the youth to drive our 24/7 productive economy.
“A reward system for excellence shall be established. ‘E’ stands for qualitative Education which shall receive a budgetary allocation of a minimum of 30% to produce the workforce for the Delta Digital Economy that will make us emerge as the “digital factory” for the Nigeria DIGITAL FOUNDATION and providing 21st-century technology and telecom infrastructure and services to Africa and the world.
“And lastly ‘R’ will focus on Reengineering of our Roads, Rail, Ports and other world class infrastructures that will rival developed countries, and we shall pursue affordable Housing, Urban Renewal and Rural Penetration to create clean and blue cities for our people. This will be climaxed by a design of a 50 years “Marshall Plan of Action” for future Generations to develop on.”
Speaking further on his economic plans for the state, the PRP governorship candidate said, “To address the problem of our all-time weakened Naira, we shall set the public sector minimum wage at N50k as bench mark even for the private sector in Delta State who shall be encouraged to utilise the 24/7 three shift working environment under our POWER Agenda.
“We will drive away darkness and ensure electric power is made available for our domestic and industrial users. Our Gas resource alone is enough to unlock all other potentials in our State. Our GDP which has stood at $16b for over 10 years, shall be grown to over $100b in 4 years of my being on the Driver’s seat.
“I have the competency, unrivalled push and connections to develop our vast maritime resources which will result in creating two more sea ports for Oil & Gas and Dry Cargoes at Escravous and Forcados respectively to enable us attract goods and maritime services to the other ports of Warri, Sapele, Koko, Oghara.
“We shall invest in Road and Rail Infrastructures that will make Delta State the connecting hub of Nigeria from Escravous to Oleri and Itakpe / North and another corridor from Ogulagha to Asaba and Onitsha / East. We shall develop a Delta Digital Economy of $50b in the next 5 years which will engage our youth, and drastically improve ease of operations and reduce operating costs for digital businesses.
“We shall unlock the flow of domestic capital into digital businesses, facilitate a booming open-API ecosystem that will support Delta digital innovators through government procurement of innovations from the sector. We shall develop brand new technology platforms and new digital Ecosystems.
“We shall also open up the financial space for our MSMEs, and make agriculture as the catalyst that will provide the input for our large scale standardized industrialization whose goods and services will compete favourably with developed countries in the world market space.”
He appealed to Deltans to vote him as the next governor of the state, promising to develop and establish new industries across the state.
