The Senator representing Deltal Central senatorial district in Delta State, Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege, has called for the restructuring of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Omo-Agege, who was sworn in thursday, said the agency, which was set up for intervention purposes, has misplaced its priorities.
The Senator, who is of the Labor Party, maintained that the NDDC must focus on what he called ‘mega projects’
In a chat with Pointblanknews.com shortly after he was admitted into the Red chamber said the NDDC should not be involved in ‘mini projects’ like the provision of boreholes, supply of school desks, tables, pencils, and exercise books, but mega projects that would have far reaching impacts on the surrounding host commmunities.
Omo-Agege gave example of the Ode- Itsekiri bridge saying ” if the agency should do such it would open up the the Itsekiri hinterland, and benefit the Urhobos, the Itsekiris and Isokos, will solve the problem of land disputes”
He said further ” The NDDC must reorganized because it has not lived up to its vision . The agency was supposed to be an interventionist agency, but now you see the agency competing with local councils, state governments, in the provisions of boreholes, school desks, chairs, pencils and exercise books, this should not be the case”
On his priority the Senator said ” the Urhobos , the 5th largest ethnic group in Nigeria have been short changed for a long time. The Urhobos contribute so much to the revunue of Nigeria. The APC is in power now and no Urhobo is in the cabinet. we not being greedy but we just want what is due to us. We have had representatives in the past but they put party interest over the peoples’ interest.”
” The Urhobo people want a negitiator who would protect their interest and that would be best done under my watch, i will give them sense of belonging. we have a myriad of issues in delta, unemployment, bad infrastructure, they feel neglected”
On the Budget, he siad ” im not happy i was not party of the budget debate plenary but i will definitely participate at committee level. there are issues with the budget considering what it was predicated upn, $38 per barrell, today it is less than $30, we just hope the price picks up, because at that the current price implementation could be difficult. I will tag the budget , budget of rescue because the economy was almost ran aground. Elections have consequences, if the economy picks up President Muhammadu buhari gets the credit, it tanks he gets the blame”