The incoming Governor of Delta State come 2023 under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and biggest employer of labour in the state, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi OON, has hit at the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration, saying his (Okowa) government is clueless and lacks business ideas.
The former minister of State for education, described Okowa’s administration as incapable of taming the deteriorating economy and insecurity in the state.
The former Delta Development Property Authority (DDPA) who raised about N900 million into the agency’s account in less than two weeks, came so hard on the incumbent while addressing leaders and members of Ubulu 82 Club at Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha south local government area of the state.
According to him, his (Gbagi) administration would address increasing state woes ranging from an intolerable and high unemployment rate to insecurity of lives and property.
The former Chairman, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, said he is on a mission to liberate Delta State to fulfil her foundational mandate.
The renowned Criminologist and security expert said the State under the Okowa government is bedeviled and buffeted by a myriad of security challenges never seen or experienced since the creation of Delta State in 1999.
Hear him: ‘Delta state is getting worse on a daily basis. We are told stories, we are lied to and we are denied all meaningful ways of purposeful living.
“Unless, mothers, fathers, uncles and brothers here seated, takes the destiny of Delta State seriously, what you will find pretty soon, is anarchy
“A good number of your children are no longer in the state, they have ran to Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja, looking for greener pastures.
“Delta state, if you ask me, is the richest State in Nigeria and Delta State is even richer than 42 independent countries in the world.
“What we have is lack of knowledge by bringing somebody you and I knows that cannot do the job. The more we do that, the more Delta State is depleting and going into oblivion. I didn’t really realize the depth of decay in the state until now.
“I fought my life as Kenneth Gbagi Foundation to put Okowa, in office because it was a turn by turn as we have divided it.
“I believed that Okowa, will do the best, then. I am sorry that for seven years, Okowa, was leading me and begging that Gbagi, I am going to handover to you. You are the only one that can do this job.
“I didn’t know that it was a political deceit. At that level, what are we looking for? But that is now history.
“What you are looking for, is who can manage your affairs. I give you an example, if this government knows what they are doing, take this local government, I will make money, graduating from my first year and by the time we have done two and half years, I would have started realizing from this local government nothing less than N5 billion.
“All I need to do, is to put cottage industries here. If you put employment in place, all the youths, will have something to do and that is why I said I will take all the youths from the street and pay them N30, 000.
“As I am paying them that N30, 000, I am registering them. I will pay them the money first, second month but as I pay them that money, I will find a job for them in the cottage industry.
“As we speak today, Delta State have earned approximately including the ones they are now revealing, over N3 trillion. In the corresponding time of this N3 trillion, we have gotten, if you check Ubulu-Uku round, there is nothing new in the last seven years.
“There is no industry, there is no job. How do you want to do it? Universities are turning children out everyday, how do you want to have peace?
“Why should we have two power plants, one in Ughelli and Sapele, yet, we are dying in darkness. It is lack of ideas and entrepreneurial sense because if we put light in every nook and cranny of this our state, businesses will come up”, adding that “Industries need light to survive”.
