Omo-Agege to Okowa: Clear yourself of financial allegations

• Unpaid Delta State pensioners storm APC governorship candidate’s rally to demand justice

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, has challenged the governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, to clear himself of widespread allegations that he may have diverted N25 billion from the over N4.2 trillion that accrued to the state in the past seven and a half years to float a bank.

Omo-Agege threw the challenge while addressing a crowd of party supporters at the APC campaign rally in Isoko land, on Friday, January 6.

He also made a clarification on the issue of loans obtained by the Okowa administration, saying, if elected governor, he would honour legitimate commitments made by the administration but would not be obligated to repay loans obtained in the twilight of the current state government.

“While we are not happy that the state has over borrowed, we will be obliged to honour and service any loan taken by the Okowa government before now and which followed due process,” said Omo-Agege. “But any further loan, including the said N40 billion loan being sought by Governor Okowa four months to the end of his government, is not acceptable, and any bank that gives such loan does so at its own risk.”

Speaking in Ozoro, Isoko North LGA, Omo-Agege described as laughable, the mantra of the PDP hoping to rescue Nigeria, whereas it’s vice presidential candidate and governor of Delta State, Okowa, failed to rescue the oil-rich state.

“After they destroyed Delta State, carried away our money, and after members of the House of Assembly and their Speaker could not look Okowa in the face and ask questions, they are coming to say they want to rescue Nigeria,” said Okowa.

He assured families of the five members of the APC who lost their lives in a recent boat accident that their sacrifices will not be in vain.

Earlier on, the state party chairman, Omeni Sobotie, after observing the level of poor infrastructure development across Isokoland, said: “Okowa is a very wicked man and such people should never be allowed to be vice president.”

He handed the party flags to Joel Onowakpo-Thomas, Dr Sylvester Onoyona and Dr Michael Enaharo for Senate, Isoko Federal House of Reps and Isoko North House of Assembly seats respectively.

Speaking, Onowakpo-Thomas said Isoko people are tired of the PDP and need to change the narrative, adding that the APC is positioned to win the 2023 elections, even as he urged the people to vote all candidates of the APC.

On his part, Dr Onoyona lamented that for the past 24 years, PDP couldn’t complete the Ughelli-Asaba Road running through Isokoland and therefore called on the Isoko people to reject the PDP at the polls.

Former PDP chieftains including Karo Ilolo, Faith Majemite, and Eunice Okoh, who earlier dumped the party, were present at the Isoko rallies. Majemite personally described the PDP as “a useless party, a party of obituary, where they starve people to death, set up committees to bury them, and steal the committee money.”

Ozoro-born APC chieftain, Omoviro William, aka Kingibe, described Governor Okowa as a man God blessed but who decided to leave the way of God, “so we are not ready to vote for him and his PDP.”

Meanwhile, in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South LGA, pensioners who have remained unpaid by the Okowa administration, stormed the APC rally to demand justice.

Led by Patience Akpobome, they demanded that Okowa must pay them their just entitlements, having devoted their lives to the service of the state.

Mrs Akpobome specifically pointed out that she retired since 2015, but has not been paid. “Okowa is a very wicked man and APC must make sure he goes to jail,” she told the crowd.

Speaking earlier, Isoko South House of Assembly candidate, Ese Blessing Oghogho, and other Isoko leaders, urged the people to canvass and mobilize votes for the APC.