Deputy Senate President and Governorship candidate of Delta State’s All Progressives Congress , APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has raised serious questions over the sale of the Delta Steel Complex, DSC, which was set up with the sum of $1.5 billion but was inexplicably sold off for a paltry $30m under the privatisation programme supervised by then Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, now presidential flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDPin next month’s election.
It would be recalled the steel complex, commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1980, was one of the largest steel plants in Africa, and a legacy project of the Shagari Administration.
But when the ward-to-ward campaign train of Senator Omo-Agege hit Orhuwhorun, Enerhen and Ugboroke respectively on Thursday, January 12, 2023, Omo-Agege couldn’t hold back his anger. He fumed at sale of the Delta Steel Complex, especially at the successor company which he said did not seem ready for business.
He described situation at DSC as “unacceptable, because it has destroyed the economic livelihood of the area, and rendered the people even poorer.”
The APC governorship candidate promised to revisit the issue when he becomes governor.
Senator Omo-Agege also criticized Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who is Atiku’s running mate, for selling out Delta State and the south, just as Atiku betrayed Delta with the sale of DSC.
“We need companies to come here and create jobs for our youths and I will revisit the DSC issue when I become governor. The era of PDP is gone, the era of Okowa and Sheriff is past.
“Now we need a new government; a government that has concern for the interest of the people. I commit to you that I will construct a bridge from Enerhen waterside to Opete. I also commit that when I become governor, I will construct a flyover at Enerhen Junction to decongest the traffic there.”
Former high profile members of PDP among who are billionaire businessmen, Chief Morrison Olori; former Education Commissioner, Mrs Veronica Ogbuagu; and Engr John Uviejitobor also decamped to the APC.
