By Oghenekevwe Laba
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial aspirant in the forth coming Delta State Central election, Chief Ovie Omo-Agege has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint a worthy Urhobo son or daughter as a Minister in his cabinet as he considers replacements for those who just concluded their service to their fatherland. The appeal by Omo- Agege is coming on the heels of the recent relieving of the appointments of nine Ministers from Mr President’s cabinet.
Appealing to Jonathan to use his good office in granting Ministerial appointment to an Urhobo indigene, Omo-Agege in a letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan said, “Mr President, I seek your fatherly indulgence to reward our past massive electoral loyalty and pledged future electoral loyalty by making a worthy Urhobo son or daughter a Minister in your Cabinet as you consider those to replace those who just concluded their service to our fatherland.”
Assuring President Jonathan of Urhobo massive support in 2015, Omo-Agege who was former Delta State Commissioner for Special Duties and Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG) assured Jonathan that Urhobos would give him massive support in 2015 as they did in 2011 to ensure his re-election to a second term so as to bring his transformation agenda to an irreversible stage. “Mr. President, 2015 is around the corner and you can be rest assured that just as we voted overwhelmingly for you in 2011, we will do the same and even better in 2015 to ensure your re-election to bring transformation to a stage where it becomes irreversible,”
Omo-Agege who was among delegates of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) paid solidarity visit to President Jonathan in Abuja recently, appealed. To buttress the massive support of the Urhobos for President Jonathan, Omo Agege noted that out of Urhobo’s 920,000 registered voters, 860,000 voted for Jonathan in the 2011 Presidential election. He prayed that God who made Jonathan the President at this time would give him all the help and focus to overcome problems that he inherited from previous administrations which include unprecedented terrorism, massive unemployment, mono product economy and collapsed power sector amongst many others.
Enumerating the importance of Urhobo nation to the development of Nigeria, Omo-Agegedisclosed thus, “Mr President, Urhobo nation is the fifth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria. Urhobo land is also host to more than 15 oil and gas fields and about 400 oil wells, the highest onshore producer of crude oil in Nigeria. Our pedigree can also be measured by the fact that the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) was established 82 years ago, arguably one of the oldest such unions, to promote the interest of Urhobo nation and her people. Amongst the sons of Urhobo who have honoured our nation with their sterling contributions in all spheres are Chief Mukoro Mowoe, Chief Thompson Edogbeji Aitkins Salubi, former Federal Minister of Finance, the flamboyant Festus Okotie Eboh and the illustrious Olorogun Michael Ibru, General David Ejoor, Gamaliel Onosode, Senator David Dafinone, late Chief Daniel Okumagba, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Okri and Blessing Okagbare whom you have graciously expressed the gratitude of our nation to.”