URHOBO youths, under the aegis of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association, gathered at the Petroleum Training Institute Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State, to endorse Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to emerge president and governor respectively in this month’s polls with a promise to campaign from door to door to actualize their dream.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Steve Oru, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, appreciated the Urhobo youths for the rare support given Jonathan’s second term bid, adding that the youths are the foundation of every society and represents the engine room and future of our society.

President of the group, Chief Francis Arhiyor, in his remark, said the Urhobo youths agreed to support Okowa and Jonathan because the PDP has delivered dividends of democracy to the people.

“Through the transformation agenda, President Jonathan delivered dividends of democracy to the people. The price of petroleum product has been reduced while he turned the country’s economy to one of the greatest in the world. We urge the National Assembly to approve the Petroleum Industry Bill and also finance the NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, to enable them deliver on their mandates. We will never support regional terrorist”, he said.

While expressing his satisfaction with Urhobo youths’ turn-out at the event, Oru affirmed that Urhobo is the fifth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria, noting that he was not surprised by the large attendance at the ceremony. He stressed that owing to their population and ideological vision, any candidate supported by the Urhobo youth will win the election.  Prof. Godini Darah, lead speaker of the rally said the rally was organised to support PDP and Jonathan for a second term.

“It is an auspicious season for the people of the Urhobo nation and the electorate in Delta Central. The senatorial district with over one million registered voters is the centre of political gravity in Delta State. No government can perform well in Delta State without the support of the Urhobo people”. He said, “President Jonathan deserves to be re-elected because he has excellent records of performance. He is the first minority politician from the Niger Delta to govern Nigeria. He has achieved more than any other regime in Nigeria since Nigeria’s independence”.

He went further:  ”In the area of roads and highways, over 25,000 km constructed/repaired,including the Effurun-Patani section of the East-West highway. Railways are recovered; a new standard Abuja-Kaduna line to be completed soon. The Lagos-Calabar railway to be constructed will pass through Urhobo communities of Oghara, Sapele, Effurun, Okuokoko, Agbarho, Ughelli, Evwreni, and Ughwerun. Second Niger Bridge in progress; Delta is a beneficiary of the project. Agriculture has yielded abundance, with 15 million farmers engaged; food import reduced by 50%, and rice revolution in progress.

The Nigerian economy has grown steadily; it is the largest in Africa and the 26th in the world. President Jonathan and the PDP administration are trusted by international investors and world leaders. This is why many foreign investors are coming to Nigeria. The Jonathan administration has launched an industrial revolution programme and the implementation should benefit Urhobo area”.