The media adviser to former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr. Sunny Areh, has said President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments on infrastructure spending support Omo-Agege’s long-standing criticism of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s development priorities in Delta State.
Areh stated this in a statement on Saturday, saying the President’s call on governors to focus on projects that directly improve the lives of citizens reflected concerns Omo-Agege had repeatedly raised about the Delta State Government.
According to him, Omo-Agege, who is the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Delta Central, had questioned the Oborevwori administration’s spending priorities despite the huge allocations received by the state from the Federation Account since June 2023.
He said Omo-Agege had consistently argued that the state government was concentrating on flyover projects while many residents continued to face unemployment, insecurity, poor healthcare and economic hardship.
Areh recalled that President Tinubu, while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, urged governors to stop giving priority to flyovers that have little impact on people’s welfare and instead invest in roads and other infrastructure that improve security and the quality of life.
According to him, the President noted that states now receive significantly higher allocations from the Federation Account and should ensure the funds are used for projects that benefit citizens.
The media aide said Tinubu’s remarks reinforced Omo-Agege’s position that Delta State should place greater emphasis on sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, security and job creation.
He alleged that about ₦177bn had been committed to flyover projects in Warri, Effurun, Ughelli and Agbor while many primary healthcare centres lacked essential drugs, schools remained understaffed and insecurity persisted in parts of the state.
Areh also called on the Delta State Government to publish details of its expenditure under the MORE Agenda and subject major infrastructure projects to public-benefit and traffic-impact assessments.
He said governance should be measured by improvements in healthcare, education, security and economic opportunities rather than the number of infrastructure projects commissioned.
The statement urged the Oborevwori administration to prioritise projects that directly improve the welfare of residents and ensure greater transparency in the management of public funds.
Areh added that the Nigeria Democratic Congress would pursue what he described as people-centred governance focused on improving the living conditions of ordinary Deltans.
The Delta State Government had yet to respond to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
