Patrick Okohue
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) represent the most viable avenue to realise the collective aspirations of Urhobo people, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said.
Omo-Agege stated this while addressing the 2019 annual convention of the Urhobo Progress Union America (UPUA), in Philadelphia, U.S.A.
He emphasised the significance of its theme: “Accelerating the Socio-Economic Development of Urhoboland through Investments in Education,” stressing that now is the time for all Urhobos to consolidate and move forward while a progressive party is in power.
The Deputy Senate President was represented at the event by the member representing Ughelli North/South and Udu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. (Rev.) Francis Ejiroghene Waive.
He recalled that Urhobos’ alliance with national ruling parties such as the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and now, the APC, has significantly advanced their collective interests and brought political influence as well as national projects to Urhobo land.
His words: “Guided by the urgent need to change the course of the ship of the Urhobo nation and raise the political profile of Urhobo, we knew we had to build new relationships so, we went to work, caucusing with the APC in the Senate and building new alliances and eventually joining the party from the Labour Party.
“Since then, we made tremendous progress and today your brother, my very self, is now the fifth highest political office holder in Nigeria; as Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the power of Urhobo voice in national politics will be louder, clearer and stronger and so too will be Urhobo influence.
“Whilst I am humbled by my June 11, 2019 historic election to this high office of state, I am very proud and fulfilled that we were able to forge great alliances with which we successfully engineered this great victory at the apex of our complex national politics to put the Urhobo nation in its place of preeminence, pride and duty in national affairs.
“Many thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari who has shown fairness to us; without his support it would have been impossible for me to win the leadership contest.
“Mr. President has also appointed Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, the minister of state, Niger Delta Ministry and Olorogun Bernard Okumagba, the new managing director of the Niger-Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) while many more Urhobo sons and daughters are expected to be appointed in due course.”
Reeling out statistics of the benefits of the political alliance to the Urhobo nation and the South-South as a geo-political zone, Omo-Agege said: “Aladja is now linked to the national rail network after 34 years that the project was abandoned; retirees of Delta Steel Company are now being paid their entitlements after several years of neglect.
“It is my hope that with more strategic thinking, focus and actions, the Urhobo nation will never make the costly mistake of shying away from its rightful place in our nation again, but having attained this new level in national politics, how are we going to consolidate on what we have achieved for the good of our people?
“History shows that when we stand together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome in our determined effort to improve the lives of the people so, at this time, Urhobo must unite and show resolve, if we are to consolidate on the progress we have made,” he said.
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