Ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial race in Delta State, former minister of State for education and governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the State, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, said he has a well planned out drive for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), that would give the state a roburst economy.
“Relying on this monthly allocation, is not going to be our way of life. You must have an entrepreneurial mind to be able to turn things around”.
The largest private investor in the state dropped the hint Saturday July 9th 2022, at the Palace of His Royal Majesty (HRM) Uzeuku Isaac P. O. U Obi, the Oduosa of Utagba-Ugbe kingdom, Kwale Ndokwa west local government area of the state.
The renowned Criminologist, who refused to let the cat out of the bag for the sake of copycats, said he knows what to do to revamp the ailing economy of the state just as he vowed to bring back industries and businesses that have left the state, stressing that Delta North alone would give his administration over N12 billion monthly.
He reiterated the plans by his government to roll out free education for all Deltans, “I will start my free education to all our children in Higher Education, with that I would have set the ball rolling because a state without proper education, is the party for distortion”.
He said under his watch as governor, insecurity would be a thing of the past as he would return power to traditional rulers, work with them in synergy with the police to provide an enduring security system across the state.
According to him, “Give me 30 days after my swearing in, all these unemployed youths in the state, I will remove them from unemployment and give them purposeful engagement and the state is rich enough to engage these our youths.
“From the day I become governor, I will compute their names and pay them till I engage them in farming, schooling and artisans”, lamenting that the dwindling standard of education could no longer carry the youths forward.
“I will come back with the team of my professionals not illiterates to change the situation around, our hospitals and schools will change. SDP is the solution” he declared.
“We will do a critical needs assessment, I will come up with a 25 years rolling plans that nobody can change. We will give our people employment, when you have peace and security, that investors would come to your State.
“We are going to return power traditional rulers. I will work in synergy with them. It is easier to work with the traditional rulers and the police to get security in the land.
“And once security is there, people will want to invest in the state. That is the key element and trust me, I am going to head the security team in the State for the period I am going to be governor and once I am able to do it continuously for eight years, life and property will be secured” he stated.
Gbagi, however noted, ‘at the appropriate time, Deltans will know who can be their governor and who cannot be their governor”.
Responding on behalf of the monarch, High Chief Odas Onwan of Utagba-Ugbe kingdom, tasked Gbagi and other candidates of the party, to remember the kingdom after their victories as they are in dare need of an institution.
“We are in dare need of higher institution, today there is no public water, all you see here are personal borehole water by individuals, when you get there don’t turn your back on us”.
