Ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election, traditional rulers in Urhoboland in Delta State have offered royal blessings to the Deputy Senate President and Delta APC Governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and his running mate, Rt. Hon. Friday Osanebi, in their quest for the governorship of the state.
The Urhobo monarchs under the aegis of Urhobo Traditional Rulers Council at a meeting with Omo-Agege on Friday applauded Senator Omo-Agege for attracting developments to almost all the communities in the eight local government areas of Delta Central Senatorial District.
All the kings from the 24 kingdoms that make up Urhoboland attended the event which held at the palace of the Ohworode of Olomu Kingdom and Chairman, Urhobo Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty, Ovie Richard Ogbon Ogoni-Oghoro 1.
The royal father who is reputed to be Africa’s oldest traditional ruler, lauded the sterling performance of Senator Omo-Agege and for restoring the voice of the Urhobo Nation at the national level.
“Senator Omo-Agege is a listening person. This is the second time he has come here to give report of his stewardship. This time he has covered the whole of Urhobo nation. Seeing is believing. Every part of the Urhobo Nation has been touched. We are glad. We know when you come to the pinnacle of administration in the state, all things will be better,” the centenarian said.
Highpoints of the meeting were the blessings and prayers offered to Senator Omo-Agege and his running mate, Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi by the royal fathers.
Speaking, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom and Chairman, Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Felix Mujakperuo, Orhue 1, commended the federal legislator for touching all nooks and crannies of Delta Central.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell a little bit of my interaction with His Excellency. The Amukpe-Agbor Road was so bad that they were raping women and kidnapping people there. Before he came on board, I protested and wrote a letter to the Federal Government about that road during the Jonathan administration.
“During this administration, they relaunched the project and instead of starting it from Amukpe, they wanted to start it from Agbor. I protested and wrote to him and the Minister. Senator Omo-Agege called the Minister and the road was started from Amukpe.
“Senator Omo-Agege does a lot of things for us. The Osubi Airport was closed. We wrote to the Federal Ministry of Aviation and copied him (Omo-Agege) that this is our battle for Urhoboland. He moved round, met the Minister of Aviation, Minister of Petroleum Resources and that is how the airport today had been given to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
“And recently, the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was going to close the airport, saying the airport was owing them. I phoned him and he said I shouldn’t worry. Overnight, that order was cancelled. That is why the airport is still existing today,” he said.
Giving his account of stewardship, Omo-Agege reeled out a catalogue projects he had attracted to all eight local government areas of the senatorial district.
“In the run up to the 2019 election, I came before this august body for prayers that will take me to Abuja as a senator. The prayers were offered and they worked. Not only did I emerge as the first reelected senator from Delta Central Senatorial District, I also emerged as the Deputy President of the Senate. There’s not a chance in the world that I will skip an opportunity to ask for these prayers again.
“At the time I asked for those prayers, I rendered an account of my stewardship of what I had done on behalf of the Urhobo people in the Senate. And I remember when I rendered account, some of my fathers pointed out that ‘All these things you are reeling out, I didn’t see anything in my Kingdom’. But I am sure I placed projects everywhere in this my second term,” he said.
The Delta Central lawmaker promised to build a new Delta State anchored on Employment and Empowerment, Development, Good Governance and Enduring Peace and Security (EDGE).
While assuring that he would turn the fortunes of Delta around, and make the state a giant construction site, he expressed regret that what the state collects from FAAC Allocation and 13 percent derivation are not commensurate with the physical development on ground.
He said: “Borno, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano States and others that are not oil-producing states, hence do not receive 13 percent Derivation, have become construction sites. All our communities today are in a state of decay. I have chosen not to indict anybody but I can and will do better”.
Other Urhobo maonarchs at the event included the Ovie of Agbarha Otor Kingdom, HRM Richard Oghenevwogaga, Ebelle JP. Okorefe 1; Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, His Majesty, Wilson Ojakovo Oghoghovwe Oharisi III; Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, Ogurime-rime Ukori I, Michael Omeru; Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, HRM Noble Eshimetan, Orefe III; Okobaro of Ughievwen Kingdom, HRM Matthew Ediri Egbin, Owahwa 11, among others.
In Omo-Agege’s entourage were his running mate, Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi; the state APC Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie; Chairman of the party in Delta Central Senatorial District, Chief Paulinus Akpeki; APC Senatorial Candidate for Delta Central, Chief Edeh Dafinone among others.
