CHIEF OLORI MAGEGE is the chairman of the Delta State Waste Management Board and member of the state PDP Campaign Organisation. He spoke on issues relating to the February elections in the state.

You are one of the passionate supporters of Senator Okowa for the governorship of Delta State. What really do you think are his chances?

The huge and unprecedented crowd that has been turning out to welcome Senator Okowa and the PDP train at the rallies is indicative of victory at the coming polls.

Marketing depends largely on the quality of the product. Senator Okowa is simply impossible to beat. Look at his track record as a public servant and his mega-tonnage of experience; is it not awesome? A local government chairman, two time commissioner, an SSG, and a Senator. You don’t buy experience, you earn it. If you want to rule us go earn the experience bottom up.

PDP has been at the centre stage for 16 years and it has performed. About 17 years ago PTI road was a footpath, so also Jakpa Road, Refinery Road, Elders Town Roads in Warri, Isoko Road in Ughelli, I can count on. How are they today?

Running a government is a different ball game from running a business otherwise we should just make Dangote the president of Nigeria and Pat Utomi or Gamaliel Onosode the governor of Delta State.  So when the party is an achiever and its candidate awesome, victory is assured.

Some may claim that you are just pursuing a personal agenda. Is there any?

Is it possible to pursue a goal so ardently, so passionately and with your own money without a personal interest?

My interest is altruistic and perhaps selfish too. I want a state peaceful enough not to worry about my wife when she goes to the market or my children when they go to school. I want prosperity for my people. I am selfish enough not to prescribe Iraq, Syria or Libya for my people. That is my interest.

What is the present relationship between you and the UPU?

If Urhobo is to grow in all ramifications it must re discover and reinvent UPU. What we have today is not what its founders envisioned for it. UPU of old founded Urhobo College and managed it successfully for decades. When government handed the school back to UPU recently, UPU could not manage it, so much so the school land was being sold under the nose of UPU. It was the old students that saved the school. You all were witnesses to Sanusi persecution of Cecilia Ibru’s Oceanic Bank. UPU did not raise an eyebrow as this illustrious daughter of Urhobo was thoroughly humiliated for no offence other than running her bank.

A few years ago I was a member of Urhobo Eminent Group and we organized a workshop to amend UPU constitution.

Education sector

We invited Urhobo professors to discuss the education sector as it affects the Urhobo nation. Do you know what they told us; that when their set of Urhobo professors retire it would take thirty years for another set of Urhobo professors to emerge. Why? Urhobo children, according to these illustrious professors, are not enrolling in PhD programmes. Shouldn’t that be what UPU should be concerned about?

Incidentally some members of current UPU exco were organizers of the workshop and they cannot deny the above. What has their UPU done about it? UPU paints a picture of Urhobo being marginalized in government.

How well has it harnessed the awesome powers of its 10 House of Assembly members, four House of reps members and its Senator? Has UPU used them to bring development to Urhobo land? Has UPU asked them what they do with their constituency projects? Has UPU ever related with Urhobo political appointees and top civil servants?

What other issues of common interest would you have for the people of Urhobo andDelta State especially ahead of the general elections?

It is in the interest of Urhobo to properly and correctly manage its population advantage within a highly knowledgeable pluralistic society as today’s Delta state. We must manage it well. So many things have changed, many assumptions of the past are no longer valid. This is my advice.