The Lawmaker representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has enjoined the Urhobo people and Nigerians at large to remain focus and optimistic in the face of the current challenges as the future under President Mohammadu Buhari promises to be bright.

The Urhobo born lawmaker who stated this in his new year message, appealed to the people of Delta Central to vote men and women of integrity as the nation prepares to elect new leaders that would steer the ship in the next four years.

Ovie Omo Agege,

According to him, “as we enter the new year, I am full of confidence that we will record greater success and progress in our efforts to achieve Urhobo greatness and free Delta,” adding that “our worst time is now behind us”.

“Overall, the Buhari administration has built a strong foundation for the future. And when you think of how far we have moved our country in the right direction in the past three and half years, you will realize that Nigeria’s best days are ahead of us under President Muhammadu Buhari. 2019 would be a pivotal moment in our quest to engineer a better future for our country. It is a year citizens of this great nation would vote again to elect a President, Governors, Senators, Federal House Representatives and State House  Assembly Members who will determine the course of the nation for the next four years.”

He also noted that, “When President Muhammadu Buhari came into office in 2015, the economy was in a free fall, Boko Haram was controlling Local Government Areas and bombing of churches, mosques and motor parks indiscriminately became the order of the day. Stealing of public funds was an acceptable norm at a time infrastructures were decaying”

He continued,  “Buhari and his team had gone to work to pull the economy out of recession in a record time. Boko Haram has been degraded. Travel times on our roads have been reduced significantly. Power generation is up from below 3000 MW to over 7,000. New wealth is being created in the agricultural sector and the new economy.”

While acknowledging that not all Nigerians are feeling the positive impact of the Buhari’s administration, Omo-Agege said that was not enough to change the government in 2019, noting that was impossible to clear the message created in the past 52 years in just one term, stressing that it is only by re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria will move forward.

“We now have an economy that rewards hard work. But of course not everyone has prospered. Unemployment is still at unacceptable level, uninterrupted power supply is still elusive, killings are still occurring across the country. These challenges have made some people cynical and the feeling that the government is doing nothing to improve the lot of the people appears to be widespread”

“That notwithstanding, there is no reason to bring back those who created the mess in the first place. These are the same people who sold our national assets to themselves and their cronies and are now planning to sell NNPC again. The truth is that a lot of progress has been made, but it was not humanly possible to reverse all the policies and the 52-year trends in only four years, especially with an obstructionist National Assembly that was determined to frustrate the government”

“So when the same people who prevented us from moving forward are now promising simple and quick fixes for complex problems that they couldn’t solve for 16 years, then why should you take them serious? If you think they are sincere in their criticism or think that they are committed to moving Nigeria forward, you are dead wrong. They are in this for one reason and one reason only, to maintain the status quo and keep their power and privilege at the expense of the common good”

“Nonetheless, this election is too important and the challenges ahead of us are too great to take it lightly. The stakes are so high that the consequences of making a wrong choice are direr than you can imagine.

The outspoken senator from Delta warned that Nigerians should not make the mistake of taking one step forward and taking two steps backward which has been the bane of Nigeria.

“In our history we have seen that whenever we made progress, those who want the status quo to remain always push back and reverse the progress. That is what is happening now and we can’t let history to repeat itself. In a couple of months you will have the chance to finish what you started four years ago. We cannot turn back now. So, as we prepare for the general elections, we owe it a duty to future generations, to make the right choices at the polls, to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari who has laid a new foundation for the new Nigeria we so much desire. It is only by so doing that Nigeria will continue to move forward”

“And for the Urhobo people, I urge you to vote APC and Buhari who has shown that he is a friend of the Urhobo Nation.

On behalf of my family, I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.