Senator Ovie Omo-Agege addressing members of NUT, Delta State wing in Ughelli
* Exonorates APC from policy
* Accuses PDP of complicity
* Assured of solid support by NUT
By Jon Egie
Deputy Senate President and Delta APC Governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has expressed his personal and the All Progressives Congress, APC, deference on the cashless policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government, FG.
Senator Omo-Agege bared his mind and the position of the APC on the issue, Friday, February 17, during a stakeholders meeting with delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Delta State wing in Ughelli.
He apologized to Nigerians, especially the low income earners and traders whose total wares of sales of commodities like tomatoes, fresh pepper, iced fish etc, are not more than N20,000 a day, and who are most hard pressed by the prevailing effect of the cashless policy of the FG, and which is leading to loss and damage of their wares because of lack of cash to buy and sell.
“You know, I support President Muhammadu Buhari in all ramifications but in this policy, I beg to defer. Even though the intent of the policy is good but the implementation has brought untold pains and hardship to the people.
“Despite the fact that it is a FG policy, the APC as a political party has gone to court to challenge the decision of our own FG.
“I want to you all to know where the APC stands on the issue that we are not supportive of the policy that has inflicted pains on our people. On the contrary, it is the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, that has gone to court to oppose our stand on the cashless policy of our own FG because they felt the policy would favour the election of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as successor to President Buhari.”
He said with Buhari completing his second tenure in office, it was only proper, equitable and fair that power should shift to the south of Nigeria and that was why politicians of the southern region of Nigeria were very elated when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa hosted 17 governors of the south, irrespective of political affiliation, on May 11, 2021 in Asaba to resolve on the popular Asaba Accord in which they agreed that power should shift to the south and that no governor of the south should accept the position of vice president to any person from the north of Nigeria.
“But Governor Okowa stealthily betrayed the cause and has gone on a borrowing spree to pursue the ill-fated vice presidential ambition and resultantly, today, as teachers, you are all involuntary debtors as the governor, according to records in Debt Management Office, DMO, has plunged Delta State into a debt burden of over N800 billion even after he has received over N4.2 trillion in revenue flows.
He told the teachers that one day they will retire from service and reminded them of how Governor Okowa is treating retired teachers shabbily and dismissing the proprietary of his obligation and responsibility as governor, to paying the gratuities and pensions of retirees.
He said he has promised to pay all gratuities owed the retirees, six months after inauguration assuring that the promise bears on serving teachers whom he reassured to pay their benefits as at when due, when he becomes governor.
“Don’t let anybody deceive you, Delta State is rich and there is no reason not to pay your promotion arrears and even implement the minimum wage in full when less endowed States do so.”
He promised regular training and retraining of teachers to improve quality of education in the State as well as focus on the work environment to make posting of teachers to rural and difficult to access areas of the State attractive. In addition, he assured that he would ensure that the pupil/teacher ratio in schools across the State is such that can encourage productive teaching and learning process.
Senator Omo-Agege noted the clamour for civil servants for a 13 month salary and assured to consider it when elected governor.
Asked why he extended his development projects beyond his Constituency boundary of Delta central senatorial district to other parts of the State, he said as highest political leader in Delta State, he used his office to respond to calls of needs of people of Delta State beyond Delta central who wanted him to come to their rescue after the State governor abandoned them.
He used the opportunity to inform that he has also fought for and succeeded, and in the week following, an announcement will be made by the FG of the establishment of a tetiary institution in Ndokwa nation, and this he did in his capacity as Deputy President of the Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria.
He identified insecurity, cost of doing business and collection of ‘Deve’ as causes of lack of jobs in the State and promised to engage technology and community policing to check insecurity, invest in Independent Power Plant, IPP, that will be dedicated and restricted to industrial areas that will attract companies to do business and outlaw collection of’Deve’, when he becomes governor.
Responding, the State Secretary of the NUT, Comrade Dan Basime, said Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has demonstrated humility and capacity to take teachers to the next level.
“We are convinced you will take teachers to the next level and I have the mandate of all teachers in Delta State to assure you that we are solidly behind you.”
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