President Bola Tinubu’s recent call on state governors to prioritize people-oriented infrastructure over the construction of flyovers has reinforced Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s long-standing criticism of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s development priorities, the senator’s media adviser, Sunday Areh, has said.
In a statement issued on Friday, Areh said Tinubu’s remarks during a meeting with traditional rulers from Oyo State at the Presidential Villa echoed concerns Omo-Agege had consistently raised over what he described as the Delta State Government’s misplaced spending priorities.
According to Areh, Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the 9th Senate and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Delta Central, has repeatedly questioned the Oborevwori administration’s handling of the estimated ₦3.5 trillion received by the state from the Federation Account since June 2023.
He alleged that despite the huge allocations, the governor had focused on constructing flyovers while many residents continued to grapple with economic hardship, unemployment, insecurity and inadequate public services.
“For speaking this truth, he was attacked, insulted and dismissed by the Delta State Government and its vast army of media aides,” Areh stated.
The aide said President Tinubu, while addressing the traditional rulers on Thursday, urged governors to channel increased federal allocations into roads and infrastructure that directly improve citizens’ quality of life and enhance security rather than embarking on projects with limited public impact.
He argued that the President’s position mirrored Omo-Agege’s earlier criticism of the Delta State Government’s development agenda.
“Truth has no party. Senator Omo-Agege spoke as a Deltan who feels his people’s pain. The President’s own words now echo that same concern on a national scale,” Areh said.
He further alleged that the Oborevwori administration had committed about ₦177 billion to flyover projects in Warri, Effurun, Ughelli and Agbor while primary healthcare centres lacked essential drugs, schools remained understaffed and insecurity continued to affect many communities.
Areh called on the Delta State Government to subject all ongoing flyover and infrastructure projects to a transparent public-benefit and traffic-impact assessment, publish comprehensive details of expenditures under the MORE Agenda, and redirect greater attention to healthcare, education, security, agriculture and economic support for residents.
According to him, governance should be measured by improvements in healthcare, education, security and economic opportunities rather than the number of infrastructure projects commissioned.
He added that the NDC, under its governorship candidate, Dr. Chris Iyovwaye, and Omo-Agege, would pursue a people-centred approach to governance if elected.
The Delta State Government had not responded to the allegations contained in the statement as of the time of filing this report.
