The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Delta State, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye has pledged to harness the state’s abundant untapped natural and human resources to improve the standard of living of the people.
if elected.
Iyovwaye made the pledge on Thursday during the Delta State Professionals Mega Town Hall Meeting held in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
The theme for the meeting was: “Resetting Delta: The Role of Professionals and Labour Beyond Vision 2027”.
The guber candidate lamented that despite state’s vast natural resources, most of it’s residents still to live in abject poverty.
He attributed the development to failure of the successive administrations.
Oyovwaye said that his administration would prioritise energy, industrialisation, agriculture, education, healthcare, security and job creation to stimulate economic growth and improve the well-being of the people.
He said that his administration would work with professionals to ensure competent individuals were appointed into strategic positions.
According to him, “industrialising Delta is not a rocket science, it is achievable”.
The governorship candidate said that his administration would leverage on the vast arable land in the state for large scale agricultural production.
“My administration will invest heavily in cassava production and other agricultural value chains to boost internally-generated revenue and create employment opportunities,” he said.
Oyovwaye said that his government would explore the state’s abundant solid minerals deposit to create jobs.
“Our state is blessed with abundant mineral resources. Many people are unaware of their existence, let alone their economic value.
“Proper exploration of these resources can generate millions of dollars and significantly increase the state’s internally- generated revenue,” he said.
Oyovwaye pledged to improve the energy sector to drive industrialisation.
“My administration will harness the abundant natural gas currently being flared by oil companies for power generation.
“We will establish industries that will provide employment opportunities for young people and reduce social vices, including internet fraud popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” he said.
On education, the guber candidate pledged to revitalise the sector, describing it as the foundation for sustainable development.
He also pledged to improve healthcare infrastructure to enable the residents to have access to quality medical services.
Iyovwaye said that his administration would strengthen security across the state to enable farmers to return to their farmlands without fear of attacks.
Earlier, Dr Ebipuade Sapae-Obi, a lecturer at Niger Delta University, Otueke, Bayelsa State, attributed Nigeria’s developmental challenges to poor leadership.
He attributed the current situation in the country to the failures of the leaders to faithfully implement policies and programmes aimed at addressing issues affecting the citizens.
The lecturer urged Nigerians to support credible and visionary leaders, capable of steering the country towards sustainable development and lifting citizens out of poverty.
The university don commended Iyovwaye for offering himself for public service and expressed appreciation to the NDC campaign organisation and other stakeholders for organising the town hall meeting.
The event featured an interactive question-and-answer session.
In attendance were representatives from various professional bodies such as: the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and among others.