Warri ought to be Dubai of Nigeria, Sultan declares

The Islamic spiritual leader, who was special guest of honour at the third coronation anniversary of the Olu of Warri in Delta State, regretted the widespread poverty in the land, which he tied to bad leadership.Warning politicians against the 2019 general elections as a do or die affair, the Sultan noted that Nigerians crave for a prosperous country where things work.

“Warri should be like Dubai because of the amount of oil that comes form this place, but the city has remained underdeveloped due to bad governance,” he asserted.

Abubakar reminded the nation’s leaders that they would one day account to their maker, urging them to better the lives of the citizens.The Sultan submitted that as a traditional ruler, he was apolitical, advising the electorate to vote wisely next year.His host, Ogiame Ikenwoli, said the kingdom was not just upbeat about his three-year stewardship as the 20th monarch on the throne but also the renewed unity among the people and in the country at large.

He enjoined politicians to play responsible politics for the country’s greatness.In his remarks, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa lauded the monarch for his efforts in building bridges of friendship across the entire federation. He stated that his administration had it tough in its first two years in office but things became rosy in the third year on account of more allocations to the state.

The Minister of State for Petroleum resources and representative of the president, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said he had to leave a conference in Vienna, Austria for the event, acknowledging the contribution of Warri to the nation’s development.

According to him, it was this acknowledgement that informed the Federal Government’s numerous projects in the city. He named them to include the dredging of its river and electrification works at Escravos.

The minister averred that his principal was not desperate to retain power, as he is poised to build a Nigeria where peace, progress and transparency reign.The occasion was attended by former Governor Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, top government officials, National Assembly members, state lawmakers, and captains of industry among others.